What Can Brown Do For You? The X’s and O’s Discussion

BigSoxFan

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May 31, 2007
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I’ll let the euphoria remain in the other thread but figured that we should have a thread dedicated to how Brown fits in with the offense. I’m obviously far from an expert on this but after watching him during his career, I see an explosive WR who can basically run any route and who is not shy about going over the middle. Pats run a lot of 3 WR sets and I honestly have no idea how you stop a Gordon/Brown/Edelman set with White coming out of the backfield. You blitz and Brady has 3 guys who can burn you with YAC. You cheat in with a safety and Gordon takes the top off. Really fascinated to see how this plays out.
 

RedOctober3829

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Jul 19, 2005
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deep inside Guido territory
I’ll let the euphoria remain in the other thread but figured that we should have a thread dedicated to how Brown fits in with the offense. I’m obviously far from an expert on this but after watching him during his career, I see an explosive WR who can basically run any route and who is not shy about going over the middle. Pats run a lot of 3 WR sets and I honestly have no idea how you stop a Gordon/Brown/Edelman set with White coming out of the backfield. You blitz and Brady has 3 guys who can burn you with YAC. You cheat in with a safety and Gordon takes the top off. Really fascinated to see how this plays out.
Gordon is a player whose strengths are comeback and slant routes but can also go over the top. Edelman is at his best in the short and intermediate middle of the field. Brown can do it all. White works the flats and can isolate in the middle against a LB. Defenses are going to have to pick their poison. Play 2 safeties back to guard against Gordon and Brown going deep and Edelman/White/Meyers are deadly over the middle. Play man single high safety and two of Gordon/Brown are in single coverage. Play zone and Brady will pick you apart. Play too many defensive backs and the Pats will go heavy and run the fuck over you.

Times are good, folks. Times are pretty, pretty good.
 

DJnVa

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Dec 16, 2010
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If (and it's a big if) AB toes the line, how quickly can we see him get in the lineup?
 

Ale Xander

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Oct 31, 2013
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Assuming it's Gunner that goes, and your offense is as potent as expected, do you just go for a punt block or safe unit (stop 4th down fakes only as your goal) every time and take away the PR injury risk to both Edelman and Brown and just take whatever field position you get? Or instruct a fair catch each time, whoever it is returning?

Doesn't seem the 8-10 yards is worth it when/if you have that offense.
 

ifmanis5

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Sep 29, 2007
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The game plan for this year was to continue what worked in the playoffs last year- run a lot and throw when necessary. This trade will likely throw out that playbook as Josh might be dusting off the old 2007 game plans.
 

SeoulSoxFan

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Jun 27, 2006
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As some context to the X/O stuff, a great snippet from The Ringer's NFL Show:

"I think the work ethic thing is interesting... one of the things that's gotten lost here is that Antonio Brown works his ass off. He is an unbelievable worker.

There's a lot of things he does in practice that rubs people the wrong way like bringing his own water guy but when it actually comes to the actual practice stuff, nobody works harder than him. He's there after practice catching balls for hours... no one prepares like this guy, except one person. And that's Tom Brady. That's why I think this has the opportunity to be a really special relationship."

Starts from around 5:00 mark:

https://art19.com/shows/the-ringer-nfl-show/episodes/60adfe23-7643-40bb-b8cb-b8249de28b74