Mike Dussault

Seems like it’s Bedard Wednesdays around here since his wrap up and grades is always a must read, and then his appearance on Dennis & Callahan is a must listen. But some great stuff in here with this interesting tidbit of how the Pats offense seemed to poop out a bit. This is something I’m hoping to take a closer look at later today. Does the Pats offense always sputter late when they run a lot of no huddle?

A lot of attention has been focused on the fast-break, no-huddle offense, and it’s certainly deserving. The players and all the offensive coaches deserve a lot of credit for getting it ready to unleash against a quality opponent. And it was certainly a big reason the Patriots built a 31-7 lead. The Broncos didn’t know what hit them, and at times couldn’t even get lined up correctly. But expect the Patriots to tweak how they use it, because the no-huddle was likely a big reason they went scoreless in the final 19:42 of the game and nearly allowed the Broncos to mount a comeback. Some of the ineffectiveness had to do with the Patriots taking a more conservative approach to burn clock and the Broncos’ defense being aggressive. But the Patriots also looked very tired in the final quarter-plus of the game as the first-half pace took a self-inflicted toll. Of the final 22 plays the Patriots ran before the kneel-downs, 10 went for 1 yard or less, including three sacks, two fumbles (one lost), a penalty, and a near-interception. That’s 45.5 percent.