Patriots defensive coordinator Dean Pees answered questions from reporters this afternoon during a conference call. To read the full transcript of his conversation, as provided by the Patriots' media relations department, click the "full entry" button at the bottom of the post.
How do you feel like calling the defense from the booth is working out?
Pees: "I think the advantage of it is the ability to see the game and see the personnel changes and see the formations -- just to see the game, period. Also, I feel very comfortable with the guys down below to make adjustments and for us to communicate and them to talk to the players. They’ve been doing a very good job of doing that and obviously Bill [Belichick] is down there too and can make adjustments and tell guys certain things. I think so far it’s worked pretty good."
Can you look at film of what other teams have done against other Wildcat or is Miami different where you can only focus on what teams have tried against just Miami and that offense?
Pees: "Yeah, I think what you do is when you’re playing a team, you really just kind of focus on just that team you’re playing and how they run their particular offense or particular sets. Now, you also look at teams they’ve played and the success or lack of success they’ve had playing certain fronts or certain coverages or certain techniques. Everybody always tries to look at what you can do to help yourself stop the team. But, I think if you’re watching somebody else’s Wildcat, or for that matter any formation, [it] can be totally different with two different teams. Like I say, that’s not only Wildcat, that could be just a two-back pro formation or a slot formation. What one team does could just be so entirely different than the way another team runs that same formation, so I think you always really kind of study the team you’re playing and what they want to do from it and their personnel and how it fits that particular set."
How impressed were you with the way the New York Jets defended the Wildcat and brought people down to fill in the gaps? Does that emphasize that you might have to bring some guys down there?
Pees: "Again, I think you do whatever your personnel dictates that you do, whether that’s bringing extra guys down in the box -- whatever that might be. Obviously they [New York Jets] held them [Miami Dolphins] yardage-wise very, very well. I thought they played them pretty well. It’s hard to believe they lost the game after holding a team to 104 yards of total offense. But hey, you have to do all the things in every aspect of the game. But I thought they did a good job. Again, you have to do what your personnel dictates and allows you to do. Obviously, I’m not privy to their game plan, but evidently Rex [Ryan] felt that was something he needed to do and could do and I thought they were very successful with it."
Do you feel that with all the things the Dolphins are going to throw at you, do you feel your players have to be extra sharp in terms of making adjustments and substitutions, etc?
Pees: "Yeah, but I think that goes really every week. When you see a team that has multiple personnel groups on offense, you always have to be sharp and our guys have to do a great job of communicating and obviously tackling is going to be an issue this week as it is every week. You’re facing two excellent running backs here. It doesn’t matter which one of them has the ball. And receive-wise, these guys can stretch the field. I know they haven’t necessarily always done that, but there were some plays in that Jets game where receivers were behind the defensive backs. He [Dolphins QB Chad Henne] just didn’t hit them. That still scares the heck out of you when you’re watching the film and watching the receiver run by a defensive back. I think we’ll always have to be sharp and our communication has to be good."
