PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Film Review

Patriots vs. Giants All-22 Review – Offense Edition

by

Got a chance to look at the offensive side of the ball on Tuesday, albeit briefly and on my iPhone but I picked up a few interesting observations to pass along.

– I thought Brady had an up and down game. There were some great throws. There were some that were off that he usually makes. And there were some bad mental decisions he usually doesn’t make. Still, the Pats won the game, but he doesn’t seem entirely lights out right now whether it’s due to the offensive line, the loss of Edelman/Lewis, or what. The bomb to LaFell was the best deep ball he’s thrown since last year’s GWTD vs. the Ravens to LaFell. The TD to Gronk was nails. The goal line interception is a throw he makes, like in the Super Bowl to LaFell for instance. 

– Now Brady has to face a Rex Ryan defense without his best anti-Rex receiver and a rag tag offensive line. If ever there was a week to get Cannon and Vollmer back, this would be a good one.

– James White didn’t flash like Dion Lewis did but he was solid in a limited role. They certainly aren’t ready to thrust him into the fire. Rather they’ll work him in and he’ll go off in one of these random late-season games. He blocked well and came through with a clutch catch in the fourth quarter that everyone seems to be forgetting about.

– Amendola played another heck of a game, sparking the team yet again with a  big play (punt return) then making the clutch catches at the end that Edelman usually does. I’m excited to see what he does in an expanded role over the last seven games.

– The offensive line competes hard, but they can’t avoid some tough breakdowns at times. All of them had instances of missed blocks and failed assignments. Again, Cannon and Vollmer asap please.

– I continue to believe Blount is better served in an early rotation as he never really got fully going against the Giants. I don’t know if there’s really an answer to that now with the roster decimated, but if they can’t get some quality carries out of Bolden or White, the run game could be vulnerable.

Patriots vs. Giants All-22 Review: Defense Edition

by

There are plenty of specifics I’ll dive into a bit later this week, but for now the All-22 viewing is allowing me to process the minutiae of this game a bit better without all the nerves involved.

I think this game was better than a lot of us want to admit, with it really just boiling down to poor third down defense. The imminent return of Jamie Collins will help that.

Otherwise the run defense was stout, the tackle was good and the edge setters did their jobs. The pass rush just couldn’t cause enough problems to get Eli into bad throws on third down. 

Here are my thoughts on the defense after review:

– As usual it was a mix of mostly single high safety man coverage, with some Cover-2 Man mixed in. They went right at Eli which is a nice change from 2011.

– I don’t think the biggest talent problem on the defense is at cornerback, it’s at linebacker after Hightower and Collins. The Giants made a number of plays picking on Jonathan Freeny, especially in the first half. Neither Jerod Mayo nor Jonathan Bostic can do much either. Mayo looked a little better in this one, but overall he still lacks any pop in his game. If Hightower and Collins are healthy and on the field through the playoffs the defense will be a lot better than they were in this one.

– Justin Coleman was clearly playing with one hand, but I’m still not sure if he got yanked because of that or because he had a growing target on his back throughout the first half.

– Even the All-DE pass rush front was failing to generate much disruption. Eli was getting the ball out quick, but he had a good feel for the pocket and even when they flushed him out of it he was able to complete easy checkdowns.

– The run defense was excellent, as the Giants averaged just over 3.5 yards-per-rush on first and second down. The longest run they gave up was 10 yards on the day. 20 runs went for five yards or less, just three went more than five yards. This bodes well for the Bills game. One that went for six yards only had Easley in as a down linemen. Easley should’ve had him in the backfield too.

– The crazy thing to me is that I continue to feel like Easley makes more plays against the run with his burst than he does against the pass. He pushes back his blocker into the backfield and that forces the running back to make an early cut. But on many passing downs he just doesn’t cause the same kind of disruption.

– Interesting to see Chung effectively playing WILB in the 34 above. 

– Couple pressure plays by Hightower and Ninkovich that I missed live and picked up this time. Part of hold their opening second half drive to a field goal.

– PI calls on Chung and Butler on the first drive of the second half were head scratchers. Especially Butler’s where it looks like he didn’t even touch Beckham.

– Sheard just rotated in at defensive end, in the first half, then got some pass rushing snaps in the second half. Didn’t seem like the ankle was an issue, but he wasn’t quite back to where he was early this season. He should make a splash on MNF I’d bet.

– In a lot of ways this felt like last year’s defense, where the outside corners were doing a great job but the slot guys and linebackers were the ones getting picked on. Getting Collins back should help on both fronts due to trickle down and just how much ground he can cover.

– There’s nowhere to go:

– I know a lot of people were running to McCourty’s defense after this one but he missed a few plays in this one. Once he was doubling Rueben Randle under the route and still got beat. Just want to see him make more plays that he should make and has made in the past.

– Seeing more pressure than I remember again, this time Easley forcing Eli off the spot but Eli does a great job with a subtle slide then throwing a strike.

– Yes, this was a blah defensive performance overall but there were some impressive moments, none more than the defense forcing a punt after Brady fumbled on their own 34-yard line. Game was hanging by a thread.

– Ninkovich’s sack that moved the ball back 13 yards was a big part of this, but that sack was helped by great coverage as Eli had to pull it down on two reads before Nink got there.

– The Pats then forced two three and outs with impressive play from Malcolm Butler along with a timely blitz from Patrick Chung. The defense picked the right time to wake up on those two drives with the game in balance, but then came the final drive.

– Pats started rushing three on the first third down. On the second third down with just one yard to go Easley and Brown didn’t give an inch inside, but the Giants still found the yard. Good stoutness up front anyway.

– On the next third down the Giants got 30 yards with the Pats rushing just three again. The rotation on this drive was apparent to keep the pass rush fresh but even that couldn’t get three guys home. Eli easily slid and threw a strike as Melvin got beat in coverage.

– This is what bugs me. Three third downs and they couldn’t get a stop on any of them. I don’t love the rushing three guys here and it killed them on two of them.

– Still the goal line stand was impressive and once again the Pats were prepared for what the Giants were doing down there.

Was this the ‘85 Bears D? No. But this is what the Patriots do. Really what it boils down to was that the pass rush just wasn’t quite firing like it should be. How much can you complain about bad calls, your slot receiver getting picked on or incredible throw-and-catches? We’ve see this before this season against the Jets. When the third down defense doesn’t get off the field they’re in trouble. But in almost every other facet they played well.

And if you can’t be excited about Malcolm Butler after this one I got nothing for you.

Patriots Film Review vs. Redskins: Defense Edition

by

Always tough to focus on one specific area when the defense turns in a solid performance like this one, so we’re stick to a general overall review of the All-22 film for all the things that we might missed.

Schematically the Pats stuck with what they’ve been doing this year, mostly Cover-1 Man coverage with Patrick Chung in the box, morphing to more Cover-2 as the lead increased and they continued some use of the four-safety package designed specifically to put physicality in the seams of the defense.

Right now the Patriots defense looks locked in with what they are doing and there’s excellent balance on most downs between the rush and the coverage.

Most impressive has been the emergence of a dominant run defense that has been ignited by Alan Branch and Malcolm Brown. Both players were winning at the line of scrimmage and making plays in the backfield on multiple occasions. 

Brown has really improved through his first eight games. He’s really a unique defensive tackle, with an incredibly low center of gravity and surprising quickness that has him slipping blocks and getting to running backs. 

Once again Dominique Easley and Geneo Grissom are the pass rushing tackles, although we did see a bit of Grissom at defensive end near the end of the game. 

Ninkovich had some trouble at the start of the one long meaningful drive the Redskins put together, but he was generally solid otherwise. Seems like he had a bit more coverage responsibility in this one, as the Pats were dropping one of their edge players into the flat pretty consistently. Easley has a relatively quiet day I thought.

With no Jamie Collins, Jonathan Freeny stepped into play a majority of the snaps, and as the game progressed the Pats started pulling Dont’a Hightower and giving Jerod Mayo and Jonathan Bostic more of a look. Clearly Freeny is the best backup right now as he’s the only one who doesn’t look tentative. Mayo just lacks any pop to his game right now and I’m losing hope that he’ll get it back at all this season. Bostic was similar, looking a little unsure of where he’s going. Of course, he just got here, so that might not be due to his previous injuries like it is with Mayo.

A lot of people want to talk about trading for a corner but I have to say Butler/Ryan/Coleman have been as good as any corner group we’ve had not including last year. Even when they give up plays they are usually right there and usually make the tackle immediately. All are physical and good tacklers and that makes them perfect fits in this defense. Coleman had an unnecessary penalty at the end that cost them the touchdown, but for an undrafted rookie who got here way late, he’s been very solid.

Butler played perhaps his best game. Now I know it was DeSean Jackson’s first game back, but Butler gave up nothing to him, while also being physical against the run. Butler will get a much harder challenge this week against Odell Beckham Jr. Meanwhile Ryan continued to play the best ball of his career with another interception. He always just seems to be in the right place and yes, he might give up some catches, but they’re almost all contested.

A big part of the great secondary play has to be McCourty/Chung/Harmon/Richards, who all seem to have carved out their roles and are executing them at a high level. Though I did think McCourty missed a couple plays he usually makes.

Things seemed a little more relaxed and rotational this week, probably due to the quick and commanding lead right out of the gate. Still, the defense looks strong at all levels and once Jabaal Sheard gets back, he should really help them hit a new level. His return this week would be huge.

Patriots vs. Dolphins All-22 Review: 3rd Down Defense

by

Last week in my All-22 review I took a look at the atrocious 3rd down defense against the Jets, so this week I’m following that up looking at how the defense turned things around against the Dolphins on the money down, giving up conversions on just 2-of-11.

The headline is of course pass rush, which was non-existent against the Jets but suddenly great against Miami. If they play like that consistently in the playoffs if won’t matter who’s in the secondary.

Also want to focus on how Collins and Hightower are used on each down.

Here’s a look at all 11 third downs and what the Pats did.

1. 1Q, Pats 7-0, 3rd-and-11,  Matthews 15-yard catch. FIRST DOWN!

The first third down of the day was the worst one as the Pats defense picked up where they had left off against the Jets, giving up a third-and-long.

Pats show Cover-2, but it’s actually Cover-1 with McCourty coming down as the “Robber”. Hightower blitzes off the edge, Collins is in man on the running back. Easley is double teamed and can’t split it. Chandler tries a move back inside but is stood up, while Ninkovich soft rushes and appears to be spying Tannehill. Ryan does get a hand on Matthews, but it’s a good route and a perfect throw. Here you just need Hightower or Jones to win and neither did.

2. 1Q, Pats 7-0, 3rd-and-8, Chandler Jones SACK!

Pats are in Cover-1, Collins in man on the RB, McCourty on the TE. Hightower is off for a three safety/three corner, speed front with Grissom and Easley inside.

This was a designed screen that was blown up by Chung reading it perfectly and Grissom getting after Tannehill with his hair on fire. But it’s Chung that makes Tannehill pull it down. Chandler gets the sack but the play was completely broken down by that point so it’s hard to really say it was all him.

3. 2Q, Pats 7-0, 3rd-and-10, BAD SNAP SAFETY!

Same three-safety/three-corner package as before without Hightower. Cover-1 Robber, with Chung on the TE and McCourty coming down. Collins on the RB. Bad snap makes it easy.

4. 2Q, Pats 9-0, 3rd-and-10, INCOMPLETE!

This time we’ve got three-safety/three-corner but Hightower on for Grissom. Cover-1 Man, Ryan is in off-man coverage and is in perfect position for when the ball has to come out due to the pressure. This time it’s McCourty in coverage on the running back as the Pats rush five. Both Chandler and Ninkovich win inside and Tannehill just has to chuck it. Full credit here to Chandler Jones for a great move.

5. 2Q, Pats 9-0, 3rd-and-10, Chandler Jones SACK!

Interesting package here with four safeties, three corners, two LBs and two DEs. Harmon took the deep middle, while McCourty and Richards played an underneath zone. Chung had the TE (who stayed in to block) while Collins took the RB. But this was all Chandler Jones as he splits the TE/LT double team and gets the sack.

6. 2Q, Pats 12-0, 3rd-and-13, INCOMPLETE (Chung pass defended)

Same four-safety/three-corner look from the last third down with no defensive tackles. Collins is on the RB leaving just 50/54/95 to rush the passer. Was a pretty quick throw, but neither Chandler or Ninkovich made much of an impact on it. Chung plays it perfectly, and Richards helps from his under-zone coverage spot. Really he probably could pick this one.

7. 3Q, Pats 22-7, 3rd-and-1, Miller -2 rush!

Finally a third-and-short and the Pats go to their regular package with 4 DL/3 LB. Nothing technical here, simply Siliga exploding into the seam between the blockers and making the play in the backfield. Hicks also does a good job on his side, as does Freeny who fills well. This is the kind of short yardage play the Patriots have not made enough of in the last two years. Positive sign.

8. 3Q, Pats 22-7, 3rd-and-3, Matthews 4 yard catch FIRST DOWN!

Patriots break out a new look here at the end of the third quarter with Collins and Hightower on the edges, Easley/Grissom in the B gaps and Chandler Jones head-up on the center. Nink comes on a delayed blitz but the Miami OL does a good job pushing the entire pass rush to Tannehill’s right. Matthews gets just enough separation on the drag route and converts the second third-down of the day.

9. 4Q, Pats 29-7, 3rd-and-28, Gray 3-yard catch.

After back to back sacks Miami is in a huge hole. Dolphins just concede with the checkdown and the Pats snuff it out.

10. 4Q, Pats 36-7, 3rd-and-10, Matthews 5-yard catch.

Pats are working in their backups at this point (Hi Jerod Mayo!). Quick throw by Tannehill but good toughness by the defense to fight off blocks and hold him to just 5 yards off the WR screen that Matthews look less than enthusiastic about running.

11. 4Q, Pats 36-7, 3rd-and-23, Incomplete

Last one of the game and the pass rush isn’t exactly rushing like it’s the Super Bowl anymore. Ryan is in off man and plays the in cut well, although I don’t think he got a hand on the ball.

Final Thoughts: It was interesting to see Hightower come off the field on third down in a couple situations. The 4 safety/3 cornerback package was a new twist I don’t recall before, but in tracking all the third downs you can see how they throw new curves in each quarter to keep things fresh. This was a great game for Chandler Jones, and I’d love to see him put three games in Jan/Feb together like this. If he can, the Pats could win the Super Bowl. He’s such a big key because they can scheme him to get one-on-one matchups. Same thing for Sheard once he returns.

Patriots vs. Jets All-22 Review: Defense Edition

by

Third down defense was obviously the headline in this one so today we’re just going to take a closer look at some of the more interesting ones. The Jets converted 8-of-14 third downs and really, that’s why this was a ballgame. 

It was frustrating because they executed the early-down gameplan so well. The run defense was truly impressive and that bodes well for the defense long term. But really, pass rush on third down is vital and in this game it was virtually non-existent.

Couple that with some softer man coverage and the Jets were picking up first downs on numerous 3rd-and-longs.

Let’s review the damage…

1. 1Q, Pats 3-0, Jets 3rd & 10, Decker 24 yards. FIRST DOWN!

Pats in Cover 2 Man. Decker motions across formation then runs an in cut across the open flat. Pats rush 3, with Hightower spying Fitzpatrick. Throw comes in rhythm as Easley/Nink are held up. If Hightower drops a bit he might’ve take this throw away, as the MOF is wide open. Butler stumbles at Decker’s stem, and can’t recover.

VERDICT: Quick play, Butler needed better patience as Decker reached the stem of his route. But knowing the MOF was open he should’ve anticipated it was an in cut.

2. 1Q, Pats 3-0, Jets 3rd & 10, Decker 11 yards. FIRST DOWN!

Pats in Cover 1 Man. Butler is off Decker but steps toward him at the snap to get a jam but misses and is in recovery mode the rest of the down. Decker stops and turns, blocking Butler out with his size. This time it’s a traditional pass rush with Collins/Hightower dropping into the flat.  Pocket holds just long enough.

VERDICT: Needed more disruption from one of the front four as Collins/Hightower dropping out did nothing to confuse anyone. That’s where you need Easley to truck someone. Still, Butler was sloppy with his technique and couldn’t recover. Tough gamble on the jam, if he had gotten a hand on Decker the timing might’ve been thrown off.

3. 1Q, Pats 3-0, Jets 3rd & 2 at the Pats 2. Incomplete. STOP!!

Pats in goalline, the Jets try to iso Chung on tight end Cumberland. Probably a touchdown most times, but Chung might’ve gotten a hand in there. Tough to tell from the All-22 view. Pats hold for a field goal.

VERDICT: Get ready for more of these kind of targets, Chung.

4. 1Q, Tied 3-3, Jets 3rd & 4, Decker 17 yards. FIRST DOWN!

Pats in Cover-1 Man. Butler is playing off and this time Decker beats him with an out route. Pats send 6 this time but everyone is picked up and Fitzpatrick makes a quick and perfect throw. 

VERDICT: Every pass rusher is blocked one-on-one and Butler’s coverage is just soft enough for Fitz to throw it in there.

5. 1Q, Tied 3-3, Jets 3rd & 10, Kerley 11 yards. FIRST DOWN!

Pats in Cover-1 Man as Jets run a sort of screen pass into the middle of the defense. Kerley cuts in, Coleman gets picked (probably illegally) and then Fitzpatrick sidearms it to Kerley who makes his way through the middle of the field avoiding tackles from Flowers and Chandler Jones.

VERDICT: Nice play design by the Jets to attack the vacated middle of the field. Perhaps a little better awareness from the defensive line could’ve stopped him short, but no one had a clean shot.

I’d just like to pause here to point out we just ended the first quarter and the Jets have already picked up four of five third downs and three of those were from 3rd&10. Unacceptable and really set a crappy tone for the game.

6. 2Q, Jets 10-3, Jets 3rd & 2, Incomplete.

The Pats are in Cover-1 Man and have six in the box, rushing four then dropping out Ninkovich and Hightower. It looks like Jamie Collins gets a hand on the pass, but Logan Ryan has a solid jam and Marshall can never get going anyway.

VERDICT: Keep up the solid jams.

7. 2Q, Tied at 10, Jets 3rd & 8, Decker 7 yards. PUNT!

Pats in Cover-2 Man as the Jets have a bunch formation to the right. Butler seems leans the wrong way and that’s more than enough for Decker on the out route. Pressure is right there should the throw not be there but it is.

VERDICT: Butler just didn’t seem to close ground as quickly as we’ve seen in the past and took some false steps that he couldn’t recover from. Still, he tackled well enough and held the Jets a yard short.

8. 2Q, Pats 13-10, Jets 3rd & 3, Fitzpatrick sacked by Collins. PUNT!

Pats in Cover 1-Man with the Jets having two stacked receivers on either side of the formation. Hightower makes this play by blitzing from his off-line linebacker spot and pancaking Mangold into Fitzpatrick’s feet just as he sets. Collins shows good patience and finishes Fitz off as he tried to scramble.

VERDICT: Someone made a play on third down and they’re off the field. Shocker.

9. 3Q, Pats 16-10, Jets 3rd & 7, Smith 7 yards. FIRST DOWN!

Pats in Cover-2 Man as Smith runs a drag across the field and Fitzpatrick finds him off his back foot at the last second. This one was close as you can see from the pic below. Easley does a good job and that in turn opens things up for Ninkovich as well. Just a half a second too slow or else this one is a sack, and an ugly one.

VERDICT: Almost doesn’t count in pass rushing. Tough play for Coleman navigating all the traffic.

10. 3Q, Pats 16-10, Jets 3rd & 5, Marshall 13 yards. FIRST DOWN!

Pats in Cover-2 Man, Jets motion Marshall out of the backfield, Ryan gets hands on him but doesn’t disrupt him. No pressure on Fitzpatrick.

VERDICT: Jets could make this all day with that kind of pocket and he could’ve throw to Kerley as well in the flat.

11. 3Q, Pats 16-10, Jets 3rd & 7, Decker 23 yards. FIRST DOWN!

Pats in Cover-1 Man, Decker goes in motion and gets knocked off course by both Butler and Chandler Jones off the snap. Still he recovers and runs a post. Fitzpatrick is unpressured (Pats only rushed 3) and sticks a perfect pass in there. Huge play.

VERDICT: Even with Hightower and Chandler lurking in passing zones Fitzpatrick still found Decker who got back on course quicker than Butler did after the jam at the line.

12. 4Q, Jets 17-16, Jets 3rd & 7 from NE12, INCOMPLETE! 

The third down stop that saved the game, this was a critical one. Pats are in a Cover-2 Man and rush 4. Marshall seemed to push Logan Ryan away and that in turn seemed to unsettle him for the back shoulder throw. Probably should’ve been a touchdown, but there was a bit of pressure coming with Hightower.

VERDICT: Not great, but the Pats kept the points gap manageable. 

Overall I think the headline for all these third down mostly-failures was just no one making plays up front. The only disruption caused by anyone was one Hightower blitz. Otherwise there was limited disruption. 

Coverage-wise Butler seemed to lack his usual anticipation and burst. I think this might’ve been his flattest game this season and he paid the price for it. 

Still, the Pats won the war and their gameplan was generally effective. If they could’ve just gotten off the field on a couple more third downs their margin of victory would’ve been certainly higher.

Patriots vs. Colts All-22 Thoughts: Defense Edition

by

The Patriots had a lackluster start on defense in this one, but once the second half came around they tightened up before allowing a late drive that allowed the Colts to make it close at the end. Still, there was plenty of good and bad to digest in this one, including the use of safeties in more traditional cornerback roles.

The first drive certainly wasn’t very pretty but with the Pats defense it often seems the case that the opposition puts together a good first drive. Then BB locks in on what they’re doing and adjustments come.

The first drive was Branch/Siliga inside and a mix of coverages including Cover-1 and Cover-2. Looked to me like Freeny was often the target, and deservedly so. He’s just a step late in coverage and doesn’t see things as quickly as Hightower might’ve. Ryan and Butler were competitive in coverage, but still gave up some well-executed passes. Mayo continues to look ineffective, for lack of a better term. 

Second drive they went to Easley and Brown inside, Sheard in for Ninkovich, and seemed to get a bead on what they wanted in coverage: Butler-Moncrief, Ryan-Johnson, Chung-Hilton. Easley got great pressure on 2nd down, forcing a bad throw. Interesting look on third down with four safeties, Mayo on the RB. I’d posit the Pats thing Hilton is soft and just want to put physicality on him. Moncrief seems their biggest concern, which is somewhat unconventional.

Third drive Chandler comes off and Nink is back in with Hicks and Branch inside. Solid work by Hicks on first down to stack and shed to make the tackle, but gets turned two plays later for a decent run gain. One of these DTs might get cut loose when Chris Jones comes back. Pats send 5 on 3rd-and-5 and it’s Easley showing good patience to finish the play. That’s a good development for him showing some rush awareness.

Now, the 12-play touchdown drive that would be their final points until the end of the game. This time we’ve got Brown and Siliga inside, with Sheard and Chandler. Frank Gore’s 18-yard run really got this drive going and another tough play for Mayo who couldn’t get off a block to make the play. Seeing a bit more of Jordan Richards here and I have to say I really like how he looks. Plays with a great base, flips hips well. We seem to be seeing more of him each week and it’s not an accident. Colts made the easy plays and this is always what scares me because it works so well. Taking the checkdowns, scrambling for first downs, keeping it simple. Touchy PI call on McCourty set up the touchdown as it was 1st-and-18 before that. Not a great red zone day. Should’ve held them to a field goal as Siliga missed a clear shot at Luck. See below.

Second Half

Hicks and Brown inside to start the second half. Brown is showing some decent development, he gets really low and wins the leverage battle. Good pressure by Nink on second down forces a bad throw incomplete by Luck. Third down Butler has great pursuit of a free running Moncrief to tackle him short of the 1st down.

Next drive it’s Hicks and Branch inside and Branch draws an early holding call to set the Colts back. Chandler Jones just misses an interception, does he think he’s Malcolm Butler? Seems like more of a concerted effort to press the receivers off the line and I think it made a big difference. Good closing burst by Logan Ryan on a deep corner route to Andre Johnson. Ryan’s not making that play on 5-years-ago Andre, but still a nice job to force a third down. Critical third down with the game on the line and Easley gets the sack. This is the kind of play I’ve been dreaming about for two years. Luck had no chance to step up and that’s not something we’re used to seeing.

Next possession Brown is back in and puts together a great series, looking strong holding his ground. Pats mixing Cover-1 Man and Cover-2 Zone. Once again on third down Easley gets in Luck’s face and forces an incomplete. This is making me very happy.

Colts getting more and more holding calls called against them as the game wore on. I’d like to think this is a result of the Pats front seven depth and their ability to rotate and keep guys fresh.

The final drive got off to a good start for the Colts with a 17-yard pass to Moncrief with Butler playing off coverage. Pats shifted to Cover-2 Man which was effective until Hilton caught a pinpoint 27-yard pass. That’s a tip the hat play.

Last two Colts plays were to Whalen with McCourty in coverage. The problem was the three-man rush wasn’t getting any heat on Luck. Something to consider going forward when protecting a lead.

Patriots vs. Cowboys All-22 Review: Defense Edition

by

Lots to like in this game even though the Cowboys were without Tony Romo, Dez Bryant and others.

The headline has to be the heavy dose of press man coverage. Everyone thought this would be a zone defense after Revis and Browner walked but that has not been the case and personally I’m thrilled. You just can’t play zone defense and expect to stop a good QB.

But especially nice was to see the defense being aggressive against a lesser quarterback, when they’d often just sit back in zone and wait for mistakes against these kind of guys in the past.

Here are some general observations on a small sample size:

Logan Ryan
 was the regular CB with Butler, but in sub packages he came off for Brown in the slot and Coleman in the outside. I think this might be because Ryan is probably the best against the run of that group, but is more limited in coverage perhaps. Coleman continues to get chances and looks like he belongs. He’s feisty and was one of my favorite Patriots fits coming out in this draft.

Dominique Easley
 continues to impress me more against the run than the pass, which isn’t really what we expected. He’s just so fast off the ball that he has an instant leverage advantage on an offensive lineman looking to pull. He’s just so disruptive in those situations (see below), but when he’s straight-up pass rushing he wasn’t really winning, at least not like Sheard did a couple times.

Malcom Brown
 had his best game as a pro, holding strong at the point of attack but also being active on the move. It’s a good sign that he’s starting to show positive signs. He tied with Branch for leading defensive tackle snaps with 23.

Jamie Collins was everywhere in this one. Hard to pick out just one play illustrating how he dominates in every facet, but look at the screen shot below and know Collins makes that tackle for a 3-yard gain. Could’ve gone for 30 if he wasn’t so athletic in beating blockers.

McCourty was used on Witten and they doubled him with Jordan Richards quite a few times as well. Not really as outside the norm for McCourty as I might’ve thought. We saw him manning up tight ends last year, with Antonio Gates one example that comes to mind.

I don’t want to keep hammering a guy coming back from injury but didn’t see much out of Mayo in his 29 snaps. If Hightower is out for a while I have real concerns about who’s going to be next to Collins. Mayo still has okay speed, but is generally pretty easily blocked and doesn’t really make much of an impact. Maybe it’s just being next to Collins anyone would look average. But there’s just a lack of strong direct force from Mayo, if that makes sense. Not so much tentative, just a step behind where he was and unable to navigate the wash.

Jabaal Sheard is such a beast I’m not sure how much longer he’s playing less than Ninkovich. He’s the perfect weapon for this defense and if you want to talk about offsetting the loss of Revis, he’s your guy.

It was nice to see the defense go down to the end of the game playing man coverage and not sitting back in prevent zone like they often have in the past. They weren’t quite as aggressive and mixed in some Cover 2, but still had a majority of man coverage concepts.

I keep coming back to one thing – why haven’t the Patriots committed like this to pass rush about five years ago? Now we’re seeing more and more defensive personnel with one or even no defensive tackles. Just the LBs and LB/DE hybrids lining up all over the place and causing havoc getting to the QB. This is why the defense is better now, I don’t care who the corners are.