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The media firestorm surrounding has diverted some attention from what we can actually expect to see on the field during , but many observers are still intrigued to find out how the will attack one of the stingiest defenses in NFL history. With the big game just days away, I've dug into the to come up with five things the Pats can do against the 'Hawks: 1) Put a blanket around Marshawn Lynch. Quarterback receives plenty of attention for being one of the most dynamic playmakers in the NFL, but every defensive coordinator around the league knows the ' offense runs through . The five-time er sets the tone for Seattle with his rugged running style between the tackles. He overwhelms defenders in the hole with his violence and physicality -- and he also displays the quickne s and agility to slip in and out of traffic. He is one of the few big-bodied backs in the NFL capable of winning with power or fine se, making it nearly impo sible to slow him down without committing extra defenders to the box. Lynch is also a legitimate receiving weapon out of the backfield. He has strong hands and displays natural receiving skills, particularly when he runs swings or rail routes down the boundary. The routinely target Lynch on a variety of bootleg-throwback pa ses and "pick" routes designed to exploit undisciplined defenders on the second level. In the play depicted below, which took place during , the will run a "pick" to get Lynch free down the boundary. The originally align in a dubs formation, with Lynch positioned to the right. The slot receiver ( ) motions acro s the formation, creating a 3x1 formation prior to the snap. The overload results in isolations on the back side, making the defense vulnerable to pick plays for the ball-carrier coming out of the backfield. At the snap, runs a shallow cro s directly into the path of linebacker , who is a signed to Lynch. The back then runs a rail route down the boundary behind Willson's cro sing route. Wilson sees the defender knocked off his path and delivers a pinpoint tear-drop to Lynch for a huge first down (TO VIEW THE PLAY, SCROLL LEFT TO RIGHT ON THE IMAGE BELOW): Given Lynch's overall impact on the ' offense, it's clear New England must pull out all the stops to limit his effectivene s as a runner and receiver. This certainly will require the Pats to use an eight-man box on early downs, adding an extra run defender to the mix to shut down any cutback lanes. In addition, they must a sign a defender to shadow Lynch on pa sing routes, to eliminate the throwback David Cone Jersey pa ses that have produced a number of Seattle's most explosive offensive plays. After reviewing the of how the Pats have handled other prolific running backs, I believe coach Bill Belichick will play a lot of Cover 1 (man-free), with a linebacker a signed to shadow Lynch all over the field. can certainly fill that role, based on his size, athleticism and comfort in coverage. If the elect to play pre s-man coverage on the outside and drop an additional defender, they can keep a blanket around Lynch on running plays while also limiting his effectivene s in the pa sing game. 2) Force Ru sell Wilson to play from the pocket. Defensive coordinators around the NFL will tell anyone within earshot that a mobile quarterback with polished pa sing skills is the most difficult sort of playmaker to defend. As an improvisational wizard with exceptional pa sing ability, Wilson certainly fits the bill. He can deliver the ball on time following three-, five- or seven-step drops -- yet, he's at his best when making throws on the edges of the defense. Whether he's rolling to his right or left on a pre-designed bootleg pa s or making a scramble to s following an improbable escape from the pocket, Wilson is able to generate his biggest pa s plays when on the move. The need to make a concerted effort to confine Wilson to the pocket and force him to throw into the teeth of the defense at the top of his drop. This is a strategy commonly used against athletic quarterbacks. Most mobile playmakers prefer to run around a bit to find an open lane or allow a receiver to work free from coverage. However, when they're contained and forced to sit inside the tackle-to-tackle box, and the primary and secondary reads are covered early in their routes, such quarterbacks can struggle to work through their entire progre sions. This results not just in errant pa ses or hurried throws, but it also produces a number of coverage sacks that knock the offense off schedule. Consider how the handled ultra-athletic quarterback during their . In the play depicted below, New England uses a four-man rush and Cover 1 "Rat" coverage to keep the MVP candidate confined to the pocket. The Pats execute a simple twist on the left, with serving as the contain player and looping around to the opposite A-gap. The contain players do an outstanding job rushing to the level of Rodgers' drop without running past the quarterback, leaving no escape lanes to the edges. Ninkovich, meanwhile, works hard to stay in his gap, eliminating any seams for Rodgers to flee up the gut. With receivers blanketed in man coverage and the succe sfully corralling Rodgers in the pocket, is able to net a 5-yard sack (TO VIEW THE PLAY, SCROLL LEFT TO RIGHT ON THE IMAGE BELOW): I would expect the Pats' defensive ends to take a similar approach to stopping Wilson. This "mush rush" approach requires outstanding discipline and awarene s, but it is the most effective way to disrupt Wilson's rhythm as a playmaker. If executed properly, the "mush rush" will limit Wilson's overall effectivene s and lead to some long-yardage situations that could produce a critical turnover. 3) Pound the Seahawks with power rushes from run-heavy sets. Seattle thrives against one-dimensional, pa s-heavy offenses, as coach Pete Carroll has constructed a defense ideally suited for suffocating the pa sing game. From their athletic edge rushers with explosive speed and quickne s to their long, rangy cornerbacks adept at hara sing receivers with physical jams at the line of scrimmage, the are built to play against pa s-centric offenses. I looked at the teams that have given Seattle problems in the past and noticed that offenses with the personnel and patience to play "smash-mouth" football have enjoyed the most succe s against Carroll's troops. Now, I know the statistics suggest that the are dominant against the run (they had in the NFL this season), but the (who had 162 rushing yards ), (132 rushing yards ) and (135 rushing yards ) were all able to move the ball on the ground against them. The could follow a similar blueprint, with playing a feature role as a workhorse. The 6-foot, 250-pound veteran is an old-school runner with the physicality and toughne s to grind out yards against this Seattle defense. Blount runs with an aggre sive demeanor, daring defenders to step into his path on downhill plays. His preference is to run between the tackles, but he can also chew up yards on the perimeter. He po se ses enough speed and quickne s to turn the corner, yet he's nimble enough to make hard cuts on the edges, to take advantage of overaggre sive defenders in pursuit. As a result, the can hammer opponents with downhill runs or perimeter plays with Blount in the game. Against the , I would expect the to feature Blount as the workhorse in a variety of run-heavy formations. This not only puts the ball in the hands of their most physical runner, but it forces Seattle to defend downhill plays between the tackles. The downhill approach negates some of the speed and athletic advantages the enjoy at the point of attack and forces them to play "big-boy" football within the box. Given the cumulative effect of battling big bodies at the line, the power running game could allow the to control tempo, create big-play opportunities (see: the play-action pa s) and wear down defenders. 4) Feature a quick-rhythm pa sing game with a variety of formations. The take a systematic approach to attacking defenses. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will craft a game plan specifically to exploit the weakne ses of the coverage while also targeting a vulnerable defender on the perimeter. Facing a Seattle unit that features single-high safety coverage and bump-and-run tactics on the perimeter, the crafty play-caller will need to come up with a plan to help his receivers escape the clutches of the "Legion of Boom" at the line. The utilization of empty formations and various stacked or bunched alignments can help McDaniels make life easier for his pa s catchers in . By aligning two or more receivers within 3 yards of each other, McDaniels can force one of the ' defenders to back away from the line of scrimmage, to avoid the po sibility of being picked. McDaniels can also use motion to enhance those pick po sibilities and create more space for his pa s catchers to work away from coverage. In the ' over the , I noticed New Englan Seth Lugo Jersey |
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发表于 2026-8-13 13:58:37