Malcolm Butler’s interception has been examined from every angle; as the play that sealed the victory in Super Bowl XLIX for the New England Patriots over the Seattle Seahawks, it got the attention it deserved. However, Butler was in position to make that play because of an extraordinary effort by Dont’a Hightower on the penultimate…
The New England Patriots pass defense had an up-and-down game in Super Bowl XLIX. The Seattle Seahawks failed to complete a pass until late in the second quarter, but eventually proved efficient with their air attack, gaining more than 20 yards per completion before the Patriots stood firm to earn the victory ‒ including the…
Chuck Zodda has an infatuation with special teams. He enjoys long punts through the air, well-lit wall returns, and quiet time spent alone with punt gunners. But he also has a side that loves confrontation – in this case, the epic battle about to be waged between the Indianapolis Colts‘ Pat McAfee and New England…
Sometimes bad performance in one job can lead to an undeserved reputation. Of course, that didn’t stop the Denver Broncos from bringing Gary Kubiak aboard Sunday as their new head coach. Dave Archibald discusses how Kubiak can still draw up impressive game plans using deception and play action, with the Divisional Round game versus the…
Heading into the Divisional Round game against the Baltimore Ravens, the New England Patriots defense knew exactly what to expect. They just had a very difficult time stopping it. The Patriots defensive front failed to handle the stretch run concepts that helped Ravens running back Justin Forsett reach over 1,200 regular-season rushing yards rushing in…
The NFL is a copycat league and streak routes are in every team’s playbook. Still, it is incredibly rare to see nearly identical patterns for each team become turning points in the eventual outcome. With the season on the line, both the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens ran the same play. Dave Archibald and…
In Part 1 of our Patriots vs Ravens passing preview, Dave Archibald explains the tough matchup for Joe Flacco against a stingy pass defense. The QB must get protection from his offensive line to set up deep passes or connect with a tight end while the Patriots elite secondary complicates matters. Be sure to read…
The New England Patriots’ pass defense has been a strength this season, with new arrivals Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner keying coverage that has been stifling at times. Dave Archibald explores a potential weakness for the team entering Saturday’s playoff opener against the Baltimore Ravens. If the Patriots defense has an Achilles’ heel, look no…
Calling a run play is easy enough. The end result is just as easy to grade. Running backs receive most of the glory on successful attempts while blowups in the backfield seem to focus on the defender recording the tackle for a loss. But it’s often the many and myriad intricate actions in between that…
The Packers punished the Patriots for minding the gaps and quarterback Aaron Rodgers carved up the defense whether there was a spy or not. This is no surprise – Rodgers is the best quarterback in football. But 11 seconds? Brian Filipiak explains what happened. In a showdown between two elite offenses, the Green Bay Packers…
Patrick Chung returns to New England after a season with the Philadelphia Eagles and has surprisingly claimed the starting strong safety role for the Patriots. The former second-round pick had been written off by fans and media alike, but his strong play is one of the reasons for New England’s strong pass defense. When the…
Julian Edelman of the New England Patriots is one of the best punt returners in the NFL. Not the best of all-time ‒ that’s still Devin Hester. Edelman’s combination of skill, technique, instincts and speed allow him to capitalize on mistakes ‒ like the ones made by Britton Colquitt and the Denver Broncos. Two weeks…
A better performance from the New England Patriots rush defense in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears was expected; no NFL team can survive being as bad against the run as the Patriots were against the New York Jets in Week 7. In the final installment of this three-part series, it’s time to look at…
The New England Patriots run defense turned in a better performance in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears. The game plan for the Bears was clear: run at the Patriots. Early on, New England was stout, allowing the offense to open a large lead. In part two of this three-part series, Brian Filipiak will how…
The beleaguered New England Patriots run defense turned in a better performance in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears. The game plan for the Bears was clear – run at the Patriots. Early on, New England was stout, allowing the offense to open a large lead. In this three-part series, Brian Filipiak will show the…
The New York Jets rolled up 218 yards against the New England Patriots run defense. What went wrong for New England? Part 1 of this four-part series explores what things look like when they go right, Part 2 on the failure to fit, Part 3 the failure to flow and here, the dangers of losing…