TheReverend
01-11-2006, 02:06 PM
(Jan. 11, 2006) – The playoff game between the Patriots and Broncos features a lot of interesting matchups, but the key one will be Jake Plummer against the Patriots secondary. Plummer's had a good season, but he has a history of making mistakes in some big situations and he'll have to limit that against the Patriots.
The New England secondary is always good at disguising stuff. The Patriots started that two years ago when they went to the Super Bowl and Ty Law and Rodney Harrison made up their own defense within Bill Belichick's scheme. Law is gone and Harrison is injured, but Belichick has been known to allow the secondary, because they've been good, to work within themselves and do a lot of different things, so it can be hard for a quarterback to pick up what they are doing. That can lead to some costly mistakes.
The Broncos need steady play from Jake Plummer.
When he gets his chances, Plummer's really going to have to be on the mark. He's going to have to link up with Rod Smith if the Pro Bowl receiver can get open. Plummer isn't a mobile as he has been in the past, but he's going to have to be able to get away from Willie McGinest. McGinest had 4½ sacks last week against Jacksonville, and if he's on fire like that again, it's going to be a dead-end street for Denver.
Plummer will have help, of course, from the Broncos running game, which ranked second in the league. Mike Shanahan will run the ball down your throat if he feels like it and he'll do that until he says stop. He's made Pro Bowl running backs out of everybody that's been there. There's a reason that Terrell Davis, Clinton Portis and all these guys at Denver do so well. It's the schemes that the coaches put them in. The Broncos offensive line knows how to block and get things done.
The Broncos' current starter, Mike Anderson, has a hard-nosed, military style and can run the ball all day. He runs with a chip on his shoulder. He's been in the military and took the long road to the NFL, so to get into the playoffs as he is now, he's not going to take an opportunity to get to the Super Bowl lightly. If that means he has to go through New England, he'll go through New England. It doesn't really matter to him.
To stop Denver's run game, it will help the Patriots if they have Tedy Bruschi back. But the key may be second-year nose tackle Vince Wilfork. He's going to have to plug up the middle against that Denver offensive line and make a lot of things happen.
On the other side of the ball, the Patriots are going to have to move the ball and have more production than they did against the Jaguars. That comes down to Corey Dillon running the ball for more than the 40 yards he had last week and the passing game being more accurate. Tom Brady had a lot of overthrown passes, but that may be a result the Patriots' concern over the height of the Jags' defensive line, and so Brady ended up throwing the ball higher than normal. Count on "Cool-hand" Brady to be more accurate this week.
Corey Dillon will have to find running room against a tough Denver defense.
Denver's defense is ranked No. 2 against the run, but I don't expect that will force Belichick to do anything different than what he's always done. He's going to always try to have some balance, but Denver's front seven is a tough group. I like to call their linebacking group of Al Wilson, Ian Gold and D.J. Williams "The Knockout Kings." It's a physical and cohesive group and they are the key to a fast and aggressive defense. The Broncos front seven always puts a lot of pressure on the opposing offense and has a lot of mobility.
One of the unpredictable parts of this matchup is Belichick. He is quiet, but he's obsessed. He's this offensive and defensive schematic madman who devises these plans to crush opponents, either slow or fast. He does what he wishes. That's why he's one of the most successful coaches since Vince Lombardi.
In the end, though, I think whatever team establishes the running game will win the game. Both defenses will need to limit its mistakes or causes the other team to make mistakes, but it all comes down to the running game.
http://www.superbowl.com/news/story/9158797
The New England secondary is always good at disguising stuff. The Patriots started that two years ago when they went to the Super Bowl and Ty Law and Rodney Harrison made up their own defense within Bill Belichick's scheme. Law is gone and Harrison is injured, but Belichick has been known to allow the secondary, because they've been good, to work within themselves and do a lot of different things, so it can be hard for a quarterback to pick up what they are doing. That can lead to some costly mistakes.
The Broncos need steady play from Jake Plummer.
When he gets his chances, Plummer's really going to have to be on the mark. He's going to have to link up with Rod Smith if the Pro Bowl receiver can get open. Plummer isn't a mobile as he has been in the past, but he's going to have to be able to get away from Willie McGinest. McGinest had 4½ sacks last week against Jacksonville, and if he's on fire like that again, it's going to be a dead-end street for Denver.
Plummer will have help, of course, from the Broncos running game, which ranked second in the league. Mike Shanahan will run the ball down your throat if he feels like it and he'll do that until he says stop. He's made Pro Bowl running backs out of everybody that's been there. There's a reason that Terrell Davis, Clinton Portis and all these guys at Denver do so well. It's the schemes that the coaches put them in. The Broncos offensive line knows how to block and get things done.
The Broncos' current starter, Mike Anderson, has a hard-nosed, military style and can run the ball all day. He runs with a chip on his shoulder. He's been in the military and took the long road to the NFL, so to get into the playoffs as he is now, he's not going to take an opportunity to get to the Super Bowl lightly. If that means he has to go through New England, he'll go through New England. It doesn't really matter to him.
To stop Denver's run game, it will help the Patriots if they have Tedy Bruschi back. But the key may be second-year nose tackle Vince Wilfork. He's going to have to plug up the middle against that Denver offensive line and make a lot of things happen.
On the other side of the ball, the Patriots are going to have to move the ball and have more production than they did against the Jaguars. That comes down to Corey Dillon running the ball for more than the 40 yards he had last week and the passing game being more accurate. Tom Brady had a lot of overthrown passes, but that may be a result the Patriots' concern over the height of the Jags' defensive line, and so Brady ended up throwing the ball higher than normal. Count on "Cool-hand" Brady to be more accurate this week.
Corey Dillon will have to find running room against a tough Denver defense.
Denver's defense is ranked No. 2 against the run, but I don't expect that will force Belichick to do anything different than what he's always done. He's going to always try to have some balance, but Denver's front seven is a tough group. I like to call their linebacking group of Al Wilson, Ian Gold and D.J. Williams "The Knockout Kings." It's a physical and cohesive group and they are the key to a fast and aggressive defense. The Broncos front seven always puts a lot of pressure on the opposing offense and has a lot of mobility.
One of the unpredictable parts of this matchup is Belichick. He is quiet, but he's obsessed. He's this offensive and defensive schematic madman who devises these plans to crush opponents, either slow or fast. He does what he wishes. That's why he's one of the most successful coaches since Vince Lombardi.
In the end, though, I think whatever team establishes the running game will win the game. Both defenses will need to limit its mistakes or causes the other team to make mistakes, but it all comes down to the running game.
http://www.superbowl.com/news/story/9158797