![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/ReceivingDuoStats.png\")
<\/p>\n[arve url=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-jfOwtY7FE8″ \/]<\/p>\n
FOXBOROUGH — This week\u2019s matchup between the Patriots and Vikings features arguably the Patriots\u2019 biggest test of the season from a talent and scheme standpoint.<\/p>\n
Although their record doesn\u2019t show it, Minnesota has talented players up and down the roster, and head coach Mike Zimmer is one of the best game plan coaches in the league.<\/p>\n
The biggest problem for the Patriots defense from a coaching standpoint will be how they defend one of the league\u2019s premier receiver duos in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs.<\/p>\n
The Vikings duo has the fourth-most receiving yards by teammates in the NFL this season, and have skill sets that compliment each other perfectly.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThey make a lot of big plays. They make a lot of big plays down the field, which is a problem but then they make a lot of intermediate and catch-and-run plays. Especially Diggs \u2013 he’s very good with the ball in his hands. When you get to third down and red area, the critical possession and scoring situation plays, that’s a problem too,\u201d Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said.<\/p>\n
Both players are terrific route runners, strong at the catch point, and can create yards after the catch.<\/p>\n
But Diggs plays mostly on the outside (23.3 percent of snaps in the slot) while Thielen moves around the formation running 57.5 percent of his routes from the slot.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/SteelersVikingsComp.png\")
<\/p>\n
In many ways, the duo is reminiscent of the Steelers\u2019 prolific twosome of Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster, and you can expect the Patriots to take a similar approach in defending them on Sunday.<\/p>\n
And both teams use receivers in spots that go against the conventional wisdom with the bigger-bodied guys playing mostly on the inside and the smaller receivers as the perimeter threats.<\/p>\n
Last season, the Patriots deployed a double-bracket scheme on the Steelers\u2019 duo, dropping seven into coverage and rushing four at quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/PatsBracket1Photo-500x247.png\")
<\/p>\n
(Diagram credit: James Light)<\/p>\n
In this scheme, the Patriots secondary doubles the opposing team’s top two wideouts with their \u201ccone\u201d bracket and play man-to-man coverage on the other three pass catchers.<\/p>\n
For the four defensive backs in the bracket, the rules are as follows: the corner is responsible for any out-breaking routes along with a straight go route, and the safety takes all in-breaking routes including posts and deep overs. The corner also protects against any double-moves with the safety sitting on those routes over the middle.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever side or leverage you have, maintain that leverage. And try to do a good job of just literally not giving the quarterback any open throws to get him the ball,\u201d Patriots safety Duron Harmon said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to study the film to know what you\u2019ll get from different splits to know what to expect and just read his body language to see if he\u2019s running vertical or getting in position to break or go in or out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to read his hips and read his pace. When he\u2019s going vertical, it\u2019s a different kind of run than when he\u2019s trying to run an in-cut or something,\u201d<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s get to a few examples of how the Patriots used this type of coverage to slow down the Steelers\u2019 passing attack last season:<\/p>\n
The Patriots typically went to this coverage in high-leverage situations such as third downs and often used a four-safety package to put a defensive back on Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell.<\/p>\n
[arve url=”https:\/\/streamable.com\/s\/bm684\/yvfxnh” \/]<\/p>\n
At this point in the game, Brown was out with a calf injury, so the Patriots bracket both Smith-Schuster (slot) and wideout Martavis Bryant (bottom of the screen). Also, notice that Pittsburgh brings JuJu in motion hoping that will get that away from the bracket coverage. However, Belichick and the Patriots don\u2019t take the bracket off when a receiver goes in motion pre-snap. Instead, the bracket follows that player to his new alignment. This was a terrific play by Harmon, who prevents Roethlisberger from throwing to either his tight end or Smith-Schuster on his first read in the middle of the field. Big Ben comes to his check down, running back Le\u2019Veon Bell, and safety Jordan Richards has good coverage on the play forcing an incompletion on third down.<\/p>\n
[arve url=”https:\/\/streamable.com\/s\/xbqtw\/xkfdgc” \/]<\/p>\n
On this play, the Steelers try to put Smith-Schuster in a bunch set to get him away from the double coverage, but once again that does Pittsburgh no good. Rowe takes the outside responsibility while Harmon breaks on JuJu\u2019s route over the middle and stops him short of the sticks to force Pittsburgh into another punt. Again, Gilmore and McCourty have Bryant bracketed on the bottom of the screen.<\/p>\n
The Patriots only had to face Antonio Brown in the first half, but they continued with the game plan moving the second bracket onto Martavis Bryant.<\/p>\n
And in that second half, the Patriots held the Steelers to only 99 passing yards.<\/p>\n
Although the Vikings offense hasn\u2019t performed up to expectations this season, they\u2019re still an explosive unit that features two of the games premier wide receivers.<\/p>\n
Thielen and Diggs will undoubtedly give the Patriots secondary all it can handle on Sunday, but from this perspective, the Pats defense can live with some production from the secondary options in the Minnesota passing game.<\/p>\n
Unlike the Steelers last season, the Vikings don\u2019t have a lethal pass-catching back like Le\u2019Veon Bell, and although Kyle Rudolph is a useful player, safety Patrick Chung can match the Minnesota tight end and at least make him work for yardage.<\/p>\n
The primary concern for the Patriots should be limiting Thielen and Diggs who can dominate a game if the defense doesn\u2019t alter its game plan to slow down the prolific duo.<\/p>\n
In the brackets, expect to see Stephon Gilmore and Devin McCourty on Diggs with Jason McCourty and Duron Harmon tracking Thielen.<\/p>\n
When the Patriots need a stop the most, expect to see both Vikings wideouts bracketed on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Special thanks to\u00a0Zach Dunn<\/a> for his help on this breakdown.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n For all CLNS Patriots Videos\u00a0SUBSCRIBE to our CLNS Media YOUTUBE Channel<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n For the most in depth and comprehensive player and game analysis check out Patriots All-22 with host and Patriots beat reporter Evan Lazar.\u00a0Listen and Subscribe HERE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Get the inside scoop on the Patriots every week on CLNS Media\u2019s Patriots Beat Podcast with host Mike Petraglia. Listen and subscribe here\u00a0iTunes<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Stitcher<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Spotify<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n For all your Patriots content needs throughout the 2018-2019 season follow us on Twitter\u00a0@PatriotsCLNS<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0as well as\u00a0Patriots Insider Mike Petraglia\u00a0@trags<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and Patriots Beat Reporter Evan Lazar\u00a0@ezlazar<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [arve url=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-jfOwtY7FE8″ \/] FOXBOROUGH — This week\u2019s matchup between the Patriots and Vikings features arguably the Patriots\u2019 biggest test of the season from a talent and scheme standpoint. Although their record doesn\u2019t show it, Minnesota has talented players up and down the roster, and head coach Mike Zimmer is one of the best game plan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":131993,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n
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