{"id":86127,"date":"2021-10-08T01:19:04","date_gmt":"2021-10-08T01:19:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/?p=86127"},"modified":"2021-10-08T20:44:03","modified_gmt":"2021-10-08T20:44:03","slug":"patriots-game-plan-how-will-pats-game-plan-around-banged-up-offensive-line-vs-texans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/?p=86127","title":{"rendered":"Patriots Game Plan: How Will Pats Game Plan Around Banged Up Offensive Line vs. Texans?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Patriots\u2019 matchup against the Houston Texans (1-3) feels like a college-style tune-up game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Houston ranks 28th in Football Outsiders\u2019 DVOA metric; 30th on offense, and 17th on defense, while rookie quarterback Davis Mills looks like a deer in the headlights against Bill Belichick\u2019s defense.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mills is only in that spot because star quarterback Deshaun Watson is currently the subject of 22 civil lawsuits which accuse him of \u201ccoercive and lewd\u201d sexual behavior, including two women suing Watson for sexual assault. Although he hasn\u2019t faced any criminal charges, Watson is not playing and is seeking a trade, making it unlikely that he\u2019ll ever play for the Texans again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Along with Watson\u2019s legal issues, veteran starter Tyrod Taylor (hamstring) is on injured reserve after an impressive performance in a win over the Jaguars in Week 1.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Plus, the entire Houston organization was the subject of a Sports Illustrated story exposing the dysfunction in the front office with former Patriots staffer Jack Easterby at the center of it all. Easterby is now joined by former Pats Director of Player Personnel Nick Caserio, who is trying to clean up the mess without his star quarterback.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With Taylor under center, Houston beat the still winless Jaguars, who are dealing with their own issues, in Week 1. But come into Sunday\u2019s game on a three-game losing streak with Mills at quarterback.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As much as Houston\u2019s bleak roster and dysfunction present an easy target, the Patriots (1-3) are in no position to take any opponent lightly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

New England\u2019s offense has issues of its own as they break in rookie quarterback Mac Jones, especially along the offensive line.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Pats placed starting left tackle Isaiah Wynn and left guard Mike Onwenu on the COVID list on Tuesday. Then, their two starters on the right side, Trent Brown (calf) and Shaq Mason (abdomen) aren\u2019t practicing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s safe to assume that the Patriots will play the Texans without multiple starters on an offensive line that\u2019s already underperforming, so the game plan offensively for Josh McDaniels is tricky.<\/span><\/p>\n

If we had to guess, what the Patriots\u2019 starting offensive line will look like on Sunday, here\u2019s our prediction:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

LT – Justin Herron<\/span><\/p>\n

LG – Ted Karras<\/span><\/p>\n

C – David Andrews<\/span><\/p>\n

RG – James Ferentz\/Alex Redmond<\/span><\/p>\n

RT – Yasir Durant<\/span><\/p>\n

(note: we originally predicted that LG Mike Onwenu could return in time for Sunday’s game. But Onwenu did not practice on Friday, indicating he’ll likely be out.)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

What do you feel best about with a patchwork offensive line? Running the football or protecting the quarterback? Either strategy can work effectively if the offensive line survives the matchup.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Before we get into how the Patriots’ offense can attack the Texans defense, a quick primer on Texans defensive coordinator Lovie Smith: Smith\u2019s roots in the NFL are in the Tampa-Two system as the linebackers coach for the vaunted Bucs defense that won Super Bowl XXXVII. Smith, along with head coach Tony Dungy and defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, popularized the Tampa-Two (cover-2) and Lovie still calls more Tampa-Two than any other coverage. From the front (4-3 over) to the coverage, Smith is sticking to what he knows in Houston. When teams go under center, the Texans play some cover-1 and cover-3 in the backend, but the system is what it is.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bringing it back to Mac Jones and the Patriots, Houston\u2019s defense is predictable in that New England\u2019s formations will dictate what defense the Texans play. How do the Pats want to play it?<\/span><\/p>\n

SHOTGUN SPREAD PLAN<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n

In our film review last week, we wrote about how the Pats are more prolific when they put Jones in the shotgun, spread the field, and run a quick-hitting short and intermediate passing game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Houston\u2019s pass defense is the strength of their team, ranking eighth in DVOA. Their weakness is against the run, but if McDaniels feels that running the football is out due to the offensive line issues, then here is how teams are finding success throwing the ball.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The most significant difference between the Tampa-Two defense and a standard cover-two scheme is that the middle linebacker plays in the deep hole between the two deep safeties rather than in a five-under, two-deep structure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The coverage stresses the middle linebacker. Smith had Hall of Famers Derrick Brooks and Brian Urlacher in that spot back in the day, so he felt comfortable running the scheme.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Houston is deploying veteran linebacker Christian Kirksey in the deep hole now, and Carolina attacked Kirksey and the Tampa-Two rules with their tight ends (hello, Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n