Brady's signals may have been intercepted

FOXBOROUGH -- When the Patriots' offense is operating at peak efficiency, Tom Brady steps to the line of scrimmage, assesses the defensive alignment, and calls out the protection scheme to his offensive linemen.

That simple routine has been a foundation of the team's attack in recent years, allowing Brady the chance to put the Patriots into the best position to make a positive play.

It's an approach that the Dolphins studied closely in the days leading up to Sunday's 21-0 victory over the Patriots, and linebacker Zach Thomas, among other Miami players, felt it contributed to their resounding victory. The Dolphins' preparation included listening to TV tapes of games that picked up audio of Brady's protection calls to his linemen.

So, did the Dolphins crack the Patriots' code? Were they able to bait the Patriots into certain protection schemes because of their preparation, then rush into areas that were vulnerable?

When asked about the topic Monday, Brady didn't believe that was the case, and he expressed surprise that players on a 6-7 team would be crowing that they apparently had the answers on how to stop the 9-4 Patriots. And coach Bill Belichick noted that Brady identified the defense and called out protection schemes as well as any time in his career.

But longtime NFL quarterback Jim Miller, who played for the Patriots in 2004, believes the Dolphins' approach -- which led to five sacks and consistent pressure on Brady -- is an area of concern that New England coaches are likely addressing this week.

One line of thinking is that in studying Brady's protection calls, waiting until the latest possible moment to declare their intentions, and then adjusting the areas in which they brought pressure, the Dolphins negated any advantage Brady might have had in setting the protection at the line of scrimmage. It was a similar approach to one the Jets employed in a victory over the Patriots Nov. 12.

"They don't call it the copycat league for nothing," said Miller, who cohosts a show on Sirius Radio's NFL channel. "If someone thinks a team has found a blueprint, they're going to use it until that team shows they can beat it. I think the Patriots can expect that type of approach from other teams."

Miller recalled the Patriots studying audio tape of the Ravens' defense in 2004, hoping to get a better understanding of Baltimore's calls prior to a 24-3 win that season. It appears the Dolphins took a page out of the Patriots' book.

"The Patriots are always looking for an edge; you're talking about Bill Belichick, the master of smart football and playing smart football," Miller said. "They turn over every rock, cross every t and dot every i. The little things add up to a lot when you piece it all together."

Yet it's not as if the Patriots and Dolphins are the only teams that have attempted to study audio cues. Former NFL defensive coordinator Steve Sidwell doesn't believe it's anything out of the ordinary, noting, "Teams have forever known that these kind of things go on." Sidwell explained that a defense can gain a significant edge if it has correctly picked up calls at the line.

"If you know that, and you know you can get them to change protections based on a particular look, that would be a really good advantage," he said. "It would help the defense to get a pre-snap disguise, which would make an offense change their protections and end up getting the matchup the defense wants, such as a rush linebacker on a [running] back."

Yet Sidwell sees the problem as easily correctable for any offense, by simply changing what the protection calls mean. From his 21 years in the NFL, Sidwell believes that most offenses have something "within their call structure to make things change from week to week."

Miller added that another way to counter defenses that take the Dolphins' approach is to execute what he calls "go plays" or "green-light" plays.

"In that case, no matter what the other team does defensively, you're calling a play in the huddle and Tom is going to go on a quick count and run the play," Miller said. "You can catch the defense off-guard that way. There is a certain chess game there and I'd guarantee you'll see that from the New England Patriots offense the next time they play the Miami Dolphins."

The Dolphins felt they had lost that chess game in a 23-16 loss to the Patriots in 2005, when defenders believed that their own signals had been picked up by Brady & Co. In that game, Brady correctly identified a blitz and hit tight end Benjamin Watson on a game-winning touchdown pass with 2:16 left.

In some ways, Dolphins players felt they got payback this past Sunday. That the players said so publicly was surprising to Sidwell.

"If Dolphin defensive players felt like they had an advantage because of that, that is incredibly stupid to give that information away, and you can be sure it will be changed," he said. "That's why coaches talk to players all the time about keeping their mouths shut.

"A great team like the Patriots, which is well-coached, takes pride in not having that happen. That's why I think the most important thing about all of this is to just keep your mouth shut, and try to gain any legal advantage you can."

Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com.