Consensus: Way to Beat the Patriots is On the Ground
by Greg Knopping on Nov 12, 2010 12:18 PM EST
in Opinion/Analysis
Email
PrintWe all saw the debacle that the Patriots had trying to stop Peyton Hillis last week against the Browns. Hillis ran all over the Patriots for 184 yards on 6.3 yards per carry with two touchdowns. Terrible effort by the Patriots defense. The couldn't set the edge and they didn't have a run-support safety to come up and make plays.
The national media has picked up on this and are running with it. The Patriots can't stop the run, and they way to beat them is to run it down their throats. Now even any casual Patriots fan knows that Sunday's game against the Browns was the exception and not the norm.
The week before, the Minnesota Vikings tried to cram the ball down the throat of the Patriots defense the entire first half, and really, the entire game. And who was their running back? Yeah, it was Adrian Peterson, arguably the best running back in the league who is having a career year. Peterson picked up a solid 92 yards on 25 carries for a pedestrian 3.7 yards per attempt. Even more, Peterson was held to a long of just nine yards. Just nine.
A look at how the Patriots have fared against other teams against the run after the jump!
Lets look back at the opponent's top backs from all the other Patriots games this year:
Week 1, Cedric Benson: 15 carries, 43 yards, 2.8 YPC
Week 2, Shonn Greene: 15 carries, 52 yards, 3.5 YPC
Week 3, Marshawn Lynch: 13 carries, 79 yards, 6.1 YPC (Fred Jackson, 4 for 8)
Week 4, Ronnie Brown: 11 carries, 27 yards, 2.5 YPC
Week 6, Ray Rice: 28 carries, 88 yards, 3.1 YPC (Long 8)
Week 7, Ryan Mathews: 8 carries, 15 yards, 1.9 YPC (Long 5)
Aside from a rough spot against LaDainian Tomlinson and Marshawn Lynch in weeks two and three, the Patriots have been very solid defending the run. Even in games where they have struggled, aside from last week against the Browns, they haven't given up the big plays on the ground. With safety Pat Chung likely coming back from a knee injury this week, expect more of that. Further, with players like Vince Wilfork, Gerard Warren, and Brandon Spikes, the Patriots base 3-4 is built to defend the run.
Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of problems with this Patriots team and the defense. But the weak part of this defense is not against the wrong. The national media, per usual, is off base on this one. And while the Steelers do have a great running attack headed by Rashard Mendenhall (on pace for over 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns), that will be difficult for the Patriots to stop, don't expect the run defense to roll over and take a beating.
21 comments
|
3 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Running on ANY team is the way to beat them.
It is one thing to say that running the ball is the way to beat a team (if you’re averaging 6.5YPC against any team, chances are you’re winning). It is another thing to have the personnel necessary to enact that sort of on-the-ground success.
Peyton Hillis is a freak. The only other RB of that size that I can think of who has had success in the modern NFL is Eddie George. Usually a dude of that size has too high a center of gravity, is too slow and lacks the quickness to be an effective runner in today’s game. Just because Hillis blew up the Patriots defense doesn’t mean every decent RB is going to be able to do the same thing. Thanks for calling out the media on having a 7-day attention span, yet again.
Agreed, just about any time you allow your opponents to average 6.5 YPC you're going to lose
My point was just to bring up the fact that the national media thinks that the “blueprint” to beat the Patriots is running it 30 times a game. The Ravens and Vikings tried that, and it didn’t really work.
Like you said, Peyton Hillis is a freak. Once he gets rolling, it’s almost impossible to bring him down. I expect that some teams will still have success against the Patriots running the ball, as this defense continues going through it’s growing pains, but there’s no way that stopping the run is the weak part of this team.
by Greg Knopping on Nov 12, 2010 12:44 PM EST up reply actions
Which is why I hate when people say "Team X will win if they run the ball Y times"
It is one of those stats that is too frequently mistook for suggesting causation, when in reality it only manifests correlation. A team that runs a lot usually does so because it is already winning. Similarly, when you see a team ran the ball only 15 times in a game, it’s probably because they were, for whatever confluence of reasons, woefully behind by an early point in the game.
Yep
There was a certain game in which the opposition RBs ran 30 times (collectively) against the Pats for about 6.5ypc. Apparently that would be an automatic win under the supposed ‘rules’.
The Pats won that one 59-0.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Nov 12, 2010 7:43 PM EST up reply actions
imo...the browns running all over us was a blimp on the road for us
but BB should have been better prepared. how do you not game plan against the browns when all they do is run the ball?
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
I love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
Pat McAfee -Colts punter-"@StampedeBlue I hope your website gets exposed for a complete joke. There’s no reason for you to do that, and its completely ridiculous."
McCoy threw a wrench into things.
He made some damn impressive plays. If you take away Gronk’s mistakes and McCoy’s superb accuracy while scrambling, Hillis likely doesn’t have nearly as good a game because the Pats find it easier to focus on the run while the Browns have a greater need to pass in a tighter game.
Agreed
McCoy was playing his mind out. Super accurate. Pass defense wasn’t that bad, he was just threading the needle…
by Stephen Verman on Nov 12, 2010 4:02 PM EST up reply actions
Real deal or blind squirrel?
Was McCoy’s accuracy and success against the Pats a one week thing, or could he be the scary quarterback of the future?
Accuracy-based passing + competitive (albeit simple) run game + decent D + good special teams...
It’s a rather early-2000s Patriots blueprint.
Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.
by Comedic.Sans on Nov 12, 2010 7:48 PM EST up reply actions
All I can say is
Peyton Hillis would look good in a PATS uniform..I mean it’s been a long time since we had a bruiser in the backfield. Think back to Antowain Smith and Corey Dillon…we need a big powerback to compliment our smaller, quicker backs. It would be so nice to be able to hand off on 3rd and 1 and not worry about it..or a guy that slam it in at the goal line. Just my opinion.
Lomo had the physical tools to be that guy
But never put it together.
I wouldn’t mind seeing us pick up a bruiser next draft.
by Greg Knopping on Nov 12, 2010 12:53 PM EST up reply actions
Would a guy like Demarco Murray fit the bill? He's around a late 2nd rd. prospect
Or maybe Anthony Allen in the 5th round or so?
Don't cut your locks Tom Terrific!
I'm not sure about Murray as that every down power back (doesn't have the size)
Maybe Daniel Thomas from Kansas State
by Greg Knopping on Nov 12, 2010 3:04 PM EST up reply actions
saw him play twice.....fancier verison of DDR
Non Sibi Sed Patriae.
I love my ZX-6r Kawasaki.
I bleed Scarlet and Grey...A Buckeye for Life
Pat McAfee -Colts punter-"@StampedeBlue I hope your website gets exposed for a complete joke. There’s no reason for you to do that, and its completely ridiculous."
LoMo had his chances
Unfortunately his career was hampered by injuries and ineffectiveness at times. He showed flashes of being a first round talent, but he lost confidence and his ability to find the open hole. Last season they talked about how maroney was studying extra film with belichick and getting better..then he fumbled it on the goal line and was benched after that mishap…remember that? All in all I’d say a 4th round pick was about all we were gonna get in that trade with Denver.
We didn't do too bad on him earlier in the game.
It’s just that when your offense fails, and the defense keeps going out again and again and again and again, they get tired later in the game. Where Hillis was more effective.
I think we have a very good run D.
I’ll take 11 players with heart on the field over 11 guys with just talent. Talent is fleeting, it goes away over time. Heart is what drives you to be better. To push yourself beyond what you think your capabilities are. To show us that when you strive, all things are possible.- SMP
These players, a lot of other people didn't believe in them, but they believe in themselves. And that is all that matters."- Bill Belichick
I'm also a Raider Fan dammit!!! RAIDER NATION!!!!
Title didn't fit
the way to beat the Patriots is to not turn the ball over. Their defense SUCKS at pass defense. It is true and has been for a LONG TIME.
The run defense has days when it just struggles and then you see teams slaughter them.
I don't think this past Sunday was the run D's best day this season
But it’s been pretty solid for the most part for the majority of the year. Last week, they had a serious problem setting the edge, and I believe it was a matter of the personnel being put out (Wright?!), but also the whole unit altogether failing at it’s goal to stop Hillis. Hopefully, they will be better prepared this week, and more often than not, they have been.
I don't think so. Homey don't play dat.
well then
. But the weak part of this defense is not against the wrong
Is it against the right?
Dont forget to tip your waitress!
2009 NY Phin PhansFantasy League Champion
2009 Best Regular Season Record in NYPPL.
2010 The Jim Mandich NewsFlash Award Winner.
""It only ends once. Everything that comes before is just progress"
Browns game was probably a good thing
BB has apparently gone to town on the team this week so they are going to play hard.
Also if that fools the Steelers into trying to run it then great!
I think they will play Meriweather deep cause you know you are going to get a few Mike Wallace bombs. I think that means it will open up for Ward who I think will have a big game…
Steelers OL is shot though…might be time for Mr Crable’s first sack…
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Media requests: Please email patspulpit at gmail.com
Related FanPosts on Pats Pulpit
Related FanShots on Pats Pulpit
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
