SB Nation - Shawn Springs

Game Recap: Dolphins defeat Patriots, 22-21

MaPatsFan — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:50:26 -0000

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

17 days ago: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) sits on the bench in the closing minutes of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins in Miami on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. The Dolphins won 22-21. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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Let's see... failure to convert in the RedZone...check. Failure to finish (ie: consistently score in the 2nd half)...check. Defensive backfield getting burned by what was to be considered an average passing offense...check. HoF QB throwing critical interceptions...check.

First, credit where credit is due. Miami did a good job of exploiting the mistakes made by this Patriots team and turning them around to their advantage. Behind most of the game, the Dolphins made big plays when they needed to and turned this game around for Miami. However, I am here to focus on the myriad of "fails" plaguing this New England Patriots team.

I normally can't stand columnist Ron Borges. He's cut from the same cloth as Dan Shaughnessy, which is to say they both hammer away at the team they're covering, claiming "the point everyone is missing...", in order to sound like the smartest guy in the room. I normally can't stand Borges, but in this column, I think he's right:

Years ago, Chuck Fairbanks said it best. "It’s not about X’s and O’s. It’s about Jimmys and Joes." For half a decade with the Pats people believed otherwise. In Bill We Trust became the motto, but does anyone honestly believe Bill Belichick forgot how to coach? A guy who has been watching game film since he was 6 now can’t break down film and discover a team’s weaknesses?

Bill Belichick didn't suddenly become stupid. He didn't wake up one morning with an IQ 50 points lower than what it was the day before. No, as Ron Borges claims, it's not about Belichick (at least, not all of it) but about the onfield talent. I haven't brought this up before, but it's been on my mind for the past few weeks or so: there's just not as many playmakers as there used to be. The players are simply not executing. Is the coaching staff showing them what to do? I would assume so; it's relatively the same staff as in previous years with the obvious exceptions of Scott Pioli and Josh McDaniels.

But if coaching were to be blamed, it would be in the Belichick player acquisition strategy. For years, Belichick has been known as a guy at the top of his game in finding "value" players, at piecing together a team with a sprinkle of seasoned vets as well as using later rounds in the draft to shore up the ranks for the future. But has this turned out to be the best approach for this team? Sure, Randy Moss and Wes Welker were brilliant moves, no question. Fred Taylor? The jury's still out as we need to see more playing time from him. But along with the brilliance have been some big whiffs, ones that have cost us dearly. Joey Galloway, Shawn Springs, Greg Lewis, Derrick Burgess, Adalius Thomas... all were relatively big money acquisitions that left this team digging into the young up-and-comers to fill the gaps.

Look in the past, at the years on the banners hanging at Gillette Stadium. You could name scores of big playmakers. Troy Brown, Corey Dillon, Deion Branch, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Rodney Harrison...all of them ready to step up when it was needed. Who do we have now? Wes Welker, Sebastian Vollmer (when he's playing), Julian Edelman (when he's playing). Who else?

Ok, enough of that. Let's get back to the debacle known as Patriots @ Dolphins. The whole is usually the sum of its parts. There's rarely one part that is the cause of a catastrophic failure. But, like a car, enough blown gaskets can seriously derail the vehicle.

4^th and 1 on Miami 6 - We could argue all day about whether or not to go for it on this 4^th and 1. I get the whole "play to win vs. play not to lose" argument. But I'm conservative. Unless you're about to lose the game if you don't score a touchdown, go for the field goal. But that's not what I consider to be the biggest gaff of that series. Brady hands the ball to Sammy Morris who encounters, guess what, a stacked Miami line. Why Brady didn't hand it off to Laurence Maroney, who was right behind Morris, is beyond. He had more room and could've a) built up a bigger head of steam or b) had a chance to choose another hole. And how about being creative? Maybe fake handoffs to the backs and slip it to Wes on a reverse? Welker can dodge cruise missiles never mind defensive backs.
2^nd and 5 on Miami 5 - With a running game that appears to be doing fairly well, what does Brady do? He tosses a floater to the right-hand corner of the endzone, forcing it to a blanketed Randy Moss. Miami's Vontae Davis makes a great play on a guy who has 5 inches on him and comes down with the pick. What does Randy do? He watches. How about, you know, KNOCKING THE BALL AWAY!!! Put in some effort, Randy.
Chad Henne's 51 yard march - After a failed NE series culminating in a desperate 4^th and 11, Chad Henne marched down the field to put Miami kicker Dan Carpenter in range; Carpenter nailed a 41 yarder to go up by 1. As mentioned above, where were the playmakers? Where were the guys coming up with big stops on defense? Henne did a great job of connecting with is receivers, something our defense couldn't prevent and our own offense couldn't do.
Final Brady interception - This may have aggravated me the most. Chances are it wouldn't have made a difference, but EAT THE BALL!!! Instead, Tom Terrific decides to, I don't know what, and Channing Crowder intercepts. That was not the Tom Brady I've come to "know". That was a desperate, rookie move. I hate to say it, but he looked like Mark Sanchez on that one.

Now that you're all depressed, let me leave you with some good cheer. In 2007, there was this 10-6 team who squeaked into the playoffs as a wildcard, won out in the playoffs by the hair on their chinny chin chin, and defeated an 18-0 juggernaut by 3 points to win the Super Bowl. Well, maybe that didn't cheer you up that much, but think about it this way: if they can do it, why can't we?

Dolphins vs Patriots: Keys to Victory

Matty I — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:15:08 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

I say - what the hell - let him air it out and see what happens.

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On Sunday, the Dolphins will look to do what only one team has been able to do since Bill Belichick took over as Patriots head coach - beat the Pats and send them to their second consecutive loss. That's right - since Belichick took over, the Patriots are 24-1 when they are coming off of a loss. Just this year, the Pats are 3-0 following a loss and have outscored their opponents by an average of 30 points. That number is skewed, of course, thanks to their 59-0 drubbing of the Titans. But still, their closest game this year following a loss was against the Falcons in which the Pats won by 16 points.

So no - this is obviously no easy task that the Dolphins face on Sunday and logic tells you that the Dolphins don't have too much of a chance. Luckily, games aren't won on paper - they are won on the field. And below you will find what I consider to be the three keys to a Dolphins victory.

Attack New England's secondary
No - the Dolphins aren't exactly loaded with talent at the receiver position. But at this point, what do we have to lose?

On Monday night, we saw the Saints regularly spread out New England's defense and just pick on their corners all game long. The biggest culprit was Jonathan Wilhite, who gave up completion after completion in that game. In fact, one of the biggest contributors to Pats Pulpit came onto this site and wrote of the Patriot secondary, "Brees picked it apart Monday night, throwing at CB Jonathan Wilhite like he wasn’t even there. In fact, it would have been better if he wasn’t because at least then there would have been an excuse."

Now we all know that these Dolphin receivers aren't even close in terms of talent to what New Orleans can throw at you. But what the hell? Let's go for it.

The last time these teams met, Chad Henne did throw for 220 yards. Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo each had good days. And Brian Hartline has continued to improve each week. In that game, the Dolphins did a good job of picking on New England's weaker corners. They threw at rookie Darius Butler 10 times, completing 7 passes for 76 yards against him. They threw at Shawn Springs four times, completing all four passes for 46 yards. Leigh Bodden was the guy who was most effective, allowing only three completions and just 4.1 yards per attempt in his direction. Bodden was especially good against Bess, allowing just one completion in five attempts to Davone.

Wilhite, meanwhile, didn't see too much of the field in large part because the Dolphins didn't use too many three or four receiver sets. I really hope to see - dare I say - more four receiver sets on Sunday. Spread out that defense, keep Ricky Williams in the backfield, and have Ted Ginn split out wide just running fly patterns all game in hopes of occupying one of the safeties.

What's the worst that could happen?

Mix up the defense
One of the things the Saints did so well against the Patriots was to mix up the defense and keep the Patriots on their toes. Following the loss, when asked about how the Saints were able to contain Randy Moss so well, Bill Belichick responded, "They did what they do. They played zone. They double-covered. They played man. They rushed. They did what they do and they did it pretty well."

There's something to be said about how important it is to not do the same thing over and over again. And we saw back in week nine that man coverage with minimal safety help is not the route to go against this Patriot offense. So I really hope that this isn't the plan of attack that Paul Pasqualoni dials up again.

What should the Dolphins do defensively? I'm no defensive coordinator so I won't try to talk like one. But I know for a fact that this defense has become too predictable. Countless times this year, the Dolphins have used the same boring blitz packages and same coverages in the secondary. Their blitzes have become predictable and their coverages have become tired and old.

I know that Sean Smith and Vontae Davis are only rookies, but would it kill them to play a little zone? Probably not. Sure - zone is harder to learn. But it would keep a veteran like Tom Brad on his toes.

Right now, I can sit at home and read the Dolphins' secondary before the snap just as well as a quarterback can. That, my friends, is a big problem. We've seen all of the good quarterbacks that Miami has faced just eat up this defense with simple pre-snap adjustments. Peyton Manning has done it. Tom Brady has done it. Drew Brees has done it. And now even Ryan Fitzpatrick has done it. Enough is enough. Be different. Take some chances. Grow a set.

Show a little emotion
Sometimes I can't help but wonder about this team and these players. Why was it on Sunday that Tony Sparano was showing more emotion on the sideline than his players were on the field? Did anybody else notice that?

I know - they were just the Bills. But I can't imagine that this coaching staff didn't drill it into their players' heads that any loss - even one to the Bills - would severely cripple their playoff chances. And yet, in a game the Dolphins had to have, these players on the field just looked uninspired for pretty much all of the second half.

Well I'll tell you what. If I don't see much more emotion and fire on Sunday in a game at home against the Patriots, we'll all have to start questioning the heart of this team - and of their supposed leaders.

Prospective Seahawks General Managers: Randy Mueller

John Morgan — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:13:53 -0000

by Don Wright - AP

Randy Mueller traded Chris Chambers to San Diego for a second round pick. Chambers was recently released by the Chargers.

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I am saving Sunday's tape analysis for the offseason. Just like last offseason and the two that preceded it, I will scout every important player on the Seahawks roster, cite specific plays from the season that exemplified that player's strengths and weaknesses and project their future within the organization.

Yesterday was filled with so much defeat, complete, non-competitive, Brett Favre benched in the second half, defeat, Seahawks fans deserve a respite. Let us escape from our escape through our escape.

The Tim Ruskell-Mike Holmgren dichotomy is media created foolishness. Holmgren wants back in football. A smaller team, a team that needs the recycled hype and distraction, that is mired in failure and needs anyone, anything to steal the headline from griping and finger pointing, will hire Holmgren.

Paul Allen is a progressive and invested owner. That doesn't put him beyond hiring a general manager he is comfortable with. That is why I start this series with a former Seahawk, Randy Mueller.

Randy Mueller

Mueller cut his teeth with Seattle, working his way up from pro personnel assistant, 1983, to player personnel director, 1990, and finally Vice President of Football Operation in 1995. The signing of Holmgren signaled the departure of Mueller. The two worked together on the disastrous 1999 draft before Mueller became the general manager of the New Orleans Saints.

Mueller drafted Joey Galloway, Shawn Springs, Pete Kendall, Phillip Daniels, Walter Jones, Anthony Simmons and Ahman Green for the Seahawks. He was integral in Seattle escaping Rick Mirer. Mueller traded Mirer to Chicago for a first round pick in 1997.

He went on to work for the Saints starting in 2000. There he helped clean up another coach-executed disaster, flipping Ricky Williams to the Miami Dolphins for two first round picks in 2002. In three season with the Saints, Mueller drafted Marc Bulger, Darren Howard, Kevin Houser, Deuce McAllister, Moran Norris, Donte Stallworth, Charles Grant and LeCharles Bentley.

From 2002 to 2005, Mueller worked for ESPN as an analyst. He signed with the Dolphins in 2005, but then-coach Nick Saban was in charge of personnel decisions. Mueller was in charge for the short period between Saban's resignation January 3, 2007 and Bill Parcells appointment December 19, 2007. The 2007 Dolphins finished 1-15 and Mueller was fired December 31, 2007.

His larger record speaks better of him than his recent work. Mueller might best be described as a fixer. He helps teams escape bad situations and has succeeded at turning high round picks into successful players. He traded Chris Chambers for a second round pick, Wes Welker for a second and seventh round pick (when Welker was a return specialist and part time receiver) and, as mentioned, freed the Seahawks from Mirer and the Saints from Williams. Mueller does not have much experience picking quarterbacks. He did find Marc Bulger in the sixth, and acquired Trent Green for a fifth round pick. Before a brain scrambling hit essentially ended his career, Green was a serviceable quarterback in 2007.

If Seattle is looking to blow up the roster and exchange some of its more valuable players for picks, Mueller is the right guy to dismantle and liquidate. He isn't young, but he is connected. He isn't fresh or sexy, but his record is pretty strong. Mueller is a bridge, and I would think, appeals most to fans that think the Seahawks are not close, not rebuilding, but collapsing; years from contention.

New York Jets Run Offense vs. New England Patriots Run Defense

John B — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:23:54 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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The Pats give up 110 yards per game on the ground, which is in the middle of the pack. Two excellent run defenders on the line, Jarvis Green and Ty Warren are nursing injuries and are not certain to play. Don't be fooled, though. This is going to be a tough matchup. The Jets have to figure out how to handle Vince Wilfork. Wilfork has been almost impossible to block this year. Almost every week in this space, you see me talk about how important it will be for Nick Mangold to handle the other team's nose tackle. This week it's more pronounced than usual. Wilfork isn't a great pass rusher, but he can blow up opposing run games.

The Jets also need to focus their blocking schemes on Jerrod Mayo, the second year linebacker with 39 tackles in 6 games. He missed the first contest. New England has other quality run defenders at the linebacker position. Pierre Woods, a rotational player who had a big game in last year's visit to Foxborough, is one of them. So is Adalius Thomas. Woods could see a lot of time depending on Tully Banta-Cain's injury status. Inside linebackers Gary Guyton and Eric Alexander are both nursing injuries that could hamper their effectiveness and leave a lot on veteran Junior Seau. This might be something the Jets can exploit if Mangold can hold Wilfork in check.

New England's secondary is very good in run support. Shawn Springs' coverage skills are in decline, but he's been effective against the run. So has Leigh Bodden, New England's other corner and safeties Brandon Merriweather and Brandon McGowan. This is a game where Leon Washington's ability to make people miss may be missed.

We'll see eight men in the box a lot with the rookie quarterback as we do every week. If that doesn't work, we may see nine to try and force Mark Sanchez to win the game like we did in Week 2. The offensive line has a tough task winning these matchups.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. New England Patriots Pass Defense

John B — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:55:39 -0000

More photos » by Peter Morgan - AP

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The Patriots have offered a number of different defensive looks the past few weeks. Watching the game against the Dolphins two weeks ago, I noticed a subtle move. Vince Wilfork lined up at right end in the 3-4 trying to create a mismatch against the left side of Miami's line. Last week against the Colts New England operated a lot out of the 4-3 with Ty Warren out of the lineup and Derrick Burgess and Tully Banta-Cain at end. Warren is fighting an ankle injury. He's questionable. Whether he starts or not, I think we'll see a few wrinkles from Bill Belichick, changing up the looks on Mark Sanchez.

I would guess we could see Wilfork at end a few times trying to use his power against D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Alan Faneca, who may struggle to contain him. If the left side gets tied up, it will free up edge rushers, such as New England's best, Tully-Banta Cain (3 sacks). Banta-Cain is questionable with a rib injury. I could see Belichick utilizing a look like this to use Rex Ryan's overload blitzes against him. With Warren banged up and Jarvis Green also nursing an injury, we'll see a lot of Mike Wright on the line. Wright has been effective as a pass rusher.

I think the Jets should max protect to keep Sanchez standing. The Pats are probably going to attack him. They've seen on film the rookie mistakes he's made and will try to force more. I'm also expecting eight in the box. Belichick teams try to take away what you do best. For the Jets, owners of the league's top rushing attack, that's run the football. Patrick Chung has also been an effective blitzer from the safety spot.

If the Jets can keep Sanchez standing, they have some decent matchups. Braylon Edwards is a tough matchup for Leigh Bodden. He might need help in the form of Brandon Merriweather and other safeties, which will leave Jerricho Cotchery against an aging Shawn Springs, returning to the lineup from a knee injury and a mix of rookie Darrius Butler and Jason Wilhite. Cotchery always seems to play well against New England. He'll have a good chance to do so again. Dustin Keller should remain Sanchez's primary read, though. It's important not to make mistakes. Keller's a safety valve, and aside from Merriweather and Jerrod Mayo, New England's linebackers and safeties aren't great in coverage.

The Jets did a lot to exploit New England's pass defense in the second half of the first game. This was without Braylon Edwards. As long as they can keep Sanchez upright, they'll have some favorable matchups again. I do not expect this platform to affect Sanchez. Less than a year ago, Mark lit up the Rose Bowl. Obviously, this is a tougher defense, but the pressure of the game won't get to him. Aside from Banta-Cain and Wright, the Pats don't really have any great pass rushers in their front seven. Adalius Thomas and Derrick Burgess have ability but haven't really lit the world on fire this year. The Jets just need to do what it takes to keep Sanchez standing.

Week 10: Wednesday Injury Report

shake n bake — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:19:44 -0000

The Wednesday report is mercifully short with 4 players injured and a day off. Unsurprisingly Anthony Gonzalez, Kelvin Hayden and Adam Vinitieri sat out injured. The very odd addition to the report is Jim Sorgi, who managed to injure his right shoulder in some way, despite not having played in 2 weeks. Getting the day off was Dwight Freeney. He was hobbled a bit after taking a chop block Sunday so I'll be watching for him on report tomorrow.

Colts.com link

A long list over on the Pats side. Missing practice were;

LB Eric Alexander (Groin), WR Julian Edelman (Forearm), DE Jarvis Green (Knee), C Dan Koppen (Knee) T Matt Light (Knee), S Brandon Meriweather (Foot), RB Sammy Morris (Knee) WR Brandon Tate (Knee), RB Fred Taylor (Ankle), DE Ty Warren (Ankle).

That's two starting linemen, a starting RB and one of his backups, both starting DEs, the teams 3rd and 4th WRs and a starting safety. That looks like the kind of report the Colts usually take into big games.

Oddly Randy Moss is listed both as sitting out practice for non-injury reasons, and as fully participating in practice with a shoulder injury along with Tom Brady (Right Shoulder), and Shawn Springs (knee).

Pats link

Seattle Seahawks Trade Nothing for Pro Bowl Corner Marcus Trufant

John Morgan — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:58:40 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

Chin up men, the Seattle Seahawks have traded for Marcus Trufant and given surprisingly little to get him.

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Want a big deadline deal that rights Seattle and pushes them towards an exciting if maybe ultimately futile end to their season? Want that player without giving up a thing? How about a player that plays at one of the most valuable and rare positions in the NFL? A player that turns a weakness into a strength, makes Josh Wilson one of the best nickel corners in the NFL and could be that completing piece that puts a talented and young defense over the top?

Remember when Marcus Trufant could be all that and more? He can still be. Let's flashback to 2007 and remember when Tru was a no-doubt Pro Bowler. Thanks to that smutty crew at Field Gulls for the content. I'm just here to be snarky and provide links.

Marcus Trufant

Penetration: 1

Good Coverage: 26

Broken Tackle:5

Blown Coverage: 13

Blown Assignment: 1

*Includes all games minus Week 10, Divisional Round and the second half of Week 3 and the first half of week 1.

Highlights

9/31/07

Marcus Trufant grabbed two picks, a gimme that could as easily have been any DB on the roster and another that may be proof of real growth. The gimme was on the Niners first play from scrimmage after the onside kick. Trufant just happened to be in the best position to grab Trent Dilfer's badly sailed pass. The second, also ridiculously enough on a play-action (think you better scrap the play-actions once your team is down by twenty Mike?) was an exciting display of coverage and well timed aggression. Trufant is at his customary position, alongside the receiver's hip, when Dilfer tosses a wounded duck. Tru breaks coverage and zips back to the ball. Playmaking is the component Trufant has long needed to become a next level corner. For the past few years he's excelled in coverage. You very rarely see Tru out of position on a pass, but he's never mastered creating fear in opposing quarterbacks. That comes from opportunism and turning bad passes into picks. Some of the problem has been his hands, which are just okay, but the larger factor is that Trufant rarely ever plays anything but the receiver. It's good cover corner technique and I don't want him to become a Delta O'neal type route jumper, but the best corners know when to play cover and when to play the ball. Maybe Trufant is finally figuring that out.

10/21/07

First play, Rams fourth drive. The Hawks are dominating the line of scrimmage, but leading only 10-3. Bulger, with good time, attempts a deep pass along the right sideline. Tru intercepts. On the replay, here's what we see. Off the line Tru uses expert body position to subtly ride Bruce up against the sideline. He's literally in lockstep with Bruce, hip to hip, running down the right sideline. That's all classic Tru, but here's where we see something new. Still shadowing Bruce, playing the man, he sees Bruce look up towards the descending pass. Trufant sticks up an arm and begins to turn his body back towards the line of scrimmage. Both men are still running at near top speed, so that's incredibly difficult for Tru to do. The ball hits Tru in the arm and bounces back towards his bread basket, Tru snags the ball, tip-toes two feet centimeters from the sideline and converts the interception. He doesn't ballhawk, he never breaks coverage opening the potential for a big gain, Tru nullifies his man and punishes the attempt. Bulger wouldn't look Bruce's way again until garbage time in the fourth quarter. That's true shutdown corner play that Seattle hasn't had since Shawn Springs. That's Tru, free agent 2008.

11/25/07

The next play is a pass. The Rams attempt to combo block Mebane off the snap, but he sheds the center, isolates the guard, and walks him back into Bulger. Never attaining true penetration, but creating pressure, and forcing Bulger to throw into coverage. That coverage is sublime. Marcus Trufant locks down Holt, and without breaking off his man scoops up the interception. Tru is still primarily a cover corner, but his ability to play the ball has improved tremendously. What is most exciting, though, and what may vault Tru into the realm of shutdown corner, is that he gets picks without breaking coverage. Even the best cover corners, like Dallas' Terrence Newman, generally have to jump routes to score picks. That's risky. Tru gets picks on plays that are either pick or incompletion. It's yet to be seen if Tru can keep it up, but if he can, he could become one of the five best corners in football.

12/9/07

Tru showcased some of those ball skills we've long looked for from him. He's been a top cover guy for the last two years (albeit on some very shoddy secondaries), but this season he's shown both the ability to shutdown a receiver, and play the ball for the pick. With that said, it's not likely that Tru would have attempted either of his two second half picks if not for the Hawks being up big. Each was a little risky, jumping routes and thereby breaking coverage, but both were done expertly. The question for Tru, who's already turned into an elite NFL corner, is this growth? Will he take his big day on Sunday and turn it into confidence or cockiness? Tru at his best has shown the ability to lockdown a receiver, the ability to jump routes for the game-changing pick, and, most importantly, the ability to know when to do each.

1/5/08

The Truth: On the Skins second rush of their second drive, the Hawks gang tackled Portis after 6 yards. The Hawks have Portis wrapped, so Tru, the freakin' brilliant player that he is, goes for the strip. Nothing came of it, but it's a really heady play, and a compliment to Jim Mora Jr's coaching.

Lowlights

9/16/07

Marcus Trufant often gives too much cushion in coverage. If you're playing Marvin Harrison perhaps the five yard separation is warranted, but against Anquan Boldin playing so soft allows for a lot of short, but productive completions.

10/7/07

Rough day for Seattle's secondary, and though we think of the big men along the line as suffering the most from fatigue, the little guys, of which Seattle has considerably less depth and who must run around all game, looked the worse for wear. On the Steelers' back breaking 10 minute drive to open the second half, Marcus Trufant, Jennings and Jordan Babineaux combined for four blown coverages resulting in 56 yards and 3 first downs. Tru seemed to have particular trouble keeping his feet.

11/25/07

Speaking of Russell, he is partly to blame for Bruce's touchdown reception. It's 3rd and 6, the Rams are in a bunch formation left, the Hawks, a base package with man coverage. Grant is lined up over top, Jennings on the exterior and Trufant on the interior. At the snap the top and inside man of the bunch run in what might best be described as an "X". Jennings picks up the receiver running out, Grant the receiver running in. The pattern has the effect of screening Trufant from Bruce until about 5 yards from the line of scrimmage. Now, Tru bears blame, while Jennings and Grant are able to confidently maneuver the formation and pick up their men, Trufant looks bewildered. It is possible that he assumed that the inside man would be his responsibility and not Grant's, but that we'll never know. What we do know is that Trufant is well behind Bruce and desperately in need of deep help. That's where Russell, who is working in a middle zone in the endzone, should run over to cover Bruce. Instead, Russell stays in the center though Grant has his man covered, and then doesn't break towards Bruce until it's entirely too late. The Rams convert the score and Trufant looks a couple shades worse than he deserves.

12/2/07

Two plays later the Eagles run trips left, and in an eerily reminiscent scene, Tru loses Curtis breaking towards the sideline. It's 9/10ths the same play call the Rams ran last week in which Tru broke coverage and allowed Isaac Bruce to get open in the endzone. Mora may want to find a more effective way to defend against that. Russell tackles Curtis 47 yards down the field, and had Curtis not nearly fumbled the ball switching hands, it's unlikely Russell catches him at all.

Outlook

In 2007, Marcus Trufant developed from a top cover corner to a top corner. Tru was in the mix for best overall defensive player for Seattle in 2007, but was definitely their least replaceable. Losing Tru would have sorely weakened Seattle's run stopping, coverage against top receivers and crippled its right secondary: Need I explain the enormity of Jordan Babineaux + Brian Russell? I lobbied pretty hard for Seattle resigning Trufant and it's good to see that though Tim Ruskell clearly prefers his own players to the Hawks' former GMs collective holdovers, he's not dogmatic. The question now for Trufant is does he maintain or even build upon his substantial gains from 2007, solidify his rep as a Pro Bowl player or regress to the very good tackling cover corner he once was. Tru is a young 27; in his absolute prime. Fans can and should expect a level of play like last season's for the next 3-5 years. If Tru wants it bad enough and everything breaks right, he could become Champ Bailey good.

Photo Courtesy: ESPN

MHR Chalk Talk -- New England Patriots at Denver Broncos (Week 5, '09)

Steve Nichols — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:30:14 -0000

There are three sides to a football team, which we call the offense, the defense, and special teams. The best teams are elite on all sides of the ball. So after 25% of the regular season is complete, consider this for Denver...

Offense -

QB Orton has thrown at least one TD in every game and zero interceptions. He has a very respectable rating of 97.7 and a completion rate of 59%. And he's done this with a restrictive glove on his hand to protect an injury. The glove comes off this week.

RB Correll Buckhalter averages 7.2 yards a carry. 7.2 YPC!!! Is that a statistical fluke? 37 carries should be enough of a base to demonstrate that this amazing stat isn't based on just a few carries or big plays. (Denver's "other" RB, Knowshon Moreno, is up currently up for NFL Rookie of the Week).

Defense -

It doesn't get better than this - after four games, Denver's opponents are averaging less than a touchdown per game. That's just plain "scary good".

Denver has been playing Super Bowl-level defense so far. They've given up the fewest point in the NFL, the second-fewest total yards, the third-fewest passing yards, and the fifth-fewest rushing yards.

Special Teams -

Kicker Matt Prater was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September.

Denver has beaten the Bengals. The Bengals would be undefeated except for that loss, having also beaten the Steelers, the Packers, and the Browns. Denver also beat Dallas, a team that many considered "a real test for Denver". Dallas lost a close game against the potential Super Bowl-favorite Giants 31-33, and won the rest of their games minus the game against Denver. Denver's schedule also included two teams that are struggling (the Browns and the Raiders), but the message is clear; The Denver Broncos are back.

This week, the team will face their toughest challenge to date, the New England Patriots. My gut has been that the Patriots have the edge for this game for several reasons. First, the success that Denver has is due in large part to Denver's desire to copy the NE approach to preparing and growing a football team. Denver is doing a great job, but the genesis for the program is in NE. While Denver is proving themselves to everybody, NE is a cornerstone of football excellence and has been for the decade. But as I dug deeper, I found some tidbits that give me hope for a historic start for Denver. Let's break down the matchups and see what information comes off the chalk board.

The New England Offense

It all starts with Tom Brady, easily one of the top three QBs in the League. Brady does many things very well. First, he spreads the ball around so that opposing teams can't focus on one threat. His movement within the pocket is the best I've ever seen. With a quick step, Brady avoids hits and buys crucial extra seconds to throw the ball. Brady is accurate, and can throw deep. He is very good at reading defenses, and makes good adjustments at the line. Chicks dig him (I'm told).

The NE receivers and TEs are all very good, but three of them are freakishly good. If you know nothing about football, you've heard of Randy Moss. Randy Moss is a deep threat at WR, and deadly. He has the speed, the hands, and the quick stutter step to create distance between himself and just about any defender. Moss has been widely considered one of the best WRs in the League for several years, and with different QBs on different teams. Complementing Moss, Wes Walker specializes in routes in short- to middle-ranges. His quickness and physical play makes him enough of a legitimate threat that no defense can throw everything at stopping Moss. Moss and Welker are arguably one of the top receiving tandems in the League, and playing with one of the best QBs.

It doesn't stop there. One of my favorite TEs in the game is Ben Watson. He has 2 TDs so far this season, and is averaging 14.5 receiving yards after 12 passes. Many players are good at what they do, but Watson is a pure athletic specimen. His speed is frightening, and he has very good hands. He is too fast to be covered by a linebacker, and too physical for most defensive backs. You may recall the 2005 AFC Divisional game in Denver during which elite CB and speed demon Champ Bailey got an interception and ran the ball back nearly the length of the field, only to be hit at the last second by Ben Watson, who took a perfect angle (starting as far back plus the width of the field) with smoke and flames flying off of his patented Iron Man Jet-Boots.

But this year, NE hasn't looked great at running back. They are getting at least 100 yards a game on the ground, but only rank 17th in the run. Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, and Fred Taylor are all capable RBs, and only need to do enough to make the passing game a threat. In short yardage, they can cause most defenses to choose between stopping the first down or a major play, but they aren't causing a lot of concern for most teams.

The Patriots run the same offensive system as Denver. They will use a lot of 3-WR sets, and like to use two-TE sets as well. They like the edges of the field. When they bring in a FB (Laurence Maroney) he blocks - nothing more. He has no receptions this year, and only 2.9 yards per carry. Brady will throw screen passes to the edges that set up complex blocking schemes to get the receiver downfield, or he will throw to Welker and rely on Welker's solid routes and evasive skills, or he will go to Moss for the deep threat. Watson at TE is the threat always lurking in the passing game, as he can catch the quick hook or just streak up the middle and "split the safeties".

Whatever is a defense to do? That's right. They call in the Blue and the Orange.

The Denver Broncos Defense

Denver can take Welker out of the passing game with their fantastic pass rush. That rush is so effective, it really doesn't require Denver to blitz much at all. (Denver hasn't even really blitzed much this year!) The face of the Denver pass rush attack is Elvis Dumervil. Look at the following two video clips. The first shows Neo (from the film "The Matrix") dodging bullets. The second shows Elvis Dumervil avoiding a face mask with same move as Neo, and going after QB Tony Romo for the sack. Yes, the same back bending move.

NEO -

Dumervil -

(click here, then go to the 1:46 mark, and watch until 1:52)

A defense beats Tom Brady the same way that they beat Peyton Manning of the Colts; they pressure the QB. Denver is doing this better than anyone right now. This is also how the Jets managed to beat Brady.

A second benefit of the pass rush is that it keeps Watson in check. I wrote that the deadly weapon against the Broncos that the Cowboys possessed was TE Jason Witten. Denver's amazing pass rush forced Witten to stay on the line to protect Romo, and took Witten's potential mismatches out of the game. With an effective pass rush, and moving Dumervil around on the line, Watson should be kept in a blocking role.

So we see how the pass rush helps Denver in two key areas - it minimizes Brady, and it takes Watson out of the game. What else does Denver need to do?

The run game isn't a threat for Week Five. Denver's players can play their own brand of football (plugging the gaps with five lineman in a 5-2 look, allowing the LBs enough protection at the second level to stop runs).

In the passing game, Champ Bailey will match up with Moss. This is the best a defense can ask for against Moss; having the best CB in the League to match up against an elite WR is a major help. Against Welker, Denver will have CB Andre' Goodman. He already has an INT for 30 yards (it came against Oakland), and has been playing extremely well opposite Bailey. Anything that can get through either of these high quality CBs faces legendary safety Brian Dawkins and play-making strong safety Renaldo Hill. That's right, both Goodman and Hill have turned into playmakers in Denver, giving Denver a secondary for the ages. (I'll repeat, as I do each week, that there is an argument to be made that Dawkins and Bailey are the best players to have ever played at free safety and cornerback, respectively).

Unlike the last couple of years, Denver is wisely playing both safeties in deep zone coverage, which takes away deep plays and gives both safeties added time to assess and react. As readers of MHR's Xs and Os authors HoosierTeacher and TedBartlett905 know (if I may say so myself), the two best ways to help your cornerbacks to look elite is to have a good pass rush (from the front 7) and solid protection over the top (from the safeties). Denver now has both.

The Denver Offense vs The New England Defense

Denver's offense may not have Tom Brady, but they have some advantages. The offensive line features two of the best tackles in the NFL in Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris. Denver is loaded in depth at WR. Let's look at the list.

Brandon Marshall - We knew he could run over defenders, but after the game against Dallas, we learned that he has amazing cut-back skills. If he gets the ball, he's very hard to stop.
Eddie Royal - Doesn't shine as much in an offense that spreads the ball around. But his route skills, agility, speed and hands make him a deadly threat if any team dares to leave him in single coverage with no support in the deep secondary.
Brandon Stokley - Excellent hands, excellent experience, excellent route runner, and willing to take punishment to make the dangerous catches. Colts' loss, our gain.
Jabar Gaffney - Familiar with the NE system, he came to Denver already knowing how to play in the new offense. Both he and Stokely can play at #1 or #2 in the event of an injury, and the team would carry on.

Now here's my question for the average fan. You've heard of Shawn Springs at CB, but can you name any other CB on the NE roster? Terrence Wheatley was the only name that came to my mind before I looked up the roster (and no, he's not the #2 CB). In fact, when you move past Vince Wilfork at NT and Ty Warren at LDE, most of the names wouldn't be recognizable to most fans. This isn't a bad thing, since many non-Denver fans probably couldn't name many of the Denver front-seven's players. Name recognition isn't everything, but the point is that NE has had turnover on the defense, and is even currently in talks to bring back Junior Seau.

New England plays the Fairbanks-Bullough 3-4, and relies on multiple looks out of this base to confuse and adjust to opponents. They are well coached, and will improve as the season moves forward. As it is, they rate above average in each vital category (points against - 9th, yards against - 7th, pass against yards 7th, run against yards 11th).

I think Denver will do what they always do, with little change. They'll run the ball and try to establish an early running game. They'll mix in screen plays (which sometimes include the RB in the slot), and spread the field with multiple receiving threats. It will be interesting to see how much difference we might see with Orton's protective glove off.

Matchups in Terms of Rankings

(advantage in italics and bold)

Denver vs New England

Offense Defense

Points scored (avg and rank) 19.8 (19th) 17.8 (9th) Points against (avg and rank)

Yards for (avg and rank) 365 (9th) 287.5 (7th) Yards against (avg and rank)

Pass yards (avg and rank) 217 (18th) 192.2 (7th) Passed against (avg and rank)

Run yards (avg and rank) 148 (4th) 95.2 (11th) Ran against (avg and rank)

Defense Offense

Points against (avg and rank) 6.5 (1) 21.8 (14th) Points scored (avg and rank)

Yards against (avg and rank) 239.8 (2nd) 376 (8th) Yards for (avg and rank)

Passed against (avg and rank) 162.5 (3rd) 273.8 (5th) Pass yards (avg and rank)

Ran against (avg and rank) 77.2 (5th) 102.3 (17th) Run yards (avg and rank)

Keys to the Game

Denver

Go after Brady. With a good pass rush by Denver, the Patriots lose Watson in the passing game, and Brady has trouble getting the ball to his receivers without risking interceptions.
Establish the run. Both teams demonstrate better defenses than the opponent's offense in this game except in one matchup. Denver's run game is better than the NE run defense. Denver needs to exploit this in order to keep Brady off the field, and to assist Orton by keeping the defense from focusing on the pass.
Don't allow the big play. Denver likes to shut down offenses, and to plod along on offense until they see an opening to exploit. This makes for a low-scoring game, and low tempo. If NE is able to create some quick strikes, it may take Denver several possessions to score.

New England

Don't leave points on the field. Denver won't score on most possesions. A score on every or most possessions (even a FG) will be hard for Denver to catch.
Get the lead. Denver can protect a lead with the running game easier than they can play catch up. Against Dallas and Cincy, Denver had to rely on big pass plays near the end of the games to get their wins. Get the lead, and force Denver from playing their 4th ranked running game into playing their 18th ranked passing game.
Protect Brady at all costs. This is the direct inverse, but it is the number one key for both teams, so it bears repeating. In my opinion, the game comes down to whether Brady gets pressured or not.

Conclusion

Before the season, I would have called this game for NE. In fact, going into my preparation for this article, I would have given NE the edge. The more I look at the matchups, the more I see that the teams appear to be very balanced. Both teams will use two TE sets to stop the 3-4 (or Denver's 5-2, if you prefer). NE has the advantage at QB, but both teams have fantastic WRs and TEs. Denver may have the advantage at OL. Right now, I'll take the Denver defense over the Patriots defense in terms of personnel and effectiveness, and I'll take Denver's running game over the Pats.

The key always seem to come down to the trenches, and this game is no different. In this case, if Denver can get to Brady throughout the game, I predict a Denver win. If Brady has time, the game goes the other way. I tend to think the Broncos can get to Brady, but I also think NE will make adjustments throughout the game to protect Brady (including quick passes, screens, and check downs more so than actual blocking adjustments).

This game is too close to call. I really have to give many advantages to Denver (including homefield, the running game, and the elite defense), but NE has the intangible of having the coach from whom our own coach learned from. I ran a very good defense when I coached, and learned everything from my own head coach as well as the first (and only) DC I worked under. Still, I have to admit that I can't begin to fathom coaching against my old mentor and having any success. I'm sure McDaniels is more confident than I am, but when you hold up a mentor as the best coach in the League (and I think McDaniels holds Belichick in this regard), it is hard for me to believe that the butterflys aren't in the gut right about now. McDaniels will do everything in his power to ready this team, and the players won't be intimidated. So may be this really is "just another game".

If Denver wins, they move beyond being for real and become real contenders for a deep playoff run. If they lose, the doomsayers will claim that the Broncos aren't so great after all.

Denver has a two-game lead over SD in the AFC West playoff race. SD has the week off to nurse wounds, then plays Denver, then plays two games they should win (KC and OAK). Denver needs all the padding they can get for their lead in the race.

Win or lose, Denver has already proven that they have a very good team. We should shake off the concerns for how the media folks see Denver, and do what fans of good teams do. Let's focus on the race for the playoffs now, and use this game as an early gauge for how well we might fare. (And let's not forget the revenge factor after a beating last year at the hands of the Patriots. The engineer of that beating is now on our side, so it should be a very interesting game).

Poll

So who's going to win?

Denver

644 votes

New England

112 votes

Too close to call

273 votes

I'm a Patriots fan, and I just came here to screw up your poll.

28 votes

1057 votes | Poll has closed

AFC East Lead and All Time Record On The Line

David_Wyatt — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:19:17 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

3 months ago: New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) celebrates with teammates Dustin Keller (81), and Brad Smith (16) after throwing a 30-yard touchdown pass against the Houston Texans during the second quarter of a NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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While reading through the numerous previews of today's game I came across a stat that I was completely oblivious too, and that's the 49-49-1 stat. The all time record between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots, the winner today will take the all time record as well as the AFC East lead.

So now we have reached gameday, we at Gang Green Nation want to hear from all you Jets fans out there, and all you Patriots fans that happen to passing by this website. Which personal match-up are you most looking forward to today? It doesn't have to be the most significant, but which one will catch your eye.

Randy Moss v Darrelle Revis is obviously the one most talked about.

How about some of the other less talked about match-ups:

Kris Jenkins v Dan Koppen, Wes Welker vs Lito Sheppard, Marshall Faulk v Leon Washington in the battle of the backs.

Shawn Springs v Jets receivers.

Dustin Keller v every Patriots player.

Get in touch and let us know, we are under 6 hours away from kick-off and the excitement is building.

Post Game Analysis: New England Patriots defeat Buffalo Bills, 25-24

MaPatsFan — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:37:31 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

This picture just about sums up the joy Ben Watson had at that very moment. Thanks Ben, thanks. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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Friggin' WOW!! That's all I have to say. I'm STILL wrapped up in this emotionally. That was both exhausting and exciting to watch. From my experience at Gillette Stadium (which I'll write about later) to the crowd around me, it was just incredible. You've all written some excellent FanPosts, so I won't repeat much of what you said, but simply add a few thoughts of my own from my perch in Section 332, Row 6, Seat 12.

Overall, I thought the Patriots came out rusty, particularly Tom Brady. He rocketed more than a few passes too far ahead of some guys and to far behind others. When he got his rhythm about the third quarter, things settled in and the game was less frenetic for NE. Buffalo worked hard to pressure Brady (the Giants' blueprint), but he was only sacked once for 10 yards while Edwards was brought down four times - twice by Tully Banta-Cain and once each by Adalius Thomas and Derrick Burgess. Who says we can't bring the pressure? In the end, it was big plays, patience, and fundamentals that won this game.

Buffalo would take the lead early and continue to press the Patriots until the last two minutes of the game. Terrell Owens was essentially blanketed by coverage and rendered ineffective, coming up with two receptions for 46 yards and no TD's. However, Bills' QB Trent Edwards made good use of RB Fred Jackson who went 5 for 83 and one TD. Rookie Bills' TE Shawn Nelson accounted for a TD as well. Oh, let's not forget DE Aaron Schobel's Tom Brady interception and 26 yard run for a pick six. Schobel has freakishly long arms that look like they came out of nowhere to pull down Brady's pass. He was within a few yards of Tom, so to pick a ball out of the air like that is quite a feat.

Early on, the Patriots stumbled defensively and had a tough time of it. I had a feeling they wouldn't use a 4-3 alignment that much because the Bills use the same defensive scheme, so Edwards would be familiar with it. The Bills were 1-6 last year against 3-4 teams, so there's your reason. I did, however, see a lot of loading the box which seemed to neutralize Buffalo's rushing attack - 90 yards total. However, it did leave NE vulnerable in the backfield. Where Edwards went 15/25, 212 yards, and two touchdowns. Ya gotta pick your battles.

I mentioned fundamentals early in this post. This game was a shining example of that, ESPECIALLY the forced fumble on Leodis McElvin's kick return. Hindsight is 20/20 and Leodis should've kneed the ball in the endzone for a touchback and a guaranteed 20, but he didn't and a Pierre Woods fumble was recovered by Stephen Gostkowski. Yes, you read that right - G Man was in the mix.

Denver fan Kfustud, in a most excellent FanPost talked about how these things aren't lucky:

McDaniels, while being interviewed about all our team's new fumble drills, said that 40%, or so, of fumbles were caused by the other team going after it. In Denver last year you couldn't buy a turnover and there was a reason. We didn't work at it. On the final kickoff of the game you could see that those Patriots were coached at it. They went out and made a fumble. No luck there.

I believe this team has a lot to work on, but there is significant potential. A few random thoughts:

Brandon Meriweather - If this game is any indication, the torch has been passed. He was a beast on the field, prowling, recognizing offensive looks, and making head's up plays. Welcome Rodney Jr.
Offensive Line - Aaron Schobel was toying with the OL all night. We need to find a way to neutralize defensive ends. Luckily, Brady only went down once.
Cornerbacks - Jonathan Wilhite did a nice job when called on. Leigh Bodden seemed to be in the mix as well as Shawn Springs. I don't think we have any shutdown guys, but this group will only get better. It's a significant upgrade over last year, IMO.
Running Backs - We struggled to pick up yardage, but the Bills were doing a good job of clogging up the gaps. This was not on Laurence Maroney or Fred Taylor.
Receiving Game - Brady was 39/53, 378 yards, and two touchdowns. Wes Welker quietly collected 12 for 93 and Randy Moss went 12 for 141. Kevin Faulk was 6 for 51.
Benjamin Watson - The absolute STAR of this game. I had written in the past few days that I was curious to see if the Patriots would use their newly acquired tight ends for more receiving duties. I figured Chris Baker would be one of Brady's early looks, but I was half right - almost cut Ben Watson became the go to guy. He came up strong when he needed to. Congratulations Ben.