The more the Patriots’ secondary changes, the more it stays the same
COMMENTARY
No Darrelle Revis. No Brandon Browner. No problem?
Not exactly.
The Patriots’ defense was never going to be exactly the same this season as it was in 2014. But it’s also not going to be the same from week to week in 2015. The names have changed, but one thing has remained a constant: The Patriots continue to adapt their strategy to their opponent.
The Patriots played a lot of man coverage against the Pittsburgh Steelers in their opening game of the season, and then utilized a wide variety of coverage calls against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. Through those two games, the results have been mixed. They’ve yielded just 24 points combined in the first three quarters of their first two games, but 29 points in the fourth quarter of those two games. The most important thing about those two games, however, is the end result.
“This defense is going to do whatever it needs to try to win that week,’’ said cornerback Logan Ryan, “so whether that be a specific game plan or a mix of everything, we’re just gonna try to take each opponent and do what we need to do to execute.’’
That doesn’t mean that the secondary doesn’t look any different.
The big, physical secondary of 2014 has been replaced with a smaller, quicker group of defensive backs in 2015. Last year, the presence of 6-foot-4, 221-pound Browner established the Patriots as a smashmouth coverage unit. This year, a group of 5-foot-11, 190-ish-pound cornerbacks gives them the look of a finesse unit.
That being said, the Patriots coaching staff has not made the mistake of plugging 2015’s square pegs into 2014’s round holes. The coaches have been busy adjusting their techniques to fit the new personnel.
“We’ve obviously tried to get our guys as a defense to improve and try to really understand what we’re doing,’’ said defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. “I think everyone across the board has really tried to embrace the understanding of the defense that we’re putting in right now. I would say in the defensive backfield position, those guys have done a really good job of understanding the concepts and the different coverage and run responsibilities. I’d say those guys are working extremely hard to get better. I think they’ve gotten better through training camp. It’s obviously a little bit of an adjustment for them from a technique standpoint in the way that we play things, but I think they’ve really tried to embrace that and get better.’’
The Patriots have appeared more than willing to give up short passes as long as they’re not yielding big plays through the air. Through the first two games of the season, the Patriots have allowed completions on six of 13 pass attempts that traveled 20 yards or more; 195 yards were gained on those completions, and there have been two touchdowns and three picks on those throws.
Don’t jump too far to the other extreme, though, where it’s assumed that the Patriots will play the entirety of the 2015 season in a soft zone shell that allows offenses to pick apart the underbelly of the defense.
Belichick has always prided himself on a defensive strategy that changes from week to week, focusing its game plan on taking away an opponent’s greatest strength and forcing the offense to beat them with a series of left jabs rather than a solid right hook.
The Patriots will still be a game-plan defense, just like they always have, even when Revis and Browner were roaming the secondary. They will still run a mix of man and zone coverages, just like they always did, even without two of the most physical man-coverage cornerbacks in the league on their roster.
“We pride ourselves on preparing,’’ said safety Duron Harmon. “It doesn’t really matter who’s here, who’s not here, game planning is something that’s been done long before I got here and I think just the idea of game planning has helped us tremendously.’’
The Patriots’ reputation as a game-plan defense will live on, albeit in different ways than before. They may not have the luxury of Revis shutting down a team’s best receiver or Browner getting into physical battles with a team’s biggest target, but the Patriots have a group of cornerbacks that can line up all over the field to carry out different assignments.
Don’t categorize this group as a bunch of undersized slot cornerbacks. In fact, don’t categorize them at all.
“That might be how they do it in other schemes, but here, the more things you can do, the more valuable you are to this team,’’ said cornerback Logan Ryan. “We pride ourselves on being able to play multiple positions to give the team a different look and give us options.’’
This group won’t be defined by their respective roles within the defense, but by how many different looks they can show to opposing offenses.
Old Patriots in new NFL uniforms
[bdc-gallery id=”462976″]
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com