One of the themes with the Patriots is that they view victories the same way as defeats, often focusing on the negative aspects of their performance as part of a hard-driving approach that focuses on constant improvement. One area that figures to be looked at closely this week: Negative runs. They had three of them in the first half, in addition to another rush for no gain. The Saints get some credit for that, too. Also, the way Saints coordinator Rob Ryan mixed his calls was reflected in how Tom Brady was sacked four times in the first half – some coverage calls rushing just three, and some overload blitzes. It’s a fun scheme to watch.
Picked-up pieces from 2nd-quarter review – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN Boston
Did a quick stat look-up…
Patriots negative runs per game:
- 2010: 2.66
- 2011: 2.54
- 2012: 4.06
- 2013 (thru 6 games): 4.33