Teach
01-31-2019, 05:06 PM
Tom Brady is the “sine qua non”. It is essential that Brady have an excellent game. The Patriots need him to be sharp if they are to win. That means the Patriots offensive line, “The Unsung Heroes,” must continue to “do their job” by protecting Brady and keeping the pocket “clean”.
One of the main tasks of the Patriots offense line is to keep Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh from getting to Brady. That may mean double-teaming Donald.
One of the ways the Patriots can get off to good start is by getting the ground-game going with Sony Michel, James White and Rex Burkhead. They can’t afford to let the Rams defensive line “tee off” on Brady. If possible, the Patriots have to try to stay out of “3rd and longs”.
I would expect an array of 2-second delivery short-passes to Julian Edelman, White, “Gronk,” or Chris Hogan. Ball possession will be critical. If the Patriots can do what they did in the first quarter to the Chargers and Chiefs, that would be most beneficial. The longer the Rams defense stays on the field, the better.
In that vein, the Patriots must be careful not to allow the Rams to “jam” Julian Edelman at the line-of-scrimmage. “Gronk,” who may well be playing his last professional football game, must come up big. His blocking has been excellent. The more catches he makes, the better the chances are that the Patriots will win.
Further, I believe the Rams secondary can be “picked on”. I mentioned before that 33-year old Aqib Talib is, in my opinion, vulnerable.
Furthermore, I’d like to see the Patriots use a “hurry-up” offense. No let up. No respite. That can pay dividends later in game.
On the defensive side, the Patriots must stop the run. They must bottle up both Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson. Gurley, in particular, can be most dangerous once he gets past the line-of-scrimmage. If the Patriots can turn this game into “Air Goff,” all the better.
Speaking of Goff, he’s never been on a stage like this. How will he handle it? The more pressure the Patriots defensive line can bring, the better. Goff uses a lot of “play action”. If he rolls out, it’s usually to his right. Goff is an effective passer, but he’s not much of running quarterback. Certainly, there’s no comparison to Patrick Mahomes.
As cited, the Patriots defensive line must bring pressure (yet not be thrown off balance by a run play). If the Patriots have a weakness, I believe it’s in the pass coverage. The more time Goff has to throw, the better his chances of connecting with one of his receivers. As I’ve mentioned, Goff is what I call a “rhythm passer”. If he gets into a groove…
Finally, I personally believe the Patriots will win in what I anticipate will be a high-scoring game.
One of the main tasks of the Patriots offense line is to keep Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh from getting to Brady. That may mean double-teaming Donald.
One of the ways the Patriots can get off to good start is by getting the ground-game going with Sony Michel, James White and Rex Burkhead. They can’t afford to let the Rams defensive line “tee off” on Brady. If possible, the Patriots have to try to stay out of “3rd and longs”.
I would expect an array of 2-second delivery short-passes to Julian Edelman, White, “Gronk,” or Chris Hogan. Ball possession will be critical. If the Patriots can do what they did in the first quarter to the Chargers and Chiefs, that would be most beneficial. The longer the Rams defense stays on the field, the better.
In that vein, the Patriots must be careful not to allow the Rams to “jam” Julian Edelman at the line-of-scrimmage. “Gronk,” who may well be playing his last professional football game, must come up big. His blocking has been excellent. The more catches he makes, the better the chances are that the Patriots will win.
Further, I believe the Rams secondary can be “picked on”. I mentioned before that 33-year old Aqib Talib is, in my opinion, vulnerable.
Furthermore, I’d like to see the Patriots use a “hurry-up” offense. No let up. No respite. That can pay dividends later in game.
On the defensive side, the Patriots must stop the run. They must bottle up both Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson. Gurley, in particular, can be most dangerous once he gets past the line-of-scrimmage. If the Patriots can turn this game into “Air Goff,” all the better.
Speaking of Goff, he’s never been on a stage like this. How will he handle it? The more pressure the Patriots defensive line can bring, the better. Goff uses a lot of “play action”. If he rolls out, it’s usually to his right. Goff is an effective passer, but he’s not much of running quarterback. Certainly, there’s no comparison to Patrick Mahomes.
As cited, the Patriots defensive line must bring pressure (yet not be thrown off balance by a run play). If the Patriots have a weakness, I believe it’s in the pass coverage. The more time Goff has to throw, the better his chances of connecting with one of his receivers. As I’ve mentioned, Goff is what I call a “rhythm passer”. If he gets into a groove…
Finally, I personally believe the Patriots will win in what I anticipate will be a high-scoring game.