It all comes again to Buffalo.
And why shouldn’t it?
In the massive image, the Bills stole the AFC East from the Patriots after they have been at their weakest, 2020, the daybreak of the post-Tom Brady period. Buffalo is now 5-1 towards the Pats since Brady left and a three-time reigning division champion. Their final assembly, a 24-10 Bills win on Dec. 1, once more established the huge hole between the 2 franchises; one a perennial Super Bowl contender and the opposite a wanderer within the NFL wilderness hoping to come upon an id after which a Wild Card berth.
Since that loss, the Patriots have discovered an id. Well, no less than defensively. After Bills celebrity Stefon Diggs smoked a 50/50 cut up of man and zone protection throughout that 24-10 Buffalo win, the Pats have performed extra zone than another workforce within the NFL, per Sports Info. Solutions; a stretch that features zone protection charges near 90% towards Cincinnati and 80% versus Miami.
Underlying this four-week zone pivot is a dedication to Cover 2, which the Pats have known as greater than any workforce within the league. Kyle Dugger snatched his game-changing pick-six Sunday as the center dropper in an inverted model of Cover 2, one of many many variations the Patriots have executed in current weeks. The protection just isn’t a cure-all for the Patriots — Joe Burrow and the Bengals carved it up every week earlier — but it surely represents a crucial dedication for a workforce that fancied itself a shape-shifting game-plan operation earlier than cornerbacks Jalen Mills and Jack Jones went down with accidents.
Whether by design or circumstance, the Patriots have stopped chasing receivers like Diggs, recognizing it’s finest to take a seat behind their elite cross rush and watch for All-Pro receivers — like DeAndre Hopkins, Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill — to return to them. Their protection has now scored in 4 straight weeks, whereas the offense has obeyed a training command to easily keep out of the way in which.
Even with three corners out towards the NFL’s finest receiver duo, the Patriots may include Hill and Jaylen Waddle as a result of they dedicated to their strengths, deploying 4 safeties (4!) on as many snaps as they used three corners and majoring in zone protection; a lesson they could have discovered from the Bills and can now carry to Buffalo with their playoff hopes probably at stake but once more.
Here’s what else movie revealed about Sunday’s win:
Mac Jones
20-of-33 for 203 yards, 2 TDs
Accurate throw share: 73.3
Under stress: 3-of-5 for 70 yards, 3 sacks
Against the blitz: 9-of-14 for 56 yards, 2 TDs, 2 sacks
Behind the road: 6-of-6 for 29 yards
0-9 yards: 9-of-12 for 50 yards, 2 TDs
10-19 yards: 2-of-3 for 42 yards
20+ yards: 3-of-8 for 82 yards
Notes: One of Jones’ most aggressive video games of the season had two unusual outcomes.
One, it produced a pedestrian stat line, and two, it achieved precisely what the Patriots have sought from their offense since Thanksgiving: preserve them within the sport, and don’t flip the ball over.
Jones took most of his downfield pictures alongside the sideline towards Miami’s man-blitzes that left the Patriots’ receivers in 1-on-1 protection. He accomplished simply one among these pictures, although Jones additionally feathered an ideal 29-yard cross to Hunter Henry within the face of heavy stress within the second quarter and located Jakobi Meyers down the seam for 25 yards within the fourth, each versus man protection. Otherwise, Jones stored his focus inside 10 yards of the road of scrimmage, the place he tried greater than half his passes.
Despite shedding virtually their complete beginning secondary, Miami had a agency grasp on the Pats’ early-down cross ideas. This pressured Jones to carry onto the ball longer than desired after his opening landing drive, although his correct throw share was nonetheless proper consistent with his season-long mark of 74.4%. And the coaches should be proud of this: he’s thrown one interception since Halloween.
Studs
DL Christian Barmore
Welcome again! The Pats’ second-year defensive deal with lastly discovered his outdated type, notching a sack, two hurries, a QB hit and one run-stuff.
OLB Matt Judon
He didn’t register a sack, however Judon was a continuing nuisance within the backfield, recording three hurries and two QB hits.
WR Jakobi Meyers
Meyers scored the game-winning landing, drew a protracted cross interference penalty three snaps earlier than the landing and caught a 25-yard cross moments earlier than that. He completed with a team-high six catches and 48 yards. Great sport.
Duds
RB Rhamondre Stevenson
Despite getting a breather with Damien Harris’ return, Stevenson performed one among his poorer video games this season. He allowed a sack, dropped a cross and completed with 9 receiving yards.
C David Andrews
The Patriots’ longtime middle was crushed for one sack, a rush and a QB hit. He’ll bounce again.
Offense
Game plan
- Personnel: 82% of snaps in 11 personnel, 7% snaps in 12 personnel, 6% in 13J personnel, 3% in 21H personnel, 2% in 22 personnel*
- Personnel manufacturing: 4.95 yards/play in 11 personnel, 3.75 yards/play in 12 personnel, 3.0 yards/play in 21H personnel, 2.66 yards/play in 13J personnel, 1.0 yard/play in 22 personnel.
- First down play-calls: 39% run (2.9 yards per play), 61% cross (4.2 yards per play)
- Play-action charge: 19.4%
Key areas
- Third downs: 5-13
- Red-zone effectivity: 2-2
- Pressure charge allowed: 25%
Player stats
- Broken tackles: Rhamondre Stevenson 3, Damien Harris 1
- Sacks allowed: David Andrews, Mike Onwenu, Stevenson
- QB hits allowed: Trent Brown, Cole Strange, Andrews
- Hurries allowed: Andrews, Stevenson, Team
- Run-stuffs allowed: Team 3
- Penalties: WR Kendrick Bourne (false begin), OT Trent Brown (false begin)
- Drops: Rhamondre Stevenson, Hunter Henry
Notes
- Believing he may match the Patriots’ receivers in single protection, Dolphins defensive coordinator Josh Boyer blitzed Mac Jones on seven of eight dropbacks in the course of the opening drive. Big, predictable mistake.
- Jones went 4-of-6 for 50 yards and a landing towards the blitz on that sequence, and had one other play nullified by penalty. He hit a wide range of routes versus a Miami secondary lacking 4 starters and picked on former Patriots nook Keion Crossen 3 times.
- Boyer backed off instantly and realized whereas its patchwork secondary couldn’t cowl, its cross rush may get house towards the Pats’ offensive line. The Dolphins blitzed simply 9 instances for the remainder of the sport, however nonetheless pressured Jones on near half his dropbacks.
- Jones appeared unwell comfortable by the Dolphins’ lack of blitz stress and took his first sack on the subsequent sequence towards zone protection fronted by a four-man rush. Miami additionally successfully double-teamed Jakobi Meyers on sure passing downs, although Jones beat that protection as soon as with a 29-yard throw to Hunter Henry.
- It wasn’t till the third quarter the Patriots started to search out some constant solutions. Jones hit Henry on a stick route (an out-turning curl), then Meyers on a shallow cross and Tyquan Thornton up the seam for 29 yards.
- Thornton is lastly creating. The rookie scored his landing on an idea he ran in need of the objective line at Arizona, the place he makes use of Henry as a downfield display screen earlier than snapping off left towards the sideline. Against Miami, Thornton ran correct depth and snuck in for a landing.
- Offensive play-caller Matt Patricia accurately anticipated man-to-man protection on that play and capitalized. He additionally anticipated man-to-man on Meyers’ landing, when Jones audibled after recognizing Dolphins linebacker Duke Riley in protection towards his No. 1 receiver as Miami scrambled in response to the Patriots’ pre-snap shift.
- On the play, Jones was presupposed to hit Rhamondre Stevenson on a “pick” play the place Henry screened his defender as Stevenson bumped into the best flat after that they had motioned out from a condensed formation in a 22 personnel grouping.
- Aside from an 18-yard run within the first quarter, the place he slipped two tackles in tight quarters, Stevenson once more seemed off. The Patriots will want a bounce-back sport from him in Buffalo.
- Miami defensive tackles Christian Wilkins and John Jenkins received the higher of middle David Andrews and left guard Cole Strange, although Strange helped spring the Patriots free from their very own 2-yard line with an excellent block on an 11-yard Damien Harris rush within the second quarter.
- Despite Jones’ preliminary success towards the blitz, the Pats must arm him with higher solutions versus further rushers. Sideline deep pictures for Thornton and Nelson Agholor aren’t a dependable resolution, and Jones didn’t hit a single one after the opening drive.
Defense
Game plan
- Personnel breakdown: 59% three-safety nickel bundle, 38% dime, 3% three-corner nickel bundle.**
- Blitz charge: 13.6%
- Blitz efficacy: 7.7 yards per play allowed
Key areas
- Yards per carry allowed: 3.2
- Third downs: 4-14
- Red-zone effectivity: 3-3
- Pressure charge: 41%
Player stats
- Interceptions: Kyle Dugger, Jonathan Jones
- Pass deflections: Dugger, Jones, Myles Bryant
- Sacks: Christian Barmore, Carl Davis
- QB hits: Matt Judon 2, Josh Uche, Deatrich Wise, Barmore
- Hurries: Judon 3, Barmore 2, Uche 2, Wise, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Team
- Run stuffs: Bentley
- Missed tackles: Adrian Phillips, Lawrence Guy, Tae Hayes, Bentley, Dugger, Uche, Wise
- Penalties: Bentley (roughing the passer), OLB Josh Uche (impartial zone infraction), CB Tae Hayes (holding), S Brenden Schooler (working into the kicker).
Notes
- OK, so the Pats known as a whole lot of zone protection. What else?
- Myles Bryant, a third-year security/nickelback hybrid, performed each snap and all however two of them at exterior nook. Entering Sunday, Bryant had taken simply 33 snaps at exterior nook this season, per Pro Football Focus. He paired with Jonathan Jones on most downs.
- Bryant and Jones efficiently adopted the Pats’ central game-plan tenet — defending towards vertical routes — and disguised nicely as each defensive again rotated by means of a variety of zone spots. The Pats’ high coverages have been Cover 2 and Cover 3, with some Cover 4 sprinkled in.
- On the 14 snaps the Patriots used three cornerbacks, practice-squad veteran Tae Hayes performed exterior and Bryant returned to his house at nickelback. Hayes’ solely obvious mistake was his defensive holding penalty on Miami’s last drive.
- As the Patriots stored a lid on Miami’s deep passing sport, greater than half of the Dolphins’ completions discovered working backs and tight ends; a great share for the Pats, contemplating it restricted alternatives for Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
- Miami borrowed closely from early-season sport plans towards the Patriots, calling toss performs, counter runs and out of doors zone in a run-first strategy. The Pats had minimal points with the Dolphins’ speeding assault and have been allowed to maintain their most popular personnel — 3-safety nickel or dime — on the sector.
- Miami left some yards and presumably factors on the desk by abandoning play-action. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater moved the chains 3 times within the first half with second-down play-action passes, hitting voids within the Patriots’ zone protection after he’d drawn linebackers in with a play faux.
- Defensive play-caller Steve Belichick paired most of his uncommon man-to-man calls with blitz stress, which allowed Jones, Bryant and others to again up, virtually eye the quarterback, and match routes as they developed. The most evident examples have been two third-and-long incompletions. Jones additionally grabbed his interception in man-to-man.
- Up entrance, defensive deal with Christian Barmore was a wrecking ball towards run and cross. His inside stress may show to be a serious distinction within the Patriots’ rematch with Buffalo this weekend.
- Inside linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley single-handedly blew up a play-action display screen for the Patriots’ solely TFL exterior of the sacks Barmore and fellow defensive deal with Carl Davis.
- Safety Jabrill Peppers performed a season-high 45 snaps and confirmed a management that was lacking from earlier video games this season. With his pace and energy, Peppers was made for sport plans like Sunday’s. Ditto for Kyle Dugger.
- Dugger’s pick-six was a sensational showcase of timing and athleticism. That interception stored the Patriots’ playoff hopes alive.
- Solid sport from Jahlani Tavai, who set a constant edge towards the run and was so-so in protection.
Statistics for passing depth, damaged tackles and missed tackles courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
*11 personnel = one working again, one tight finish; 12 personnel = one working again, two tight ends; 22 personnel = two working backs, two tight ends; 13J personnel = one working again, three tight ends (together with an additional offensive lineman); 21H = two halfbacks, one tight finish.
**Base protection = 4 defensive backs; nickel protection = 5 defensive backs; dime protection = six defensive backs; goal-line protection = three defensive backs; greenback protection = seven defensive backs.
Source: www.bostonherald.com