Luke Skywelker
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- Jan 10, 2010
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If there is anything we've learned, the analysts have learned, my cat has learned, the only way to truly neutralize Tom Brady is by sicking the dogs on him, getting in his face and making him anxious, in particular if you can do it up the middle. It's a game changer and it has to start early, otherwise TB will pick apart just about anyone. In the 2009 playoff game with Balt, that pressure lead to 3 sacks, 3 Brady INTs and 1 Brady lost fumble. Clearly that can't happen in this game. One common themes after our last 3 playoff losses is a lot of MF'ing of the Oline afterwards.
So this begs the question, is this NE team built to stop the Balt pass rush? Who has to perform, what strategies are employed and is this Oline ready/built to stop?
Baltimore is essentially 3rd in the NFL in team sacks at 48, so clearly a big part of their defensive repertoire. TSuggs is the leader on that team with 14. Although this Baltimore team had no sacks last week against a much less stealth OLine and Suggs has had only 1 sack in his last 4 games(age?). The next two on their sack leaders list come off the Dline in Ngata and McPhee.
And for those analysts out there that do like to use that 2009 game as ammo to say that Baltimore is going to win this one, look at this measly crew:
Passing CP/AT YDS TD INT
T. Brady 23/42 154 2 3
Rushing ATT YDS TD LG
K. Faulk 14 52 0 9
S. Morris 1 9 0 9
L. Maroney 1 2 0 2
F. Taylor 2 1 0 2
Receiving REC YDS TD LG
R. Moss 5 48 0 19
J. Edelman 6 44 2 24
K. Faulk 6 37 0 18
S. Morris 3 15 0 8
S. Aiken 1 5 0 5
B. Watson 1 3 0 3
C. Baker 1 2 0 2
If Julian Edelman is basically our leading receiver and Kevin Faulk our leading rusher - can we really use this as any kind of benchmark whatsoever?
So this begs the question, is this NE team built to stop the Balt pass rush? Who has to perform, what strategies are employed and is this Oline ready/built to stop?
Baltimore is essentially 3rd in the NFL in team sacks at 48, so clearly a big part of their defensive repertoire. TSuggs is the leader on that team with 14. Although this Baltimore team had no sacks last week against a much less stealth OLine and Suggs has had only 1 sack in his last 4 games(age?). The next two on their sack leaders list come off the Dline in Ngata and McPhee.
And for those analysts out there that do like to use that 2009 game as ammo to say that Baltimore is going to win this one, look at this measly crew:
Passing CP/AT YDS TD INT
T. Brady 23/42 154 2 3
Rushing ATT YDS TD LG
K. Faulk 14 52 0 9
S. Morris 1 9 0 9
L. Maroney 1 2 0 2
F. Taylor 2 1 0 2
Receiving REC YDS TD LG
R. Moss 5 48 0 19
J. Edelman 6 44 2 24
K. Faulk 6 37 0 18
S. Morris 3 15 0 8
S. Aiken 1 5 0 5
B. Watson 1 3 0 3
C. Baker 1 2 0 2
If Julian Edelman is basically our leading receiver and Kevin Faulk our leading rusher - can we really use this as any kind of benchmark whatsoever?