How Ravens line coach Clarence Brooks beat the Patriots – Sports – The Boston Globe
Great Pats stuff littered throughout this one, definitely some interesting perspectives on their players from the Ravens side of things. Here’s just a taste…
“When you play them, you have to kind of pick your poison,” Brooks said. “You have to decide: Can we play against them in the run game the way we are? If we bring somebody in the box [to defend the run], they’ve got weapons down the field and they’re going to throw it.” Because of the Patriots’ quick tempo and varying personnel packages, Brooks indicated that the key to beating them is being able to play the pass with five defensive backs, and not having to commit more players to defending the run. The Ravens were able to play all but three plays out of their nickel package (five defensive backs). “They limit you in the way you can get in and out of your personnel packages,” said Brooks. “Once you put a package on the field, you have to be prepared to stay there and play it through. “They just give you a bunch of different problems that you have to kind of handle as you go on. You have to say, ‘OK, we’re going to put this package on the field and we’re going to do the best we can in the run game. Hopefully it will hold up and that will help us in the back end [against the pass].’
