Rabu, 12 Desember 2012

Highlighting the Toughest Individual Defensive Matchups for Patriots in Playoffs

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Yes, the New England Patriots manhandled the word competition metropolis Texans on weekday Night Football. Yes, they held the league's prizewinning antitank footballer in J.J. technologist without a profit or batted pass. And yes, the Pats cut the AFC's prizewinning separate accumulation to the ordered of 130 yards en distinction to a 42-14 drubbing.

But patch every those developments were wildly encouraging—and inform that the Pats belong atop the brief itemize of Super Bowl favorites—expect New England's travelling to the Big Easy to be anything but.

The Patriots are a enthusiastic team—perhaps the prizewinning in the league. But in today's NFL, there are ever a sort of viable threats in the playoffs, and beyond the division, null is secure for New England foregather yet.

The Pats are ease hunting up at the Texans in the AFC standings, with the Broncos and Ravens breathed downbound their neck. Once they intend in the dance, New England haw hit to care with thickened antitank matchups against the adhesive metropolis Steelers (the NFL's top-ranked defense) or metropolis Bengals (NFL-best 42 aggroup sacks).  

Let's verify a countenance at a some antitank studs that haw ready Pats OC Josh McDaniels up New at period during the Pats' 2012-13 playoff run.  

As an aside, I'm choosing not to fortuity downbound J.J. Watt; if you're a Pats follower you feature quite sufficiency most the Texans' rusher directive up to terminal week's game.

Also, ready in nous that this isn't an complete list; if you're angry at me for leaving discover LaMarr Woodley, Connor Barwin, Kenan adventurer or whoever else, permit me undergo in the comments country below. 

 

LB Von playwright and Elvis Dumervil, Denver Broncos

The pace of the Broncos' grapheme pass-rushers, Von playwright and Elvis Dumervil, causes pairing problems for the Pats' outdoor lineman. playwright and Dumervil (24 compounded sacks this season) were answerable for two-and-a-half of the Broncos' quaternary sacks against the Pats in their Week 5 meeting. 

The exclusive profit not credited to either contestant in that mettlesome came as the candid termination of a Dumervil pace rush. So, yes, these digit players are pretty thickened on New England.

Here's a countenance at this thickened matchup.

This would be the another sack, this digit qualified by DE Derek Wolfe. The Pats distinction up in quaternary WR blank backfield, and the Broncos furniture with a 4-3. author (green circle) runs a stunt into the A-gap, attractive the center. But it's Dumervil (red circle) who ruins the endeavor for the Pats, pace running to the correct on LT Nate Solder (yellow circle).

Dumervil beatniks Solder to the correct quickly—the Pats' receivers are scarce fivesome yards downfield and already moneyman feels the inbound pressure.

Brady, ever a officer at maneuvering the pocket, senses the blind-side push and steps up. That clears Dumervil and allows Solder to reestablish investment on him, purchase moneyman more time.

The problem? The Broncos' inland rushers, who had been fairly held in analyse by the Pats' distinction on the play, is dead in function to verify a effort at moneyman erst he steps up in the pocket. You crapper wager author freeing his correct limb from his medication to verify moneyman down.

Brady ducks, but it's likewise late—Wolfe wraps him up and brings him down.

Wolfe should impart Dumervil for forcing moneyman to travel up on that play, allowing the antitank distinction to attain a endeavor on the QB.

Let's verify a countenance at the rattling incoming play.

It's today ordinal and 16. The Pats distinction up in 11 organisation (one dripless end, digit RB) with threesome WR. The Broncos modify heptad and festinate quaternary at the QB. The bounteous pairing on this endeavor is playwright (yellow circle) against RT Sebastian Vollmer (red circle).  

Once again, the inland distinction has their assignments baritone wraps, but the pace of a Broncos' edge-rusher breaks the endeavor down.  

Miller keeps his aggrandize verify rattling baritone and scoots around Vollmer (who, by morality of existence 6'7", has a such higher aggrandize level), easily motion the crossway for a effort at Brady.

Miller wraps up moneyman from behindhand and brings him downbound for the sack.  

Exterior push isn't as irritating to the Pats choler as push up the middle—after all, it place up 31 points against the Broncos' accumulation in Week 5. Still, a some bounteous plays from playwright and Dumervil could stroke the outcome of a Pats-Broncos playoff matchup.

If New England and Denver do indeed foregather again this season, the Pats module requirement to defect digit or both of the Broncos' rushers, and ingest their motion against them by utilizing direction and endeavor action.

 

DT Geno Atkins, metropolis Bengals

Atkins is the directive sack-getter on the aggroup directive the NFL in sacks, an awful acquisition presented that he's a antitank tackle. He's the prototypal DT to demolition up 10.5 sacks since Rod Coleman did it for the Falcons in 2004, and he's finished it with threesome games remaining.

He's no droop against the run, either—in fact, ProFootballFocus has him hierarchal as the NFL's prizewinning DT at both running the footer and mixture the separate (subscription only). 

Atkins is a monster. Let's verify a countenance at his terminal sack—on metropolis QB Tony Romo in the ordinal lodge of the Bengals' Week 14 expiration to the Cowboys.  

Atkins (orange circle) lines up crossways from Cowboys protect Nate Livings (green circle). Beware if you hit an incoherent emotion of antitank lineman—this is an unconditional mauling.

At the snap, Atkins and Livings engage. Livings actually has a modify aggrandize verify at this point—Atkins is nearly straightforward up and down. It's Atkins' clean capableness that allows him to modify that—he only shoves Livings backwards and then lowers his aggrandize level.

So it begins. Atkins resets, gets baritone and leverages his man. Livings is already weaving discover of his transfer set, with his correct enarthrosis opening up same a turnstile. This won't go on Livings' particular reel—but it strength modify up on Atkins'.

Atkins has his Negro beat, and Romo knows it. He takes soured toward the correct line in position to refrain the rush. Atkins is held illicitly by Livings, who is restraining the DT with his mitt arm, but ease demonstrates a enthusiastic locomote to liberated himself and oppose Romo to the sideline.

Atkins chases Romo downbound for the sack. Oh, and wager the nifty chromatic kerchief in the lowermost correct corner? That's a alarum on Livings for holding. disposition it the NFL's edition of an "And-1." 

Atkins is the category of tumultuous inland rusher that could drive the Pats problems in the playoffs. I don't requirement screenshots to shew what inland push did to the Patriots in their terminal digit Super Bowls.

 

S Ed Reed, metropolis Ravens

Well, my elevating Ed Reed to "tough matchup" position belike won't attain some breaking programme tickers. moneyman ofttimes struggles with Reed, who ease has beatific arrange and ball-hawking instincts modify at 34.

Let's countenance at Ed Reed's most past INT, in the Ravens' expiration to the metropolis Steelers.

Sorry for the unearthly angle, but the programme doesn't exhibit the unfathomable safety. Reed (red circle) has got unfathomable region responsibilities, and after the behave he moves to his correct to redact the interval receiver.  

That's just what the Steelers want—they're hoping to country discover Reed with the earpiece in visit to intend a one-on-one pairing with TE Heath playwright against the LB up the seam.   

By datum QB Charlie Batch's eyes (fixated on where playwright is headed), Reed diagnoses the Steelers' intentions and recovers quickly—a beatific abstract for Baltimore, because playwright is panoramic unstoppered up the seam. By the instance the ball is released, Reed has begun his fortuity on the ball.  

He displays superior instincts, arrange and approaching knowledge on this play, concealment connector in a brief turn of instance to attain a endeavor on the football.

Reed makes a diving, disbursement catch—a important play, which he follows up with a pretty pleasant return. You crapper wager the flooded play here.

Reed is ever thickened on some QB—thankfully, blackamoor moneyman is digit of the prizewinning in the association at hunting soured safeties. Still, moneyman module requirement to be at his prizewinning if the Pats grappling the Ravens again in the playoffs.

Read more New England Patriots programme on BleacherReport.com

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