It took a while for all the players to grasp the concepts and techniques, a problem compounded by a training camp that was both shorter in length and on-field intensity - under the new collective bargaining agreement, players couldn’t be in full pads for the first few days, then only once a day.
“During camp we had a lot of bodies, so we had a lot of guys that had experience,’’ said Vince Wilfork, the leader of the group. “We had a lot of guys that were young. We had a lot of fun, and it took us a while as unit to get going because of no offseason and switching our defense to a four-man front. The looks were different, the reads were different, so it actually took us a couple games for us to actually start making the plays that we knew we were capable of making.’’
“Coming from a 3-4 style defense to a 4-3, it’s a totally different technique, mind-set, everything,’’ said Brandon Deaderick, who began the season on the physically-unable-to-perform list. “Even though we did run it last year some, it wasn’t our base front, so of course when you go to a different scheme, that takes some getting used to. But we had a great mix of personnel, we had the speed guys, we had power guys, speed and power guys, quick guys - so I think it was a nice blend and ultimately, like doing anything new and different, you’ve just got to work at it and perfect your craft.’’
Once the group of 20 began to be whittled down - Warren was a surprise cut just a day into camp; Moore, Alex Silvestro, and Darryl Richard were part of the final cuts; and Pryor and Wright were placed on injured reserve in September and October, respectively - the unit did show improvement.
After four weeks, New England was ranked 18th against the run, a statistic the linemen have long prided themselves on. But by Week 6, the ranking improved to ninth, and they remained in the top 10 through Week 13.
