ESPN/Bruschi: Patriots are embracing a new scheme

I know we’ve been walking the line about this scheme shift not being a big deal but I don’t know how you can look at last night’s game and think it’s not significant. Perhaps the Patriots were running one-gap pressure schemes sometime in the early part of last decade, but for the last five seasons since then it’s looked like all read and react to me.

It’s clear that Bruschi sees this as a fundamental shift in the approach to defense, and he knows it better than anyone.

So say hello to the new attacking defense of the New England Patriots. I’m beyond excited to see what they have planned when it’s all for real. Because you know they’re holding back. We’re only seeing what they want us to see.

Based on what we’ve seen in the first two preseason games, the old 3-4 days seem to be less of a priority. The best example was when Warren used a quick swim move for a tackle, with Pryor spinning and getting in on the tackle on the same play. That’s not something you’d see in the base 3-4 system. When you think of the base 3-4, the idea would be to get your hands in the middle of the blocker, stand your guy up, make the read, shed, and make the tackle. Now the Patriots are coming off the ball, doing anything to disregard blockers and it was never more evident than that play right there. It’s not only different but you’re also seeing how the players are embracing it, finding their own way of interpreting what the coaches are looking for when it comes to getting in the backfield.