To be honest I think he only gets overly creative to compensate for a weakness. We saw it in 2009 when he busted out the one DL, five linebackers walking around and five DB package. That was to generate pressure.
The key this year is the front four winning the one-on-one matchups. They can’t simply man-up the receivers with McCourty over the top and Chung in the box and expect to have the extra second to get to the quarterback.
They’ll likely need two safeties in coverage and drop the linebackers to short zones more often than sending them on double A gap blitzes or the like.
So it’s not creativity I expect, though there’s always elements of disguise to their defensive scheme, it’s guys like Chandler, Easley, Ninkovich, Sheard and the other guys in the trenches beating their guys and getting to the quarterback.
Doing that is what will keep this defense at a high level and compensate for the loss of two good man corners.
