In the pass game, you could see how the Patriots planned to beat the Broncos: different formations, varying receiver distribution and location, motions/shifts, release concepts like bunch and stack, run/play action. They did not ask receivers to win isolation routes on the outside. Then the Patriots worked the middle of the field very effectively. That’s their focus.
And, not surprisingly, a big part of the focus was tight end Rob Gronkowski.
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Gronkowski’s 20-yard reception in the first quarter was a good example of how the Patriots beat the Broncos. The Patriots ran play action, showing a counter run. That sucked in stacked linebackers Corey Nelson and Brandon Marshall. That was a theme all day: The Broncos linebackers flow fast and are very susceptible to play action. The Broncos linebackers were impacted every time the Patriots used play action, which was a staple of their game plan.
On this play Gronkowski got a free release off the line of scrimmage, which was another theme of the day. The biggest mistake the Broncos made with Gronkowski was giving him a free release off the line. On this play, it was an easy pitch-and-catch for 20 yards.
Gronkowski was targeted 10 times and had nine receptions. The Broncos tried defending him with a linebacker, with safety T.J. Ward, with cornerback Aqib Talib – nothing worked. We saw the matchup nightmare on an 11-yard catch by Gronkowski. The Broncos matched him up with Talib. Talib is listed at 205 pounds. Gronkowski is listed at 265 pounds. Gronkowski shoved Talib aside. Brady initially broke down in the pocket when he felt pressure, but reset himself and then moved to create space (another thing that stood out in this game, and all season, is how well Brady moved in and out of the pocket).
Defensively the Patriots had a sound plan as well. They were very multiple in this game. The Patriots played nickel on every passing snap, with 59 percent man coverage and 41 percent zone coverage. They were very multiple within the man coverage concepts too, switching up coverages the whole game. They played just one snap of “two shell” with two deep safeties the whole game. It was mostly either man coverage or “Cover 3” zone.
The Patriots started with an unexpected matchup, putting safety Patrick Chung on tight end Julius Thomas. The Patriots put cornerback Brandon Browner at safety in some nickel snaps, and in those snaps Browner would match up with Thomas. Thomas wasn’t targeted at all in the first half and just twice in the game.
Another wrinkle was the Patriots going with a lot of “Double 'A' Gap” looks, with linebackers aligning on both sides of the center. The Patriots hadn’t used that look much before they played Chicago two weeks ago. What it did was force running back Ronnie Hillman to stay in and block. That eliminated an eligible receiver.
The Patriots’ first interception off Peyton Manning was due to a great disguise.
Before the snap, the Patriots showed man free blitz with the “Double ‘A’ Gap” alignment, with linebackers Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins in the “A” gaps. Both edge rushers, Akeem Ayers and Ninkovich, were on the line of scrimmage. It was clearly a blitz alert. The “A” gap blitz ate up Hillman and removed him as a receiver. Manning expected cornerback Darrelle Revis to run with Emmanuel Sanders, who was lined up wide to the right as the “x iso.” That’s part of the “man free” the Patriots showed. He expected Ninkovich to rush. But at the snap it became “Cover 3” zone behind a four-man rush. Revis dropped into the outside third and Ninkovich dropped into his zone.
You won’t fool Manning too often, but the Patriots got him on that play.
The Patriots won 43-21. Seeing how it unfolded on film, with New England’s scheme adjustments to beat the Broncos, was illuminating.
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NFL analyst and NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell watches as much NFL game film as anyone. Throughout the season, Cosell will join Shutdown Corner to share his observations on the teams, schemes and personnel from around the league.
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