2004 Ad

Sporting News, The, Feb 2, 2004 by Paul Attner

Ultimately, Manning developed happy feet, failing to set before throwing even when no defenders were near him. He wasn't mechanically ready to make some passes when opportunities opened up. And when he did throw, he often threw badly because he was off-balance and/or on the move. The Patriots, with their radical defensive move, simply erased the flow and rhythm that had characterized Manning's play in his two previous playoff contests.

What stands out in both of New England's playoff games--and also against the Dolphins in early December--is the incredibly physical nature of this defense. The Patriots are outstanding tacklers. It is rare to see them miss chances and give opponents extra yards. They also strive to deliver blows instead of receiving them. Hardly ever did any receiver cut across the middle near the line of scrimmage without being bumped somewhere in his route. The resulting hesitation--or mental distraction--sometimes is just enough to either eliminate the receiver from the play or throw off timing enough to create a bad play.

Members of the front seven rarely are knocked off their feet and are extremely strong, particularly in the upper body. They are able to ward off blockers with their arms, maintaining leverage and breaking down running schemes. This is particularly evident on the edge of the line. It is extremely difficult to run outside because of the Patriots' ability to string out plays. Of course, they also push the rules to an extreme, grabbing and holding and clutching. If the officials continue to allow them this freedom, which has been the case so far in the playoffs, they have a decided advantage, particularly against a quick receiver like Carolina's Steve Smith.

The key to all this is the performance of Rodney Harrison. Last year in San Diego, he was average at best--still a fearsome tackler but a safety who had lost much of his pass-coverage skills. In New England, he has been revitalized. His production in the playoffs has been sensational. It almost is like watching a smaller version of Ray Lewis. Harrison seems to be either making or hovering around every stop, involved in every blitz, in the midst of every pass deflection and the executor of virtually every blow-'em-up tackle. How Belichick deploys him in this game--most likely he will be used as a run stopper against Stephen Davis--and how well Carolina deals with him will greatly influence the outcome.

"I don't think there are three more physical people at their position in the league than Harrison, Law and (nose tackle) Ted Washington," says Baldinger. "Not necessarily the best at their position but the most physical. And those are three key spots on a defense."

Harrison, in his 10th season, exemplifies the versatility of this defense. When Delhomme comes to the line, he never will know where Harrison will be positioned. And even when he thinks he does, that will change in an instant. Harrison is particularly adept at moving just before the snap and turning into an instant and dangerous blitzer. But Harrison is not the only movable Patriot. In the Colts game, inside linebacker Tedy Bruschi spent some snaps as the middle man in a three-safety alignment 15 yards downfield. Law also took some snaps as a safety, flip-flopping with Harrison. Linebacker Mike Vrabel rushed from the edge, either standing up or with his hand on the ground. Occasionally, he would move in front of the center, get into a three-point stance, then bounce up at the snap and become an inside linebacker. On one play, he scampered immediately to a spot behind the line where Manning was throwing a quick pass---and broke it up. His execution on this play illustrates two telling characteristics of Patriots defenders: They can effectively transfer film study to on-field execution, and they are rarely out of position because they don't free-lance on their assignments. They are schooled in what to do within every defensive call, and they perform as dictated. This reliability maintains the soundness of Belichick's scheming.