What did Pats do to take Clay away? | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

What did Pats do to take Clay away?

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NCPhinPhan

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The coaching staff needs to figure that out because, like someone tweeted, other teams will likely copy what they did. Anybody?
 
Its the way the Patriots play D, they take away what they feel is your strongest player, and make you beat them with "one hand tied behind your back" as Lombardi used to call it on the BS Report podcasts. I think its a great sign that we were able to do just that.

Remember, our offense looked great yesterday, there were few possessions and they scored on most of them.

Most teams don't follow this same defensive philosophy...at least not to the extreme that the Pats do. Clay will be fine. and if they keep rolling coverage to him, the other recievers will need to keep stepping up. Pretty simple
 
Let them take him away, Wallace and Hartline had big games. its pick your poison
 
Also, when you consider we play a "progression-based" offense it means two things:

1) R.Tannehill should progress to the weakest matchup.
2) Defensively in a way you can dictate where he goes with the ball.
 
I think they had Talib on him most of the time. So what they did was commit their best cover man to Clay and took their chances with everyone else.
 
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Doubt other teams will copy. Pats have put Aquib Talib on the dynamic TEs they've faced this year. They did the same to Jimmy Graham and were effective. Not every team has a physical corner like Talib where this will work. The difference is Tannehill didn't try to force the ball into Clay like Brees did to Graham and Tannehill found other, more favorable options, where Brees kind of struggled. Brees went 17/36 for 236 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT...Tannehill was 25/37 for 312 yards with 3 TDs and 0 INTs. Tannehill had 2 targets to Clay from all those passes. Brees had 6 targets to Jimmy Graham who had 0 catches in the game.

Lets just say that this game made it difficult for teams to scheme to take just one player away from Tannehill. Wallace, Hartline and Matthews all had big games and Tannehill probably had his best game of the season so probably not a good defensive plan against us.
 
Where a team over protects one player,it opens opportunities for another.
 
yeah....talib was on him most of the time, he is that of a weapon now, that the best defender in the secondary got his assignment, i would say tannehill looked fine throwing to the guys that were open because of that....so clay did his job...again
 
Offense looked great, Sherm deserves some credit as does Tannehill.
 
I was commenting during the game that Clay and Vernon have arrived...Belicheat made his game plan around taking away both of these guys, there is no better respect given than that.....and give Coyle some credit he made sure Vereen was in check, our D kept him to 3 touches 8 yards......There was so much to like about this game, Players, coaches and front office (singing M Thomas) that I think we turned the corner......
 
Clay caught the most important pass of the day on that 4th and 5, the pass was thrown a little behind him, but he was able to catch it, slipped and picked up an amazing first down.
 
yep the Pats used Talib on Clay and gave extra help. In past games this season most tend to give up on Wallace, and sometimes Hartline.
 
Billicheat along with plenty of other coaches take the "beat me with anyone else" approach.

Eliminate the best player, double, triple coverage etc. You stop the #1 threat no matter what. Force lesser talent to beat you.

Hence why Jimmy Graham of the Saints and Tony Gonzales of Falcons had double coverage all game
 
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