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Q: What are some of the main differences you see from the Ravens preparing for them compared to the AFC title game last year?
BB: They run a lot more no-huddle offense. That looks like a big part of their package.
And just like that we’re turning the page to the Ravens, and it looks like it’s going to be “bombs away” from Flacco and company. We’re about to find out how improved our pass defense really is, or isn’t.
It Is What It Is » In Focus: What Kellen Winslow’s addition means for Patriots’ offense
It Is What It Is » In Focus: What Kellen Winslow’s addition means for Patriots’ offense
Winslow’s body type (6-foot-4, 240 pounds) is more along the lines of the longer, leaner Hernandez (6-foot-1, 245 pounds). As evidenced by his career receiving numbers, the University of Miami product is more of a pass catcher than blocker, and if he’s healthy (there are questions about the health of his knees), he can provide the sort of support in the passing game that Hoomanawanui and Fells might not be able to offer. While he doesn’t have the same sort of positional versatility that Hernandez does — and it should take him some time to get up to speed in the passing game — Winslow should take a sizable portion of the snaps that Hernandez received in the New England offense.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_CCg6vQREw
Pats Or Ravens: Which Team Needs The Win More? (by ESPN)
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
NFL loses a legend in Steve Sabol
As I’ve written a couple times here I owe most of my love of football to NFL Films, and today we’ve lost a legend in Steve Sabol. It was the theatrical and epic nature of NFL Films that hooked me on the NFL early in life and I think their influence here on PatsPropaganda is pretty obvious.
So I just wanted to share a couple Steve Sabol-related items that I’ve enjoyed over the years. The fingerprint that Steve and his father Ed Sabol left on the NFL will not soon be forgotten. They defined how sports should be filmed, and in a way that television just doesn’t capture.
Sabol on Belichick, from Lombardi vs. Belichick:
Belichick is a brilliant planner who creates a mental map of each game, then plays it out in his mind before his team has to play it out on the field. His complex schemes work like a kaleidoscope: with each little twist they present different pictures to the opposition.
Video of Sabol on the Patriot Way.
Steve Sabol on how to shoot your kids football games.
Notes on PFF’s Patriots grades: Week 2 Cardinals
The grades are out for the Patriots-Cardinals game, and here some numbers that stand out to me.
Top Defensive Player: Chandler Jones (4.7)
Top Offensive Player: Sebastian Vollmer (3.3)
Worst Defensive Player: Jermaine Cunningham (-1.3)
Worst Offensive Player: Logan Mankins (-1.9)
Amazingly the top four players on offense were the offensive lineman. All graded out highly in pass protection, and average in run blocking.
I don’t know how Donald Thomas ended up with the 4th best score. I thought he was the worst player on offense. But apparently that was Logan Mankins.
Gronk had his worst graded regular season game since 2010 in Cleveland (-1.7). He had a -2.0 in the Super Bowl but I don’t count that one since he was on one ankle.
Brandon Spikes was the second highest graded defender (4.6) and had an impressive 7 stops (solo defensive tackle that constitute an offensive failure).
Spikes however was picked on in coverage a bit, allowing 3 catches of the 4 times he was thrown at for 26 yards.
Ninkovich bounced back after an average week in Tennessee with a 1.6, including 2 QB hurries, and 3 stops. He did have 2 missed tackles as well.
Kyle Arrington had a rough day in coverage with a -1.9. He was thrown at 5 times and all were completions for 62 total yards.
Devin McCourty had one of his best days in coverage. He was thrown at 4 times and gave up 0 completions.
A rare non-dominant day for Vince Wilfork, grading out an a -0.6. He still had a sack, 2 QB hurries and 2 stops though.
Patriots were brutal running to the left side, not surprisingly with Calais Campbell sitting over there. -2.4 running behind the tight end on the left, and -3.9 running behind Mankins at LG.
They had their most success running right behind the center, but still only scoring a measly 1.0.
The grader only qualified 8 of 50 plays as having Brady under pressure. Also only had 8 blitzes for the Cardinals.
The middle flat was yet again where the Pats did their most damage in the passing game. Brady was 10-11 for 87 yards and a TD there. To the outside flats Brady was 8-10 for 49 yards
From 10-20 yards Brady was 5-13 for 54 yards. For 20+ yards he was 2-6 for 61 yards.
Return game was average with McCourty scoring a -0.2 on 2 kick off returns, and Welker and Edelman combining for a 0.8 on 2 punt returns.