dynomite said:So? Or am I oversimplifying the point, which is 3-man rush + spy on 3rd down and other looks on 1st and 2nd down? Or should I just wait for the full FC previews?
I was referring to third down passing situations where a spy is more often assigned if we go by past tendencies like the Packers game.
The other aspect is rush lane and contain integrity. Do they scheme pressure, use line stunts, bring blitzes? Or look to work upfield and maintain?
One thing to note, the Patriots have tended to shy away from their A-gap pressures against mobile QBs. You can see this in the rush and coverage numbers provided by Pro Football Focus. Collins and Hightower did not rush the passer as much against the Packers, Colts and Jets when compared to the Broncos, Chargers and Lions games. The outlier is the second Dolphins game in which they rushed Collins and Hightower a lot. It should be noted that Hightower has lined up as basically a pass rush DE at times so the PFF numbers are not a perfect indicator of pass rushes from the inside linebackers.