Dilfer on managing Brady, Patriots offense

Mr Reiss, I am Steelers fan and when I read this article, I had to laugh. Its just common sense to run the ball more in the beginning becos of injury of Tom Brady. Anytime when a QB is injured and comes back, all teams run the ball more. OUr QB Ben Roethlisberger is always getting hurt and when he returns, Pittsburgh hands the ball off but will throw passes he is comfortable with. Even though I am a Steelers fan, Tom Brady is the best QB and he will return to greatness. The combination of Fred Taylor and Sammie Morris (cant count on maroney) will ease the pressure.
GO STEELERS.........

I have mixed feelings, Rick. I think the Patriots use that horizontal stuff as almost like a running game -- get the ball out quick, work the intermediate areas. I think that is a way of protecting Brady. So I'm not completely buying the vertical aspect of things. Just appreciate that Dilfer comes to the table with an articulate point that makes you think.
--Mike

ADDING to my last comment. Trent Dilfer doesn't get enough credit on NFL LIVE. even though its common sense to run the ball more after an injury to QB, Dilfer is good at explaining things. Alot of commentators on that show, just don't get it.
but Eric Allen, Darren Woodson, Mark Schlereh and Dilfer know there football.

Mike, even though I am a Steelers fan, I love your work. Your right when it comes to horizontal stuff, there quick passing game is like a running game, that is why I said, easy throws that Roethlisberger is comfortable with. Brady will throw the quick slants to Welker which nobody seems to stop. I dont' know if the new offensive coordinator will game plan the same as McDaniels did. Fred Taylor is so underrated and one of hardest Running Backs to tackle, which will ease alot off that quick passing game. Brady will return to form I think early in the season. Besides getting to the QB, I think Protecting Tom is ur biggest concern. Matt Light is older and not as good as a couple of yrs ago.....

This is another example of an ex-player and current "analyst" trying to be an expert on all 32 teams. The Patriots o-line is not built to have a crunching running game, and the backs are the kind who may break an occasional run if the defense is thinking pass, not the kind who will gobble up tough yards when the opposition knows the run is likely. Our schedule is full of teams which can and will stuff the running game. It will be Brady throwing, and other teams will pressure and blitz more. The short passing game and timing behind it will rule the day; the opposite of what Dilfer is saying....two runs, then a bomb.

Great article, Mike. I really appreciate Trent Dilfer's insight into the workings of the offense and how it might attack the defense this season. But, I think that the missing part of his offensive equation is Wes Welker and how the Pats have used the horizontal game (as much as the vertical) to free up Welker over the middle. Can't see them de-emphasizing it.

Mike, I really don't seem them changing their offensive style. I do think they will run more early in the year, but I don't seem them following up two running plays with a 50-yard bomb. I think it will be similar to when Matt Cassel was running the offense, which involved a lot of short to intermediate passes, especially screen plays. Getting rid of the ball fast will take the pressure of Brady, and will take away the opposing team's pass rush. Then after a few week, they can begin to implement more vertical pass plays.

Is it April Fool's, already?

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I have a great deal of respect for you, Mike, and for Trent Dilfer. And I found refreshing Value and Insight in his comment ~ which you were kind enough to relate ~ regarding the Disconnect between what a Competitor is mentally ready for...and what his body has progressed to be: The busted leg WILL actually be stronger than ever, GIVEN TIME.

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But the Patriots ~ need we remind thee ~ are at the Vanguard of Offensive Evolution: Our Spread Offense, and the things General Brady and crew have been doing, continue to change the Competitive Landscape. Can you honestly forget that our Offensive Innovation is a Core Element to the 3 World Championships this Dynasty has forged...and to the 3 to 5 quite possibly yet to come?

Indeed, as Corey encapsulates so aptly ~ and much more succinctly than I! ~ this entire Offense has been carefully crafted, ere the last 9 years and counting, to cater to this particular ~ and continually ~ evolving style of Offense.

And how many teams are scrambling to get their OWN Wes Welker??

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Perhaps the craziest aspect of Dilfer's premise, however, is the notion that dialing back our 22nd Century Offense to the Paleozoic Era ~ Run it twice into a stacked line, and then sling it??? WHAT??? ~ would IMPROVE Brady's health prospects.

A predictable, vanilla offense ~ need I say it? ~ will give FAR more opportunity for Defenders to tee off than the one we've been running, all these years. Keeping the Defense off balance is, of course, the key to any Offense's success AND to the QB’s health. And ~ praise be to the Football Gods ~ NOBODY does that better than Coach Bill, General Tom, and the New England Football Patriots, and I pray to those Gods that we're blessed with 10 MORE years of such Splendor!

Correct Fanatical,
I cannot understand this love fest with Dilfer. This "analysis" he gave is ridiculous. Woody Hayes for two downs, then throw a bomb? The Pats are going to throw short, quick passes (including to the running backs) as major fare for the offense. The bomb will be a strategic weapon in high probability circumstances, not as a primary weapon. He also failed to analyze our competition, which can run-stuff, and that our line is going to be focused on pass protection, not getting off the ball and power blocking. A poor job by Dilfer of researching the issue; a one-size-fits-all commentary on a situation which does nt apply.

M/R's insights are always consistently balanced and I for one respect that. Dilfer however adds yet another and most tantalizing prospect.
The Pats are loaded and everyone knows it too. One might suppose that there are any number of ploys at their disposal that will absolutely give defenses fits and there will always be different wrinkles to the ones that work. just for added confusion value. But this all said, I'm still suspecting that the Pats will protect T/B first, last and always while he's finding his sea-legs, timing and getting used to the pace of play in the first third of the season.

No doubt it's going to be a very exciting season....

Ahhh...Beautifully, beautifully put, Brother BellaCheate! ~ #9!

Assuming all players are healthy, I would think we would see a little of each package from 4-wide spread to heavy 3-TE sets in the first quarter of each game to see how each team is going to defend and force teams to spend time preparing for each package. And I would expect that you would see them throw or run out of any of them if they get the matchups that they want.

They are a game plan offense/defense - so any analysis other than they are going to do what they think will work best is sort of pointless. Fun to talk about and get excited about but, still... We can assume that the big plays will be a three wide galloway/welker/Moss, because that's flashy and on paper hard to defend, but c'mon. This is Belichick's team here....

I think a lot of our predictions should be tempered by what Fred Taylor will bring to the table -- and we really don't know what that is yet.

In previous seasons, the offense has been a little predictable by using lots of spread formations and relying HEAVILY on Kevin Faulk in the backfield, mostly because of his skill in blitz pickup. But you know they're not really going to use him as a runner, except in the delay draw that they liked to use the past couple seasons -- which is defended differently from how you would defend, say, Sammy Morris in a 2TE set. If Fred Taylor, who Belichick has praised in the past at blitz pickup, can offer a similar level of blocking that Faulk does, then it will allow them to be more dynamic and will actually help the running game. They'll be able to pass OR run out of a 3WR set more effectively.

They took advantage of this back when they had Dillon. Nobody could pick up the blitz like this guy -- not even Faulk (who I think is one of the best at it today). But, unlike Faulk, he was also a pounder. They were truly a double threat when he was on the field. He wasn't a receiver like Faulk, but he wasn't useless on 3rd downs like Maroney, for example. Maybe Taylor can bring that more well-rounded aspect to the Patriots backfield this season.

I think the Pats are gonna pass the ball a lot more than Dilfer thinks. When you have to choose between Moss/Welker/Galloway and Maroney/Taylor/Morris to gain first downs, I'll go with the great threesome of wr's to get the job done. While Fred Taylor should add a whole new dimension to the offense, you have to remember that he is getting up there in age while Maroney still has those lingering injury problems.

I've always felt that the short and intermediate passes are one of Tom Brady's most significant strengths. I'm by no means an expert, nor do I truly understand what goes into making a play-call at the NFL level, but the bread and butter of the offense has often been the short to intermediate passing game, which I think is used to open up running and deep passing.

2007 was a dream of a year. The combination of talent, schemes, opponents, scouting and luck was incredible and led to what I thought were more downfield, deep pass opportunities than normal.

The Patriots haven't had a real elite, traditional running back since Corey Dillon. I love K. Faulk and Morris and BJG-E (even if he doesn't make the roster this year), and Fred Taylor is a very good back, but they aren't top-of-the-line game changers that really scare opposing defenses in terms of running the ball every game, in most situations, regardless of circumstances. I'm not saying they aren't effective or good and great players, but they aren't on the level of an Adrian Peterson or LT, or the Giants' backfield.

When I saw Dilfer's analysis I was intrigued and he made good points, but I ended up disagreeing with him. I agree that runs will definitely protect Tom Brady more. But, I personally feel that with the Patriots O-Line strength leaning more towards pass blocking than run blocking (with good reason) and a serious wealth of good receivers at most positions, short and intermediate passes out of a shotgun will provide more protection to Tom.

If pass blocking doesn't hold very long on a play, the ball could easily be in the hands of a receiver before the rush gets to Tom on short, quick routes. On deep plays, the ball is more likely to still be in his hands.

Ok, if you think Mark Scherleth is an informative analyst you might be retarded..he is simply capable of reiterating three useless things
1). "Joe Schmo is the face of the franchise"
2) Oh, that guy is a cancer in the locker room
3) He has the intangibles, or my all-time favorite the "it" factor

Ok, talk abou your all-time vague and idiotic remarks. IF you want a knowledgable analyst stay the hell away from the likes of schlereth, trey wingo. Meryl Hodge seems to possess to most knowledge and can translate it in a meaningful and compact manner.

Well, one aspect that makes sense is Dilfer's "horizontal stretch" observation. And he's the first media type I've heard describe the relationship to the single-back running attack:

"when you're in the single-back set, you get great run matchups because the defense can't fit properly. They mess up their run fits and you get big gashes in the run game."

Remember last year how the Pats running really got in gear as the season progressed? Many factors involved (like return of Neal), but notice how it coincided with Cassell's steadily improving command of the (largely horizontal) short - medium passing game?

Ah! Very good, Mike. I almost said this, earlier, so let me say it, now, as a piggy back on your comment: I thought Dilfer's commentary WAS insightful and thought provoking ~ during the opening part of it ~ but then, right in the middle of it, it took a bizarre and inexplicably asinine turn, and you can pinpoint EXACTLY where that happened, and it was RIGHT after that insightful comment about how our Spread opens things up for the Running game! >>>

"More importantly, the ultimate offense is based on the vertical passing game..."

WHATTT?!?!?

After that...there was no place to go, but into the toilet!

Maybe Dilfer had a sudden bout of Al Davis Syndrome in the middle of his analysis? ;>)