Pats Pulpit
Mike Vrabel is heading back to Tennessee as his New England Patriots look for their fourth straight win to further their lead atop the AFC East.
So before kickoff, let’s get right into this week’s #PostPulpit Mailbag.
Who’s to blame for the running game woes? The line, the RBs, the scheme? Some combination? And how do we fix it this season? – berkelium
Is the running game ineffectiveness due to the running backs? The blockers? The coaches? All of the above? – Ricky Hot Pants
The thing with the run game is that it is just never one issue. As we discussed last week, the Patriots running backs rank near the bottom of the league is avoiding tackles which has limited their ability to break short runs into explosives. Mike Vrabel also noted that both Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson may also be prioritizing ball security over breaking tackles.
Against the Saints, however, the run game started to go backwards (eight runs for zero or negative yards) which was largely due to the offensive line as the Patriots generated just 0.7 rushing yards before contact. Issues primarily stemmed from the interior as Jared Wilson struggled at the point of attack and old friend Davon Godchaux made life difficult for Garrett Bradbury. Mike Onwenu also had some losses lead to stuffs, while Will Campbell struggled along the backside and Stefon Diggs was on scene for a pair of losses.
Short story short: the execution needs to be better all around. The two personnel changes that could be made are Ben Brown inserted along the interior and a more physical fullback (perhaps using a defensive tackle?) to generate more push up front. But, with pass pro holding up in front of Drake Maye, changing the offensive line could be a slippery slope.
Do you think teams will continue to stack the box now that the Patriots have demonstrated the deep pass the last game. – Mike337
The Patriots offense is facing one of the highest rates of single-high safeties in football which allows for defenses to play additional defenders in the box. Now, Maye and the receivers have carved those looks up lately as the QB ranks first in passing yards and second in EPA per drop back (+0.35).
If defenses adjust to more two-high shells (something Tennessee does anyway) to limit the passing attack, perhaps that leads to more room and success on the ground. The issue, however, is New England has not had success this season rushing against the light boxes they do get.
The RB room is thin and if Stevenson or Henderson gets hurt, the Pats will be hurting also. Any scoop on the Pats picking up a RB anytime soon, if so, who? – Patriotpower
If they do not think Terrell Jennings, who played zero offensive snaps against New Orleans, is capable of serving as the RB3 this season then they need to make a move. You can’t get through the season with just two...
