Lot of stuff to do
Pats’ next test is to stop Saints’ talented run game
FOXBORO — The Patriots need to find answers to many of their defensive issues before too long. They can’t expect Tom Brady to cover up all of their warts every week.
But the biggest issue plaguing the unit heading into Week 2? We’ll call it death by run- ning back.
On opening night, the defense was doomed by Chiefs rookie Kareem Hunt, who destroyed the Pats as a runner (148 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown) and a passcatcher (five receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns).
Hunt’s 246 yards from scrimmage were the most ever against a Bill Belichick-coached Patriots team. Needless to say, having a running back inflict this kind of damage is not what you’re looking for any week.
Now with the Saints on tap Sunday, the answers need to come fast, because the New Orleans trio of Adrian Peterson, Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara certainly has the ability to stress a defense. So what needs to happen? Stop the run. That’s first and foremost, because that’s where the avalanche started last week. The Patriots can’t allow 6.9 yards per carry, which was the going rate against the Chiefs. They can’t get blown off the ball in the trenches. They also have to be able to set the edge. Until the Patriots solve those problems, they’ll continue to be gashed for huge gains.
“We have to be strong, mentally and physically strong (at the point of attack),” said defensive end Trey Flowers. “We have to get back to the physical play that our defense is based on.”
Will we see more of linebackers Elandon Roberts and David Harris, who are better run stoppers but were hardly on the field against the Chiefs because they’re liabilities against the pass?
That will be up to Belichick and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who went with more defensive backs against the Chiefs. It would be easy to think just because the Vikings shut down the Saints running back trio Monday night, the Patriots defense will follow suit.
It’s not that easy.
Let’s just say, if the Patriots can’t plug the holes, they’ll have another long, torturous game. Allow Drew Brees to establish a running game, and that will make his aerial attack even more deadly.
“That’s why it’s imperative for us to stop the run. It’s imperative for us to do that every game,” said safety Duron Harmon. “If you have a team that’s able to run the ball and get five to six plays on every coverage you’ve got, that’s when playaction comes in . . . so stopping the run, and making a team one-dimensional is always the goal. That’s numero uno.”
There’s more to this running back issue. It’s two-pronged.
The Patriots need to find someone who can cover a back. The Saints have a Reggie Bush clone in Kamara who can catch the ball and do damage. Belichick called him a “mismatch” player.
“If you treat him like a receiver, they’ll run, and if you treat him as a runner, then they’ll try to match him up on guys that have trouble covering him,” Belichick said during his media session yesterday. “He’s kind of a mismatch player like (Darren) Sproles, like (Reggie) Bush, like those guys that they’ve had — (Travaris) Cadet last year. That’s an element to Sean (Payton)’s offense that a player like that has and they try to mismatch them. Yeah, however you treat him, they’ll try to give him a different role and get him a different matchup.”
While the Pats had been pretty good shutting down the run prior to opening night, last year finishing tied for third at stuffing running games, the issue of containing backs coming out of the backfield has shown up at different times.
The Falcons’ Devonta Freeman hurt them in the Super Bowl, with two catches for 46 yards, with a long of 39. During the regular season, Seattle running back C.J. Prosise caught seven balls for 87 yards in the Seahawks’ 31-24 win. Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi (four catches, 31 yards in a 31-24 loss in Week 2) has also been a dual threat.
“Those backs are a big part of the offense, not just running the ball, but catching the ball,” said Harmon. “If you look at the Saints, they have Kamara, but they also have Ingram. They don’t have a problem throwing the check-down (pass). They’re giving their running backs an opportunity to do something with the ball in his hands. They have a few who can do things in the open field, so five yards can turn into eight, 15, 20 yards.”
Newcomer Cassius Marsh was forced into the role of trying to cover after Dont’a Hightower went down to injury. He had only been with the defense five days. He’s had a little more time now to get up to speed.
Harmon said communication is important, something that also went awry last week.
“We have to be on the same page,” he said, “because we know they’re going to attack, they’re going to go after the linebackers and the D-line because their backs are good players.”
We’ll see if the defense can stop the bleeding.