PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Archives for January 1, 2011

The statistical personality of the Patriots passing offense

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Take a look at some Patriots passing offense NFL ranks:

  • 5th (T) in sacks allowed.
  • 1st in passer rating. (108.4)
  • 19th (T) in plays of 40 plus yards.
  • 9th (T) in plays of 20 plus yards.
  • 12th in passing yards per game.
  • 12th in total yards.
  • 11th in percentage passing yards after catch.

When I look at these stats you know what phrase comes to mind?

Surgical procedure.

The 2010 Patriots protect their quarterback, he makes the right reads and throws, and they beat opponents by a death of one thousand cuts.

It has been a brutally efficient offense. They don’t rely on the deep ball and they don’t need to. Remember all those who thought the Patriots minus Randy Moss could no longer stretch the field, and Wes Welker would suck, and so on?

Yeah, if anything it made them better.

Though they have more of a horizontal attack they are not overly reliant on screen passes. The label “dink and dunk” is definitely not applicable here.

While this offense can move the ball by any means necessary, their bread and butter is the intermediate passing game. The deep outs (hardest throw for an NFL QB), deep come backs and posts run by a dynamic set of offensive pieces.

The only thing that really holds this offense back is the defense’s inability to get off the field on third down. The Pats are 23rd in time of possession.

Pryor back, Brace headed to IR for Patriots?

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News came via Ian Rapoport today that pass rush specialist Myron Pryor is set to return tomorrow while it looks like Ron Brace is done for the playoffs with an elbow injury.

Losing Brace does hurt the Pats as depth along the line was already thin, so basically they’re becoming a little stronger in pass rush and a little weaker in run stopping.

If the Patriots face the Ravens in the divisional round they probably could use Brace, since the 3-4 defense will surely be used a lot to stop Ray Rice. Although in the first meeting between the two teams the Patriots went with a Deaderick – Warren – Wilfork front. But we haven’t seen much of Deaderick lately.

The good news is that the return of a healthy and rested Brandon Spikes should be a boost to the 3-4 base.

As for Brace it was an up and down season for him, beginning when he couldn’t pass his physical and stayed on PUP for much of training camp. He showed some signs of life at times, namely the fourth down goal line stop against Adrian Peterson, however the games he played most in were the only two losses this season (@ Jets 67%, @ Browns 71%). 

With the return of Ty Warren, Brace will likely be in a stiff competition with Deaderick in 2011. For now he can worry about getting his elbow healthy.

Did you know Myron Pryor had a 71-yard fumble return for a TD in college?