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Ahem, NORS.
Jets playbook update
August 2, 2004 Print it
The Jets will feature a new-look defense. After three seasons of 4-3 fronts and predominantly zone coverage in the secondary, new coordinator Donnie Henderson is planning to use a multitude of schemes.
The base front is a 4-3, but he will mix it up, employing a 3-4 at times. He also will sprinkle in a "46" defense, along with variations. In the secondary, his goal is to have a man-to-man team, although he will use combination coverage.
There is a common denominator: aggressiveness. Henderson wants to dictate the action. He doesn't want to have his players sit back in a read-and-react scheme.
In the first three seasons of Herman Edwards' coaching tenure, the Jets couldn't figure out who they wanted to be. Edwards is a disciple of the celebrated Tampa Bay cover-2, but then-coordinator Ted Cottrell had his own ideas. The result: Too often the Jets were a vanilla defense, rarely blitzing and often playing on their heels.
Henderson has other ideas, but there is a question about whether he can pull it off with the current personnel. There is no lockdown cornerback, which will make it difficult to rely on man-to-man coverage. If the front four doesn't create enough pressure, their corners will get toasted. Henderson has a plan, but he must be willing to adjust to his personnel.
___________________________________________
Patriots playbook update
August 2, 2004 Print it
Offensively, one subtle change will come in the play-calling, where quarterback Tom Brady will assume more responsibility at the line of scrimmage. One of Brady's best attributes is his football intelligence, and the Patriots' coaches want to take advantage of that as much as possible.
Otherwise, the entire offense should benefit from the presence of RB Corey Dillon. If Dillon can at least approach the productiveness he showed in the past, then Brady should find himself facing secondaries who are at least paying attention to the run. That rarely happened in the past with Antowain Smith in the lead role.
It's hard to imagine the Patriots will change much on defense, especially considering the unit was once again the backbone of their Super Bowl championship. The 3-4 will continue to be the base, and while Bill Belichick will certainly mix things up, everything will spin off the 3-4.
One of the primary reasons Belichick likes the alignment is the confusion it creates. One example: On every snap, offenses must determine which outside linebacker is rushing and which one is in coverage.
One thing to keep in mind is nose tackle. Ted Washington anchored the defense from that crucial position in 2003, and if neither Wilfork nor veteran Keith Traylor are up to the challenge, then Belichick be forced to revert to the 4-3. That's what happened last season when Washington went down for seven games with a broken leg.
Dolphins playbook update
August 2, 2004 Print it
Once again, the impact of Ricky Williams' loss will have a profound effect on everything the Dolphins do. While they have talked about using a committee of runners to replace Williams, the danger of that approach is that an offense can fall into a routine.
For example, if a certain running back is in the game at a given time, the Dolphins may run only a certain number of plays with him. A good defense could learn that and disrupt the Dolphins' game plan.
Both offensive coordinator Chris Foerster and coach Dave Wannstedt said that's something the Dolphins will need to be careful about when designing the game plan. As Wannstedt said: "It will take, depending on how it all works out, a little more thought process, more organizational process to make sure we don't give anything away and still use the right players in the right spot. It's harder than just having one guy who does it all."
Foerster said that was something he went through in Minnesota when he was an assistant under Dennis Green and offensive coordinator Brian Billick. What this likely will require in the long run is fewer plays in the overall playbook, but more players who run all of the plays.
Bills playbook update
August 2, 2004 Print it
New coach Mike Mularkey brings in an offense that's just as creative as the previous regime, but far less complicated. The plan is to be more dedicated to the running game, which the team abandoned too often last season. With Travis Henry and Willis McGahee, the Bills hope to be able to wear defenses down and make them vulnerable to play-action passes.
The Bills' passing game, which ranked 25th in the NFL last season, figures to benefit from the pare-down playbook and game plans because quarterback Drew Bledsoe and his receivers won't have to think as much.
Poor pass protection and a lack of mobility contributed to many of Bledsoe's 49 sacks a year ago. But often, he also needed to hold the ball too long while waiting for his receivers to get open.
In the new offense, the receivers won't be called upon to make as many decisions on pass routes. The team hopes that will give Bledsoe more opportunities to get the ball out of his hands quicker than he has in the past.
The blocking schemes, under new offensive line coach Jim McNally, also will be simplified. The line was forced to do too much thinking last season and that led to some confusion at times. The schemes should be more clearly defined, which will allow the linemen to play aggressively and athletically and perform with added confidence.
http://ultimate.sportingnews.com/nfl/preseason//teams/patriots/20040802.html
Jets playbook update
August 2, 2004 Print it
The Jets will feature a new-look defense. After three seasons of 4-3 fronts and predominantly zone coverage in the secondary, new coordinator Donnie Henderson is planning to use a multitude of schemes.
The base front is a 4-3, but he will mix it up, employing a 3-4 at times. He also will sprinkle in a "46" defense, along with variations. In the secondary, his goal is to have a man-to-man team, although he will use combination coverage.
There is a common denominator: aggressiveness. Henderson wants to dictate the action. He doesn't want to have his players sit back in a read-and-react scheme.
In the first three seasons of Herman Edwards' coaching tenure, the Jets couldn't figure out who they wanted to be. Edwards is a disciple of the celebrated Tampa Bay cover-2, but then-coordinator Ted Cottrell had his own ideas. The result: Too often the Jets were a vanilla defense, rarely blitzing and often playing on their heels.
Henderson has other ideas, but there is a question about whether he can pull it off with the current personnel. There is no lockdown cornerback, which will make it difficult to rely on man-to-man coverage. If the front four doesn't create enough pressure, their corners will get toasted. Henderson has a plan, but he must be willing to adjust to his personnel.
___________________________________________
Patriots playbook update
August 2, 2004 Print it
Offensively, one subtle change will come in the play-calling, where quarterback Tom Brady will assume more responsibility at the line of scrimmage. One of Brady's best attributes is his football intelligence, and the Patriots' coaches want to take advantage of that as much as possible.
Otherwise, the entire offense should benefit from the presence of RB Corey Dillon. If Dillon can at least approach the productiveness he showed in the past, then Brady should find himself facing secondaries who are at least paying attention to the run. That rarely happened in the past with Antowain Smith in the lead role.
It's hard to imagine the Patriots will change much on defense, especially considering the unit was once again the backbone of their Super Bowl championship. The 3-4 will continue to be the base, and while Bill Belichick will certainly mix things up, everything will spin off the 3-4.
One of the primary reasons Belichick likes the alignment is the confusion it creates. One example: On every snap, offenses must determine which outside linebacker is rushing and which one is in coverage.
One thing to keep in mind is nose tackle. Ted Washington anchored the defense from that crucial position in 2003, and if neither Wilfork nor veteran Keith Traylor are up to the challenge, then Belichick be forced to revert to the 4-3. That's what happened last season when Washington went down for seven games with a broken leg.
Dolphins playbook update
August 2, 2004 Print it
Once again, the impact of Ricky Williams' loss will have a profound effect on everything the Dolphins do. While they have talked about using a committee of runners to replace Williams, the danger of that approach is that an offense can fall into a routine.
For example, if a certain running back is in the game at a given time, the Dolphins may run only a certain number of plays with him. A good defense could learn that and disrupt the Dolphins' game plan.
Both offensive coordinator Chris Foerster and coach Dave Wannstedt said that's something the Dolphins will need to be careful about when designing the game plan. As Wannstedt said: "It will take, depending on how it all works out, a little more thought process, more organizational process to make sure we don't give anything away and still use the right players in the right spot. It's harder than just having one guy who does it all."
Foerster said that was something he went through in Minnesota when he was an assistant under Dennis Green and offensive coordinator Brian Billick. What this likely will require in the long run is fewer plays in the overall playbook, but more players who run all of the plays.
Bills playbook update
August 2, 2004 Print it
New coach Mike Mularkey brings in an offense that's just as creative as the previous regime, but far less complicated. The plan is to be more dedicated to the running game, which the team abandoned too often last season. With Travis Henry and Willis McGahee, the Bills hope to be able to wear defenses down and make them vulnerable to play-action passes.
The Bills' passing game, which ranked 25th in the NFL last season, figures to benefit from the pare-down playbook and game plans because quarterback Drew Bledsoe and his receivers won't have to think as much.
Poor pass protection and a lack of mobility contributed to many of Bledsoe's 49 sacks a year ago. But often, he also needed to hold the ball too long while waiting for his receivers to get open.
In the new offense, the receivers won't be called upon to make as many decisions on pass routes. The team hopes that will give Bledsoe more opportunities to get the ball out of his hands quicker than he has in the past.
The blocking schemes, under new offensive line coach Jim McNally, also will be simplified. The line was forced to do too much thinking last season and that led to some confusion at times. The schemes should be more clearly defined, which will allow the linemen to play aggressively and athletically and perform with added confidence.
http://ultimate.sportingnews.com/nfl/preseason//teams/patriots/20040802.html