Patriots offensive success fueled by deft play clever schemes

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Patriots offensive success fueled by deft play clever schemes

The are off to another sizzling start behind an explosive offense that is lighting up scoreboards around the NFL. The unit leads the league in nearly every major statistical category -- (423.8), (331.2), (53 percent) and first downs per game (27.0) while racking up 37.2 points per game (). Of course, we've come to expect big numbers from a -led offense. But I wanted to dig into the to see precisely why opponents are having such a tough time slowing the down.After watching the tape, I've come up with three reasons that the ' offense is seemingly impo sible to stop: 1) Tom Brady is the ultimate game manager.For all of the credit Brady receives for his winning pedigree (four wins in six appearances) and clutch performances (46 game-winning drives), he should be celebrated for developing into the best game manager at the quarterback position. Yes, the dreaded label conjures up images of a quarterback with severe limitations playing conservative football from the pocket, but the fact that Brady excels at situational football should change that perception.The 16th-year pro simply plays winning football, exhibiting exceptional poise, awarene s and judgment with the ball in his hands. Brady rarely hurts his team with carele s turnovers, yet he aggre sively pushes the ball downfield to the ' playmakers on the perimeter. Brady has mastered the delicate balancing act between risk and reward -- difficult for some quarterbacks to achieve -- as well as anyone in football. Heading into Week 6, Brady is the only remaining Week 1 starter without an interception; he's also only the fourth quarterback in the era to to s 11-plus touchdown pa ses without an interception in the first four games of the season. Given the impact of turnovers, the fact that Brady limits his giveaways while creating scoring opportunities is one of the reasons that the have been impo sible to beat in recent seasons.After looking at the of the ' first four games, I came away impre sed with Brady's masterful execution of the quick-rhythm pa sing game. The veteran gets the ball out of his hands quicker than any quarterback in the game (according to Pro Football Focus, Brady is averaging just 2.04 seconds before each pa s attempt -- the quickest mark in the NFL), which makes it nearly impo sible for the pa s rush to disrupt the timing of the pa sing game. Additionally, Brady's quick release and superb diagnostic skills make it challenging for defensive coordinators to craft a plan to hit the quarterback consistently in the pocket. Brady can nullify blitzes with his ability to anticipate pre sure and check to an audible or target a "hot" route -- indeed, that helps create big-play opportunities. If the defense sits back in a soft zone and dares the quarterback to play "dink and dunk" football, Brady will patiently pick apart the defense with dump-offs or check-downs until he has a chance to push the ball downfield against a jumpy defender.Against the , Brady repeatedly anticipated the blitz and found the open receiver before the pa s rush could collapse the pocket. In the play depicted below, the are aligned in a trips formation, with positioned on the outside. The are running a pick concept, with executing a slant, running to the flat and Gronkowski coming underneath on a "dart" route. Edelman inadvertently picks the defender a signed to Gronkowski, leaving the big tight end open immediately over the middle. Brady quickly diagnoses the defense, sees the rub and delivers the ball on time to Gronkowski. This results in an 18- Nate Hinton Jersey yard gain for the (TO VIEW THE PLAY, SCROLL LEFT TO RIGHT ON THE IMAGE BELOW):While the bulk of Brady's production is derived from a variety of quick-rhythm concepts, the ' playbook features a number of play-action pa ses that allow the veteran to deceive defenders with deft ball-fakes to create big-play chances on vertical routes. Brady has become a more efficient intermediate pa ser in 2015, connecting on 57.1 percent (16 of 28) of pa ses that travel 15 or more yards in the air for a 113.7 pa ser rating after completing just 25 percent of such pa ses (8 of 32) for a 40.0 pa ser rating through his first four games in 2014.Against the , Brady attacked the defense with a number of seam pa ses thrown following play-action fakes. On the play depicted below, the are aligned in a dubs formation, with Gronkowski aligned at tight end. Brady takes the snap and turns his back to the defense, to bluff a running play to . With the fake luring Jacksonville defender to the line of scrimmage, Brady has a huge window to target Gronkowski on the seam route. The veteran delivers a perfect throw to Gronkowski, who rumbles 21 yards on the play (TO VIEW THE PLAY, SCROLL LEFT TO RIGHT ON THE IMAGE BELOW):Given Brady's ability to throw the ball to every area of the field on a variety of quick-rhythm and play-action throws, the have been able to aggre sively attack defenses while staying on schedule (they have just three three-and-outs this season, least in the NFL) and avoiding the costly turnovers that undermine a winning formula.2) Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman form a powerful 1-2 punch.It's uncommon for a prolific aerial attack to thrive without a cla sic WR1, but the have torched opponents while leaning on a big-bodied tight end and a slippery slot receiver with exceptional "catch-and-run" skills. Of course, the tight end is unquestionably the most dominant offensive weapon in football. Still, the ' use of "MOF" (middle of the field) playmakers as the driving force of their pa sing game stands as a unique approach in today's game.Gronkowski, a sixth-year pro with 58 career touchdown receptions in just 69 games, is a matchup nightmare on the perimeter. Measuring 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, the er is too big and physical for defensive backs and too athletic and agile for lumbering linebackers. Consequently, defensive coordinators are unable to defend him using single coverage, which gives Brady a dependable option to target in key situations. The problems created by Gronkowski's unique physical attributes also allow the to deploy him in different spots within multiple formations to help Brady diagnose coverage during the pre-snap phase. If Gronkowski is positioned on the outside as a quasi-receiver, Brady can identify man or zone based on the defender lined up acro s from him. Thus, the veteran quarterback can quickly crack the defensive code and identify the receiver who is most likely to exploit the vulnerable area of coverage.Gronkowski's athleticism and explosivene s also allow the to mix in a vertical-based pa sing attack despite lacking a proven deep threat on the perimeter. Gronkowski's ability to win against one-on-one coverage on go-routes and seams gives Brady an unconventional deep-ball weapon to target for big-play chances. Click on the video to the right to see how Gronkowski's size, athleticism and physicality overwhelm defensive backs on the perimeter.Edelman is not an athletic freak like his partner, but he creates just as much chaos on the perimeter. He is a crafty route runner with spectacular stop-start quickne s and burst. Edelman's short-area explosivene s combined with impeccable timing makes him a dangerous weapon in a pa sing game that features an a sortment of cro sing routes and pick plays on the perimeter. Looking at the , I was blown away by Edelman's patience and savvy executing cro sers and "rub" routes. He not only understands how to set defenders up for the pick, but he does a great job of running away from the defender after the screen. Edelman honed his running skills during his days as a punt returner; the ' "catch-and-run" concepts allow him to get the ball on the move with plenty of room to maneuver in space.Against the , the used a pick play to spring Edelman on a rail route down the boundary, as you can see in the play depicted below. The are aligned in a trips formation, with Edelman positioned as at the WR3. Amendola is positioned at the WR2 spot and instructed to run a snag/pick in the middle of the field. He takes a direct angle to run into the defender guarding Edelman (), but turns around to the quarterback with his hands up to look like a legitimate receiver on the play. Edelman sets up the defender brilliantly with a stutter-step move before running his route down the bottom of the numbers. With Amendola knocking Claiborne off-course, Edelman is left uncovered down the boundary. Brady sees the pick and lobs a pinpoint pa s to Edelman, who eventually rumbles in for a 59-yard score (TO VIEW THE PLAY, SCROLL LEFT TO RIGHT ON THE IMAGE BELOW):The ' brilliant use of misdirection and deceptive tactics certainly enhance Edelman's ability to get open. The team will constantly motion, shift and reshuffle the shifty pa s catcher's alignment to help him get a step on defenders at the line. Additionally, the will incorporate cro sing routes off play-action fakes to lure second-level defenders to the line, leaving open voids at short and intermediate range.Against the , the used misdirection and multiple cro sing routes to free Edelman for a 22-yard touchdown, as depicted below. The team is aligned in a tight dubs formation, with Edelman positioned close to the tight end on the right. At the snap, Brady will fake the ball to Lewis while Edelman works acro s the field on a short cro sing route. Notice the ' receiver working acro s the field from the opposite side to create a po sible pick for Edelman coming underneath. The combination of backfield action and cro sing routes frees Edelman on the play. He waltzes in for a touchdown on another pick play from the (TO VIEW THE PLAY, SCROLL LEFT TO RIGHT ON THE IMAGE BELOW):The ' pa sing game is a two-man show with Gronkowski and Edelman occupying the lead roles. While most of the attention goes to Gronkowski as the team's most dangerous offensive weapon, the 5-foot-10, 200-pound slot receiver leads the unit in catches and ranks second in the NFL with 8.5 receptions per game ( is first in the NFL with 8.6 receptions). With a scheme that enhances each of their skills as talented playmakers and an accurate pa ser at the controls, the ' 1-2 punch is as good as any in the league.3) Dion Lewis has added another dimension to the Patriots' offense.It's hard to explain how a journeyman running back with limited production during his career can emerge as one of the key cogs in the NFL's most explosive offense, but I will try my best to break down why Lewis has been the ' X-factor on offense. The 5-foot-8, 195-pound playmaker has capably filled the role originally established by Kevin Faulk during the ' title runs of the 2000s.Lewis is the designated change-of-pace back as a multipurpose threat in the backfield. He is a sneaky runner with outstanding vision, balance and body control who also displays excellent hands and receiving skills in space. While it is easy to lump him in with the likes of and , based on their production in the role, the fourth-year pro is a significant upgrade over both players at the position. Lewis is more dynamic than either player with the ball in his hands; he is a perfect fit as a hybrid playmaker from the backfield.As a runner, Lewis is at his best working the edges on stretch or outside zone plays. He has a good feel for reading his blockers at the line of scrimmage and attacking the appropriate gap based on the defense's response. This has resulted in Lewis bouncing to the outside or cutting the ball back acro s the grain to slip into a crease created by an overaggre sive defender. While his jitterbug style carries some risk, he has consistently churned out positive gains (58.3 percent of his runs have gone for 4 or more yards) and helped the stay ahead of the chains.In the pa sing game, Lewis has given the another mismatch option to incorporate into the game plan. He is too shifty for linebackers to cover in space, which makes him a viable option when opponents attempt to use man coverage. In addition, Lewis' polished route-running skills allow the team to position him on the outside of spread and empty formations to create home-run opportunities against overmatched defenders.In the play depicted below, which happened in the matchup with the , the position Lewis on the outside of an empty formation. ' linebacker is aligned opposite him in man coverage. Lewis is instructed to run a go-route down the boundary to clear out the side for the underneath routes, but Brady spots the mismatch and targets his change-of-pace back on the deep route. Lewis runs away from Bradham to snatch a 40-yard reception on second-and-long.With Lewis adding another element to the offense, the can expand the playbook to keep defensive coordinators gue sing about their plan of attack. Follow Bucky Brooks on Twitter . Tyrell Terry Jersey
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