The New England Patriots offense starts with the pass protection of Tom Brady, their number one offensive asset.
To better do that the Patriots like to spread their offense out to recognize what scheme the defense is using and then identify how to attack it while they neutralize all threats against Brady thus giving him enough time to strike.
If Brady’s flushed out of the pocket and he doesn’t like what he sees in front of him, he has the skills to escape to the side and find an open receiver deep downfield or in the back of the end zone uncovered.
The Patriots are tough to stop because they hide really well what they’re going to do. By using different formations and moving people around during trick plays they help Brady manage the offense with precision and efficiency regardless of whether they decide to run or pass.
Of course, it helps the Patriots offense to have a player like tight end Rob Gronkowski because every time they’re in trouble they find ways to get him the ball and he’s lethal when covered one-on-one.
If Gronkowski struggles as a consequence of having suffered a concussion during the AFC Championship game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Patriots can always look to wide receiver Danny Amendola, who thrived in that game.
Amendola can go over the middle, he can line up in the slot and go outside or go deep and can be relied upon when the Patriots need to run a trick play, such as a double throw or a reverse, to throw the defense off.
On the ground, the Patriots trio of running backs (James White, Dion Lewis, Rex Burkhead) has proved to be a big component of their offensive success. They’re more than capable of powering their way through defenders and scoring when they are most needed like White did last year at Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Pats equip their running backs with everything they need to succeed against all kinds of defenses as their three-headed monster can adapt to play where and how they are needed.
Against Philadelphia, former Eagles back, Dion Lewis may be the back the Patriots can best deploy to pierce through the Eagles defense. Lewis, who led the NFL with 5.0 yards per attempt this season, can run out wide and is a nightmare when he’s coming out of the backfield and catching the ball on short routes.
But the Eagles can’t focus just on Lewis as all three running backs are capable of taking over the game at any time. White, for example, has six touchdowns in the last three playoff games, while Burkhead scored eight touchdowns in the 10 games he’s played this season.
The Patriots have no shortage of weapons and they all will need to perform at their very best to win their sixth Super Bowl in several categories.
