Good article on Patriots defensive schemes vs. Air Raid/Spread

https://www.patspulpit.com/2019/5/22/18634233/bill-belichick-iowa-state-future-of-defensive-football-nfl-new-england-patriots-chiefs-rams

Wonder if the 49ers could ever implement such a scheme....

Patriots are great and all, but man, I think it can't be understated how horrific their division has been for so long. They once again had the weakest division in the NFL.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

Patriots are great and all, but man, I think it can't be understated how horrific their division has been for so long. They once again had the weakest division in the NFL.

Yep. Easy ticket to the playoffs every year. Regular season is basically beefing up their depth and an extended pre season for them.

Originally posted by TonyStarks:

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

Patriots are great and all, but man, I think it can't be understated how horrific their division has been for so long. They once again had the weakest division in the NFL.

Yep. Easy ticket to the playoffs every year. Regular season is basically beefing up their depth and an extended pre season for them.

They still have to play 8 other teams, and playoffs they arent playing against the Bills. It would be one thing if the Pats get eliminated in the first round every year. Our division was also mostly crap during the 80s, but that shouldnt take away from what we did either.

Lol are the jets going to the playoffs this year? Bills? Lol.


The dolphins pretty much hinted that they're going to tank for next years draft.

PENCIL BILL N BRADY IN ,BOITHZ

Very cool article. Thanks for posting. If a team plays a 3-3-5 on run/pass neutral downs, those front 3 have to be stout DLmen to help stop the run. On passing plays, notice the examples the article used, NE was in man coverage in all those examples. Point is when defenses want to get creative with blitzes, it helps to have defenders that can man cover. It allows for more creative blitzes than if the defense plays zone behind the blitz.

Hoodie has let good pass rushers go (Chandler Jones, Flowers) while spending big to acquire a shutdown CB (Gillmore). I think the article backs up why he chose to do that. A defense can manufacture a pass rush if they understand protection calls, but you can't manufacture good man coverage.

A key to all of this working is having guys hyper-versatile players like Patrick Chung, Kyle Van Noy, and Donta Hightower. Those three guys line up everywhere and play many different roles.

I love Kyle Van Noy. Dude is such a weapon in Belichick's defense. Stout enough to anchor the edge against a tackle and athletic enough to play stack LB and cover and tackle in space. I have a feeling if we didn't draft Fred Warner, he would've been a Patriot. He is very similar to Van Noy.

Originally posted by Heroism:
A key to all of this working is having guys hyper-versatile players like Patrick Chung, Kyle Van Noy, and Donta Hightower. Those three guys line up everywhere and play many different roles.

I love Kyle Van Noy. Dude is such a weapon in Belichick's defense. Stout enough to anchor the edge against a tackle and athletic enough to play stack LB and cover and tackle in space. I have a feeling if we didn't draft Fred Warner, he would've been a Patriot. He is very similar to Van Noy.

Yeah I think it's especially the 3 LBs that have to be versatile since they have to play the run well, have the ability to drop into coverage, and pass rush. That's the only way to give the offense uncertainty as to who is the 4th rusher. I think this 3-3-5 personnel concedes a bit of run defense but gains the ability to disguise fronts, blitzes, and cause general presnap confusion for the OL. Also need safeties that can man cover a WR. Basically what you said, a defense full of multi talented players that give the offense a muddy presnap picture as to what will happen postsnap.

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I use this play on Madden alot. I even do it repeatedly like Tom did in the last SB.