Patriots cook up schemes

Defense will have numerous looks

August 15, 2009|Christopher L. Gasper, Globe Staff

While the focus in the Patriots’ exhibition opener Thursday night was on the offense and the return of quarterback Tom Brady, what took place - or didn’t take place - on the other side of the ball was just as interesting.

By coach Bill Belichick’s admission, the Patriots hardly played any 3-4 defense in their 27-25 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, instead almost exclusively employing a 4-3.

“It was all four-man fronts, really,’’ said Belichick after the game.

It’s dangerous to make judgments based on preseason play, but Belichick may have provided a window into his answer for one of the team’s biggest question marks - outside linebacker. All offseason, fans have been asking how the team plans to replace Mike Vrabel, who was traded to the Chiefs. Vrabel was a versatile player who was an ideal fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker because he was adept at stopping the run, rushing the passer, and dropping into coverage.

Without an ideal replacement in-house, the Patriots might solve the problem by mixing in 4-3 fronts to take advantage of the pass-rushing ability of Derrick Burgess and Tully Banta-Cain, neither of whom is strong in coverage or against the run as a 3-4 outside linebacker.

Proof of Belichick’s coaching acumen, he isn’t trying to force his players to fit his preferred scheme, but rather tailoring his scheme to fit the players.

The Patriots might play more of a hybrid this season to maximize the talents of the defensive line, which is one of the team’s deepest units, with Vince Wilfork, Richard Seymour, Ty Warren, Jarvis Green, Mike Wright, and rookie Ron Brace.

“I think we tried out a bunch of combinations of guys and it went pretty well,’’ said Seymour, who played end and tackle in the 4-3. “I think that we will show different guys up front this season with the 4-3 and sometimes the 3-4. We will want to mix it up. I think when we do that we give ourselves a better chance to win.’’

Belichick didn’t want anyone jumping to conclusions about his plans, citing the fact that the Patriots have played multiple schemes over the years, adjusting to the opponent.

“We’ve played 4-3 and 3-4 and nickel and dime and a lot of things around here in various percentages or ratios over the years,’’ he said. “What’s common is the fundamental techniques that are within those defensive schemes, and the flexibility comes from the versatility of the players and, to a certain extent, game-planning and the opponents that we play.’’

Playing the 4-3 is not as much of a philosophical shift as it may seem. There are different types of 4-3 alignments.