PatsPropaganda

I know Mangini is a dicey topic for Patriots fans, but I have to admit I agree with Jacobs’ glowing review of what he’s brought to ESPN. Despite what happened with Mangini when he was with the the Jets (from his leaving to Spygate) what is undeniable is that he knows the Patriots from the inside better than anyone else in the media. So when he talks about the Pats, I listen. Doesn’t mean you have to.

“That’s why I think where New England is going to have to win is outside with Deion Branch. If the Patriots are going to be successful, Branch could and should have a big game. If Chad Ochocinco plays and does anything, he could help out there. You saw Branch hit the 61-yard home run against Denver, because everyone was worrying about inside. There is going to be some single coverage, whether man-to-man or zone, it’s still going to be a corner vs. wide receiver matchup. "A lot of teams will play with two deep safeties for an extra layer of defense.

The Giants will go more with an extra man down in the box, will hit Gronkowski, will keep it all cloudy between the hashes, where New England’s tight ends and [slot man] Wes Welker typically make plays. They’ll say, ‘OK, can you beat us outside? And can you do it before our defensive line can get to you?’”

Cosell on Patriots Alert!!!! I think one of the options Cosell doesn’t mention is using Patrick Chung in coverage on Cruz as well. Chung’s had his issues in coverage this year, but he’s still a better match up than Edelman in my book.  As always I’m sure it will be done by committee, but this is where Belichick’s experimentation during the season can pay off a little bit. The Giants can’t be sure exactly what they’ll see.

What I find truly fascinating in Super Bowl 46 is the matchup of the Giants 3 wide receiver personnel versus the Patriots pass defense. As we know, Victor Cruz almost always aligns in the slot when the Giants go 3 wide. Cruz was the most productive slot receiver in the NFL in 2011. I charted every one of his catches in the regular season and the 3 post-season wins, and the numbers were truly revealing. 75% of his receptions, and 77% of his yards came from the slot. There is no question that’s a strong tendency. 

Recall what Cruz did to San Francisco’s Carlos Rogers in the NFC Championship game. Rogers was the slot corner in the 49ers nickel sub-package. He had an excellent year in that role, a Pro Bowl year. In the first half, with Rogers predominantly matched man-to-man, Cruz had 8 catches for 125 yards.

The paramount point is Cruz is a very difficult assignment in the slot. As I turn my attention to the Super Bowl, I’m struggling to get a handle on the Patriots matchup approach. All season, Bill Belichick has mixed and matched in his secondary, using an unforeseen combination of undrafted and street free agents, and wide receivers like Matt Slater and Julian Edelman.

When the Patriots and Giants played back in early November, the nickel corner was Philip Adams, who three weeks later, was released.