PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Ron Brace

Spikes & Deaderick Huge Factors in Dominant Patriots Run D

by

Sometimes it’s really amazing how much you miss when you’re watching the game and you’re all caught up in the emotion of it. That’s why I always enjoy watching the DirecTV shortcut to really see where the game was won and lost.

The Defensive Packages page will be updated later today, but for now here are some things that I didn’t notice while watching the game live.

There are two players who really stood out to me the second time through. The first is Brandon Spikes. He’s still a little rough around the edges at times, but most of the time he is making a huge impact in the run game. 

Let’s not forget how badly our run defense was gashed against the the Ravens in the playoffs. Now we have a defense that no team has run for a hundred yards on. Spikes has been a huge part of that. He comes downhill hard and often blows offensive lineman backwards. He’s always right in the middle of the plays and that’s exactly what you want from a Mike linebacker in the 34. It has also allowed Jerod Mayo to become a tackling machine.

The second guy I want to point out is Brandon Deaderick. We’ve seen Deaderick’s play time slowly spike over the last few weeks and after having a chance to really focus on him against the Vikings I can see why.

Deaderick is explosive and can play both end positions. He’s used as a pass rusher at times, but he looks like he’s really growing as a two-gapper. Opposing lineman always have their hands full with him and most times he’s tossing them into the backfield.

At a position where the Patriots had major question marks even before Ty Warren was lost, the ascension of Deaderick has been a much-needed boost. It has allowed the Patriots to have a healthy rotation of solid defensive lineman. Gerard Warren barely saw the field until the second half against the Vikings, but when he did he was fresh and ready to keep Adrian Peterson shut down.

Ron Brace has also been showing up well as of late, with the biggest play of his young career coming on the 4th down goalline stand. Seeing a defensive front of Brace-Wilfork-Deaderick for a good chunk of the first half should give Patriots fans optimism heading into the future.

by

n. Ron Brace. Huge play in Minnesota-New England late in the first half, with the Vikings having a first-and-goal at the Patriots’ one with the score tied at 7. Brace, a second-year defensive tackle from Boston College (looks like he has classic noseman size), lined up on the head of Minnesota right tackle Phil Loadholt. At the snap, Adrian Peterson took the ball and ran right behind Loadholt. One problem: Brace was pushing Loadholt back. Peterson couldn’t find a hole, and he was enveloped by the Patriot defense. Never would have happened if Brace hadn’t win the man-to-man battle with Loadholt.

Peter King gives Ron Brace some love.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/n-ron-brace-huge-play-in-minnesota-new-england/

by

Finally, here’s the defensive lineman snap percentage graph. Brandon Deaderick and Ron Brace… clearly headed in opposite directions.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/finally-heres-the-defensive-lineman-snap/

Thursday Patriots OTA Huddle Up

by

The Patriots are scheduled to have mini-camp next week but I’m not sure if there will be media access, so this could be the last chance we have to hear about what’s going on in Foxboro these days until training camp.

First off, there’s a report from the Denver Post that the Pats sent Logan Mankins a letter notifying him that if he doesn’t sign his RFA tender by next week they will decrease his pay for 2010. Basically it comes down to this simple math for Logan:

  • Sign RFA Tender, make $3.268 million in 2010.
  • Don’t Sign RFA Tender, make $1.54 million in 2010.

Either way the Patriots hold all the cards. I’m sure the media will begin hammering the Pats for this, but look, they’re playing by the rules. I know everyone wants to live in a land where the best players get huge deals and are with the team forever but it’s far from that simple. If the NFLPA doesn’t like it, then they should negotiate to kill that, along with the Franchise Tag, in the next CBA.

It’s hard for fans to swallow when the team has power over a player, but that’s professional football. Get over it.

On to the OTA Huddle up after the jump…

Mike Reiss finally reports some news on Tyrone McKenzie, as well as a Ron Brace update:

Patriots followers haven’t seen much of Tyrone McKenzie, the 2009 third-round draft choice who missed his rookie campaign with a torn ACL. His reputation is as a Ted Johnson-type run-stuffer who could be a first- and second-down type option, and then coming off the field in passing situations in favor of more speed. But that might be underselling McKenzie, who at one point in this practice was the lone inside linebacker on the field in a sub package. He should be one of the more interesting players to watch in training camp as we learn more about his skill set.

With starting left defensive end Ty Warren not practicing, 2009 second-round draft choice Ron Brace stepped in next to Vince Wilfork when the team was working in its base 3-4. This was a reminder that while Brace didn’t see much time during his rookie campaign (approximately 50 defensive snaps all season), he very much remains in the team’s plans.

McKenzie played in three college programs and produced in all of them. His versatility is vastly underrated to this point, and he could even project as a pass rusher. Everyone wants to put the young Patriots linebackers in a box… a Ted Johnson-type, a Mike Vrabel-type, and so on… but the fact is that no two players are the same, and BB will use them each to maximize their strengths. What those are we’ll just have to wait and see.

As for Brace, a solid year on run downs from him would be greatly helpful to the Pats organization that could desperatly use a young, stout defensive lineman. He will be a player to watch in training camp.

Ian Rapoport has a Crazy Legs update:

It appeared that Shawn Crable got more looks with the big team, while Marques Murrell was with the scout team

It’s minor progress from last week for Crazy Legs, when he was running only with the scout team, but it’s progress none the less. Biggest question I have is whether or not he’s playing special teams.

Albert Breer (not FakeAlbertBreer) has an update on the one and only Patriot I can’t stand, Matthew Slater:

Matthew Slater, likely a player on the bubble, got some love from his teammates after making a great sideline catch on an out cut near the goal line (there was no defense for the drill); several receivers slipped trying to make the same catch on the wet grass.

Slater seems like a hard working, good kid, but I am DONE with him as a kick returner. It’s been two seasons of him catching the kick and running full speed into the closest oncoming defender, getting himself absolutely laid out, and thus firing up the other team. I get it. He’s fast. He works hard. He also never started at UCLA and there’s a reason. Lack of vision. I try not to be a hater, but I really would like to see the team say “Later Slater”.

Some other minor notes to pass along:

  • Welker was back out there again. This is really a great sign that he has not suffered any setbacks. Look no further than Thomas Davis of the Panthers who was just coming back from an ACL injury himself and re-tore the same ACL this week in OTAs. Things like that remind you that nothing is guaranteed and we’re lucky Welker has had smooth sailing so far.
  • Patrick Chung continues to run with Meriweather as a starting safety while James Sanders watches. Something tells me Sanders could be headed for the trade block if he’s not already there. He was a steadying force last year down the stretch but his high salary and low ceiling might open the door for Chung to become the starter.
  • Per Jason LaCanfora of NFL Network there’s still no real interest in Adalius Thomas. I try not to bash Thomas too badly, I feel like it’s more of a bandwagon thing to hate him, when no one really had a problem with him until this season. But it’s really interesting that no one wants him. Not even Rex Ryan. Says something about Adalius for sure.