Everybody Blitz Chung Tonight (A Bears Game Retrospective)

[nazz45]

Taking a step back to Week 8 against the Bears where the run defense showed signs of improvement, laying the groundwork for their Week 9 performance:
 

 
One of the problem areas for the New England run defense in Week 7 against the Jets centered on the failure of the linebackers to move laterally, keep off blocks for as long as possible, shedding them when required and then plugging the running lanes. While the Patriots ground game defense still had its share of breakdowns against Chicago, the performance of the linebackers indicate some lessons were learned. Continue to Part 1 here.

 
One common cure for an ailing run defense is bringing a safety down into the box to create an eight-man front. With a numbers advantage at the point of attack and fewer gaps for an individual defender to manage, the in-the-box safety is a great equalizer to a dominant running attack (or struggling run defense). Yet just because you have the numbers, it doesn’t mean everything will just fall into place; you still have to execute. Continue to Part 2 here.

In the final installment of this three-part series, it’s time to look at how adjustments and improvements are a constant... Sometimes the best answer to seven- and eight-man fronts, especially if suspecting a run blitz, is the counter and misdirection runs. Continue to Part 3 here.

These improvements were carried over to the Broncos game in which the Patriots smothered the Denver running attack, predominantly doing so out of sub package defenses, making it all the more impressive.

 

[mascho]

This is a fantastic read.