So, Adalius Thomas, when is the last time you faced an option offense?
"Pittsburgh did a little bit of it with Kordell Stewart," the veteran Patriots linebacker said.
How about a lot?
"Well, we played against Army," said Thomas, a Southern Miss product. "And we beat the hell out of Army."
Thomas' Patriots didn't repeat that feat in Sunday's 27-17 struggle against the Dolphins, who again unveiled a new (though historically old) offense at Gillette Stadium. In the last visit, in September 2008, the Wildcat. This time, the option featuring Pat White. Anything to avoid relying upon more traditional NFL sets, in which the Dolphins are limited.
The wrinkle didn't catch the Patriots by complete surprise.
"We worked on it," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "But not quite the way they ran it."
