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New England Patriots Gameplan: Week 5 vs. Cincinnati Bengals

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It’s been a long short-week where just about everything that can be criticized on a football team has been ripped to shreds by every media outlet. The Pats always have some early-season drama but they’ve never looked quite as bad as they did against the Chiefs. 

Now an undefeated Bengals team comes to town, setting the Pats up for another national broadcast dogfight. The Patriots have almost always bounced back after bad losses during the Belichick regime. Can they do it again? The odds have never seemed more against them.

Offensive Gameplan

The Pats did a good job of slowing things down against the Chiefs and focusing on getting everyone on the same page pre-snap. As a result there were less blown plays due to trying to go too fast. That should continue this week, but the gameplan must rely on the ground game and establishing it early. 

It would appear after a week of controversy and back-to-back games in the stands, that Aaron Dobson should be chomping at the bit to get out there. If the Pats can get him involved, especially in a Dobson-LaFell-Edelman-Gronkowski package (take your pick of RB), the Pats offense will have the kind of size they’ve never had.

Defensive Gameplan

Fundamentals. In my All-22 defensive film review I broke down that most of their problems were simply missed tackles, blown contain, or trying to do too much. The young leaders on the defense, specifically Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower, have to set the tone. When they do that, good things happen and this defense is capable of being a proverbial “elite” one.

The Patriots are much better on defense than they showed against the Chiefs, and I continue to believe they are just inches away from showing how good they can be. The Bengals have plenty of weapons to challenge the Pats, but if they get Alfonzo Dennard back, and are able to sprinkle some Brandon Browner in, the Pats should be ready to get back to their physical ways.

Five Points of Emphasis

1. OL Continuity: Tough one this week with Cameron Fleming unlikely to play after missing all of practice this week with a “finger”. Does Cannon go to RG now – if so who’s the third tackle/blocking TE? Or how about Wendell who looked okay there in his first non-center action. Regardless I think Stork earned another start and Connolly must keep repping at guard. The only way the protection and blocking will get better is as one unit settles in to playing with each other. That can’t happen with more constant rotation. Keep as many pieces in place as possible and just keep rolling them out there.

2. Commit to the Run: The Patriots have just gotten too cute with their gameplans in recent weeks. It’s like they think this is still the 2011 team that would force teams to pick their poison. Now, they have to pick the poison themselves and jam it down the opposition’s throat. They need the attitude of the run game to establish what kind of game this will be. It can also give the OL some confidence as they get to exert their will instead of sitting back and pass blocking right off the bat. Run early. Run often.

3. Stop Sub Runs: An early-season theme for the Patriots has been getting gashed by the run against their sub defense. They’ve corrected the problem in the past, and need to do so again this year. Facing Gio Bernard is no easy task and he has the kind of speed and elusiveness to give the Patriots defense fits. No question, stopping the run from the base defense is imperative as it always is, but it’s the sub defense, likely with Wilfork anchoring them, that must be ready to stop Bernard. Hightower, Mayo and Collins are key players.

4. Man-handle them: The Pats have sprinkled in some man defense over the first four weeks, but this week is the time to get aggressive with it. The Bengals get the ball away quick, that’s why Andy Dalton has yet to be sacked. Taking away that quick passing game is key. It gives the pressure a chance to get there and disrupts the timing of what has been a very efficient offense to this point.

5. Win: The Pats’ backs are against the wall and now face a good team in a national game. This is what football is all about. Yes, the playoffs are what matter most, but if you can’t enjoy the up-and-down journey of the regular season, you’re missing out. A win over an undefeated Bengals team will completely change the conversation around the Patriots. Let’s just hope it’s not an ugly and/or undeserved victory and that they show consistency and progress on both sides of the ball.

Reviewing the No-Weapons-for-Brady Tale | Football by Football

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Reviewing the No-Weapons-for-Brady Tale | Football by Football

Always a good time when Matt Chatham gets fired up about something and this is something I usually don’t even dignify with a post, but here you go, a nice takedown of the “no weapons” whine.

The Patriots offense has been ridiculously good for ridiculously long. If you really think some receiver running really fast down the field would’ve made them even more ridiculous, you’re grasping at straws.

Brady and the deep throws, tons of articles say he has lost it but I beg to differ. I feel the lack of not having KT and AD playing is hurting him(amendola and Edelman are trying to play like they ‘-5″ isn’t helping either, way too much room for error). Couple that up with an already shaky line and its a recipe for failure. Thoughts.?

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We can draw up any stats we want but Tom Brady’s strength is not throwing the ball deep and that’s okay. The Patriots have realized this over the years and built a team around him to play to his strengths – reading the defense, throwing the ball quickly to receivers who can get open quickly and pick up YAC.

There’s many folks out there who think that until Brady magically turns into Joe Flacco, launching deep balls off of play action every set of downs, that the Pats offense is doomed.

There’s no question, teams need to be able to challenge all areas of the field, and I think the Pats still hope that Dobson can help do that, but not in that Flacco/Ravens offense style.

I think back to the Packers’ Lombardi power sweep. It was their bread and butter. Everyone knew it was what they would hang their hat on, but they still couldn’t stop it. 

I don’t think the Pats offense is all that different. When executed by all 11 men on offense it’s nearly impossible to stop. When there are breakdowns – in protection, in receivers not running the right route, in Brady rushing his reads – it looks like crap. 

But things can change quickly in the NFL and just because execution was a mess one week doesn’t mean it will be like that all season. Get Dobson up to speed, get Gronk back closer to his old self, open some more space for Edelman and get the OL blocking better and I think everyone will be surprised how big a leap this offense will take from what we’ve seen in the first month of the season.

With so much talk on if they have enough “weapons” do you think they make a deal before the trade deadline? Bill has shown he’ll make a deal at the deadline (see Aqib Talib in 2012). I know guys like Larry Fitzgerald and Ndamukong Suh might be available, but those price tags will probably be too high. Whether it be a solid O-Linemen, or some other minor addition I think they’ll do something. Or potentially a DL with Siliga on IR now. Thoughts?

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I don’t know, I mean they went and got Talib in 2012 so I guess it’s possible but otherwise I highly doubt some kind of a blockbuster trade. Maybe some depth on the back end of the roster. These kind of mega trades just don’t happen in the NFL.

It made sense with Talib in that it was the one missing piece at the time. But is there really one missing piece right now? I’d prefer to see how Gronk progresses, let Dobson get in there and let the offensive line settle down before making any kind of statement about what one position would put the team over the hump and would be worth giving up players/draft capital for.

Mike, do you finally think this is the week we see Revis MAN UP on an elite WR? I don’t get why BB would have a lesser CB in Talib man up against the likes of Julio Jones, AJ Green, Jimmy Graham, etc. but he won’t with Revis? Hoping with Browner coming back there is a switch to more press, man coverage. What do you think?

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I think so, but I think this whole storyline is another one that has been a bit blown out of proportion this week, along with just about everything else.

The Pats have played plenty of man coverage through four games, but just because Revis isn’t following a single guy around people are up in arms. Who’s the elite receiver that we needed to take out of the game those first four weeks? Because to an extent you’re also taking Revis out of the game.

I agree that the Pats passive zone defense can be maddening at times, but things will slowly get more and more diverse. I’m not sure why BB has this kind of progression every year with his defense, but he’s consistent with it.

Man coverage is not the end-all be-all coverage. The best defense can mix and match all coverages because with how good quarterbacks are these days, disguise is the end-all, be-all.

This week has been circled for a while on my calendar because it is the first truly elite receiver we’ve faced this year. But I also heard rumblings that BB thought Revis was misused just manning up the top threat. 

I’m not sure if Browner is ready to step out there and play a full game, but there’s certainly a point of view that using his bigger size against Green’s size makes sense. 

However Gio Bernard scares me against man coverage. If all your DBs and LBs except the one covering him are turning their backs and running down the field with their guys, it could make for some explosive plays from the diminutive back.

Who knows, maybe Revis does just follow AJ all over the field. I would’t complain, but I think we all need some patience as we get deeper into the season and start facing some really good offenses.

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In my year and a half with Aaron Dobson, he has always been respectful to me and to the rest of the coaching staff. He has never once been argumentative or confrontational. The suggestion and reporting that his playing time was in any way the result of a ‘loud disagreement’ with a coach is completely false.

Bill Belichick

Statement from Bill Belichick on Aaron Dobson

https://www.patspropaganda.com/in-my-year-and-a-half-with-aaron-dobson-he-has/