PatsPropaganda

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Football by Football: Russell Wilson: No Edge, No Chance

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Football by Football: Russell Wilson: No Edge, No Chance

Good read from Matt Chatham on one of the most concerning elements for the Patriots’ Super Bowl hopes – Russell Wilson making plays outside the pocket.

As has been touched on plenty in the early game breakdowns, the Pats will likely use some kind of spy system, just as they dropped an interior rusher in ‘12 against Wilson. But the key will be Chandler and Ninkovich playing disciplined and keeping Wilson in the pocket.

He might make some plays from the pocket, but they’ll be far less deadly than the ones he’ll rack up if he’s allowed to squirt outside of it.

4 Things Patriots Should Have Learned From Giant Super Bowl Losses

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I’m not really sure which Super Bowl loss to the Giants shocked me more.

In 2007, it seemed inconceivable that Eli Manning would be the one quarterback to hand the Patriots a loss, much less that the Giants defense would hold one of the most prolific offenses in history to a mere 14 points.

In 2012, it seemed like everything had lined up for the Patriots revenge tour. They dispatched the Broncos, the team that ended their season in 2005, the Ravens, the team that had ended their season in 2009, and now had another crack at Eli and the Giants.

Different year, same result. The Pats clung to a fourth-quarter lead, only to see Eli lead a miraculous final drive for the win.

So what should the Patriots have learned from those two losses? Here are four things that stand out:

1. Get Offense Going Early: In 2007, the Giants held the ball for a whopping 16-play, 10 minute opening drive. Yes, it ended in a field goal, but that seemed to set a tone early on. In 2012, the Giants opened with a 10-play, six-minute drive, then, after punting, the Pats gave it right back with a safety.

In both Super Bowls, it was nearly the end of the first quarter before the Patriots put together any kind of a sustained drive. A fast start would be a welcome change this time around and we know how devastating the Patriots can be with an early lead.

2. Protect Brady Up The Gut: This isn’t a news flash, the Patriots offensive line got dominated in both Super Bowl, especially up the gut, which is essentially kryptonite to the Pats favored quick-passing offense. Justin Tuck was at the center of it, combining for 4 sacks in the two Super Bowls, along with 3 QB hits in 2012. 

Bryan Stork’s return to practice this week was a good sign for the Pats. They’ll need him, Dan Connolly and Ryan Wendell to have solid games if the Pats offense is to find its stride. Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer will be tested as well, but it’s the quick pressure up the middle that is most worrisome.

3. Stay Balanced: In the two Super Bowl losses, the Patriots run/pass balance was 28 percent run, 72 percent pass. This only fed into a Giants pass rush pinning back their ears and getting after Brady. In 2012, the Pats only had the ball for 22:55, and had only one drive that lasted more than five minutes. Running the ball is key to controlling the game and burning the clock.

The Pats must try to do a better job of staying committed to the run. It’s not always easy, but they cannot forget about LeGarrette Blount and Shane Vereen getting their share of carries, even if they’re not having success or behind.

4. Make the Last Stop: In spite of everything I just laid out, the Patriots were two defensive stops at the end of both Super Bowls from winning. We saw the defense come through against the Ravens with an interception and it’s a good bet they’ll need to come through in the clutch once again since this Seahawks team has a knack for late comebacks.

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https://www.patspropaganda.com/3428/

I know it’s a week early for your gameplan, but I see this game as coming down to 3 keys each for offense and defense. The Defense: (1) Keeping contain on Wilson to keep him in the pocket; (2) tackling Lynch; (3) avoiding the big pass play that Seattle feasts on. The Offense: (1) avoiding turnovers; (2) protecting Brady; (3) running enough to effectively use play action

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Yeah I’d agree with the major points here, though I think it’s a bit of a fallacy you need to run to set up play action. You just need to be good at play action.

Stopping Lynch and containing Wilson when no one is open are the biggest two keys to the game. Protecting Brady is always a key, but I expect this to be a quick throw surgical-strike game.

So on offense, they just have to finish drives with touchdowns when they get in the red zone. That was the story in 2012, going 1-6 in the red zone offensively. 

This might take some of the steam out of the game plan article next week, but that’s it in a nutshell.