Good read on the Saban/BB issues past 2 years on stealing calls......
PATRIOTS NOTEBOOK - Report: Dolphins stole Pats’ blocking calls
By ERIC McHUGH
The Patriot Ledger
FOXBORO - Jason Taylor was draped over Tom Brady so much on Sunday that the Miami Dolphins defensive end should have flown back to New England on a hanger in Brady’s garment bag.
Yet despite what your eyes seemed to tell you - that the Patriots struggled badly in pass protection while giving up a season-high five sacks - coach Bill Belichick yesterday in his news conference insisted that facet of the Pats’ game was ‘‘OK’’ and not a ‘‘major problem.’’
Could have fooled anyone who saw Brady jawing at his offensive linemen, only one of whom, right guard Stephen Neal, agreed to speak to the media after the 21-0 loss.
Belichick also tossed an oddly timed bouquet at Brady, who threw for only 78 yards while completing 12 of 25 passes. Informed that Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas had said that Brady looked as jittery as he ever has in the pocket, Belichick countered by saying that Brady instead was the picture of cool.
‘‘Actually, I thought that Tom handled the looks that Miami gave him probably as well as any game I’ve ever seen him play in,’’ Belichick said. ‘‘They gave him some really tough looks and in terms of having the protection right and reading the coverage properly and all that and looking where he should have been looking with the ball, I thought he handled a couple of those looks extremely well ...
‘‘Zach was out on the field and I wasn’t, but I’m just saying looking at the film and looking at the decisions that Tom made, I’d say that might be one of the best jobs that he’s ever done for us, and he’s done a lot of good ones.’’
The Palm Beach Post yesterday reported that Brady’s job might have been complicated by the Dolphins’ stealing the Patriots’ line calls. The paper said the Dolphins believe that the Patriots stole their defensive signals prior to last year’s 23-16 Patriots victory in Miami and that the theft allowed the Pats to successfully adjust to a Dolphins blitz on the winning touchdown pass to Benjamin Watson.
This time, according to the report, the Dolphins got their hands on game tapes that, unlike the normal coaches film, included audio of Brady barking out protection calls to his offensive linemen. Thomas was quoted as saying that the insider information ‘‘helped a lot.’’
The Patriots certainly had trouble with blitzes, but they also looked shaky against basic four-man rushes. In his weekly radio interview on WEEI-AM yesterday, Belichick was slightly more critical of the blocking, saying, ‘‘We had enough people to block just about everything (the Dolphins) did. There was one time they really got us, and (Brady) had to get rid of the ball, but the rest of the time we should have had (the Dolphins’ pass-rushers) blocked and we either didn’t block them or in one case we missed an assignment and blocked the wrong guy.’’
Last year’s game in Miami was a coming-out party for then-rookie cornerback Ellis Hobbs, who defensed two passes in the end zone in the final minute to preserve the win. On Sunday, Hobbs returned to Dolphins Stadium as a reserve. Veteran Chad Scott started opposite Asante Samuel, and, in a major surprise, Ray Mickens manned the slot in sub packages. Mickens, 33, was just signed last Monday.
Quizzed about his diminished playing time, Hobbs at first chalked it up to ‘‘nicks and bruises,’’ including the broken left wrist he suffered in Week 3 against Denver - an injury that still hasn’t fully healed. However, Hobbs quickly changed his tune.
‘‘The cast in uncomfortable,’’ he said, ‘‘but that’s not an excuse. I know when I’m on the field, I’m not playing like myself ... I’m playing more as an average player, at best, right now, and it’s just not up to par. Asante and Chad are doing a better job. I hold myself at a very high level. For me, when I say ‘average,’ that’s your everyday corner in the league, but I don’t want to be an everyday corner in the league. I want to be Ellis Hobbs. Ellis Hobbs goes out there and makes plays that a lot of guys can’t make.’’
Belichick said he and Hobbs have a ‘‘good relationship’’ and had a long conversation on Friday, presumably about Hobbs’ level of play and playing time. Belichick said Hobbs has a ‘‘clear understanding of what the situation is.’’ Belichick added that the wrist injury has affected Hobbs somewhat, but he couldn’t tell to what degree.
Defensive end Ty Warrenpointed to a DVD of Texans’ highlights in his locker stall. Warren planned to spend last night and today familiarizing himself with a Houston team that the Patriots haven’t faced since Nov. 23, 2003 - a 23-20 overtime victory at Reliant Stadium in Warren’s rookie season.
Belichick said the Texans offense likely would bear some resemblance to Denver’s (stretch plays, bootlegs, etc.) since first-year Houston coach Gary Kubiak served as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator from 1995-2005. The Patriots have lost three straight and five of the last six against Denver, including a 17-7 setback in Week 3 this season.
‘‘I’m sure they’ll look at the things that Gary did when he was at Denver and things they had success with, and I’m sure there will be some elements of that in our game,’’ Belichick said.
Before last night’s Bears-Rams game, the Texans’ offense ranked 28th in total yards - 23rd in passing, 24th in rushing. Houston also was 29th in scoring.
Copyright 2006 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Tuesday, December 12, 2006
