2017 Belichick Breakdowns
- Thread starter JohnnyK
- Start date
There's no way BB would say that special teams is easier and not as important as other aspects of the game. That's basically what Gase said.
Yes, I'm pretty sure Belichick has never said, even flippantly, that any aspect of the game is as simple as "just run straight and hit somebody.”
Based on some of the other stuff he said, I had assumed that he was being sarcastic. I mean, there is no way that a head coach believes that.
You see him talk about the snap and placement on the long FG and how perfect the snap was with the laces and I have to wonder if that kind of detail is focused on by other teams.
I don't know, I mean I am sure that these guys practice the long snaps 1,000 times in practice. But I don't see how you can plan in any way, how the laces will be when the end up in the holders hands. In other words, I think it is 99.9% luck.
I don’t know, on a 7-8 yard snap, how many rotations of the ball do you get (not many) and a guy like Cardona whose job is not a whole lot more than long snapping can’t practice and get close to perfecting laces out (or forward)?
No, I agree with you, mostly. But it won't take many inches of snap distance to impact the number of rotations of the football. I just think there are too many variables to get that exact rotation every time. But I will admit, I will be looking for that in the future.
Yes, you do see holders rotate the ball to get the laces right. I’ll be watching too.
It's not exact every time, but it's one of the goals on a field goal snap. @IdiotKicker wrote about this in breaking down Blair Walsh's big miss a couple years ago: http://insidethepylon.com/film-study/film-study-nfl/special-teams-film-study-nfl/2016/01/10/explaining-blair-walsh-missed-field-goal/
Great article, and I was not aware that they had the long snaps down to that much of a science. Very interesting.
I just meant his focus on that for a breakdown of a game where there was probably a dozen good plays to pick from, he picked and focused on the spin and laces out snap. It's just a very small detail.
Just amazing how often the kickoff deferral works to completely change the game before and after the half. Of course, team still has to execute, but this week's breakdown showed that literally a handful of well executed plays in a row turned a potentially close game into an easy win.
Must be soul crushing. Carr did everything right and managed the clock perfectly, and his teammates' execution let him down. I have to think that moments like these are what some veterans must have in the back of their minds when they take a bit less to play for a well coached team that can and does execute like the Pats.
Gronk was as open as Cooks on the after half td play, didn't see that live. Don't know what the D was doing there.
I think the safety who was late getting over on Cooks had Gronk. Tough spot for him - leave late and Cooks scores, but if he left earlier Gronk has no one between him and the end zone. And no guarantee he would have been able to tackle Gronk anyway, of course...
Agreed, the thing this highlighted more clearly to me than I'd seen live was how much pressure Cooks puts on the safeties in games to pick their poison with Gronks seem routes. He takes the top off the defenses in a way we haven't seen since Moss and Gronk's rookie Season. Edelman would have had a field day in the slot.
Speaking of Gronk - He's weighing in on his fear of BB and touchdown celebrations.
Yep, the only season he overlapped with Moss(still averaged 15+ yards per catch and had 3 td's - I know it was the end but teams still respected the reputation).
It is a fun season to watch this year as Cooks and Brady continue to improve their timing and relationship, and space continues to open up for Gronk, the slots and RB's. So much pressure on the D to be perfect every play against them.
That's some level of respect if they were still leaving a safety deep to defend against the Moss deep ball in the 3/4 of the season he wasn't on the team.
Someone needs to split-screen that TD montage with one featuring Pete Carroll or Dan Quinn
BB only mentions it in passing, but the athleticism of Mason to help contain the nose for Andrews before kicking out his block is fucking insane.
Whenever we get pissed that Belichick drafts someone we've never heard of, we should remember that Shaq Mason wasn't invited to the Combine (IOW, the powers that be didn't think he'd get drafted).
We generally get pissed at drafting unknown guys like Terrance Wheatley, Tavon Wilson, Jermaine Cunningham or Jordan Richards in the second round, I don't think anyone is losing any hairs over the pedigree of 4th round picks.
The line play in the highlighted plays was generally awesome. The play that you reference, Andrews never would have been able to block the nose (was lined up on his play-side shoulder), he would not have been able to turn him out. Shaq's chip was huge, then going to get the LB. Perfectly executed. I always had a hard time coaching kids how to do that--I wish this film existed when I was coaching.
My point is less about Belichick's picks and more that the people who decide who is "known" and "unknown" often don't have any idea what they're doing.
8:21 worth of Steelers highlights with BB:
http://www.patriots.com/video/2017/12/20/belichick-breakdown-top-plays-against-steelers
http://www.patriots.com/video/2017/12/20/belichick-breakdown-top-plays-against-steelers
Great clip today.
However, it would be interesting to see plays where the defense broke down - for example the JJSS catch and run or the James play on 1st and goal - to provide contrast with the successful plays, and therefore increase the viewer's understanding.
That said, I often wonder what level of risk of educating future opponents these videos carry.
However, it would be interesting to see plays where the defense broke down - for example the JJSS catch and run or the James play on 1st and goal - to provide contrast with the successful plays, and therefore increase the viewer's understanding.
That said, I often wonder what level of risk of educating future opponents these videos carry.
On the second throw to Gronk, Brady also had White slipping out and would have had a big gain as well.
Belichick rarely highlights schematic stuff in these - it's almost always just pointing out individual player excellence that goes under the radar. On the big third down stop he notes Gilmore's contribution but just describes the defense as "a combination coverage," rather than getting into the specifics about what the safety assignments are (even though they are highly relevant to the play as it unfolded). The one with the in-game adjustment on the Hogan route is the only one I can remember where he got into play design stuff.
The Pats just had the perfect protection for that blitz. White is on the side the blitz is coming from and he has no one to block because they already have the protection slid to the blitzing side.
Not that it's Bill, but I did tweet with Matt Chatham about the JJSS catch and run that setup the controversial overturned TD catch at the end of the game. I was sure that JJSS's defender got illegally screened by M. Bryant on the crossing route. If Bill had reviewed the play for us, I think he would've called out how great of a job Bryant did to avoid contact with the DB. He runs right at the CB then jumps left at the last second and made the DB adjust just enough to create the separation JJSS needed. It was exactly how the play should've been executed. (BTW- Matt was nice enough to educate me without making me look like an idiot, no small feat, and he replied quick. Good dude.).
The latest win over the Bills is now up.
http://www.patriots.com/video/2017/12/27/belichick-breakdown-top-plays-against-bills
http://www.patriots.com/video/2017/12/27/belichick-breakdown-top-plays-against-bills
The Lewis ball control comment on the goal line has to be a subtle jab at Steelers.