FOXBORO — While the Patriots offensive line stood strong against Ndamukong Suh and the Detroit Lions’ menacing front, it was the totality of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ game plan and the players’ execution of the mission that led to a convincing performance against the league’s top-ranked defense.
The drastic changes from week to week went beyond a simple run-pass disparity, as quarterback Tom Brady was tasked with firing exceptionally quick passes to receivers who had to get open just as efficiently to complement the line’s protection.
“I think the most important thing for this team, players and coaches, is winning,” coach Bill Belichick said. “We all have a job to do. That job and that role changes sometimes from week to week. It always changes from week to week, but sometimes it changes more than others.”
It started up front where the offensive line didn’t surrender a sack for the second consecutive game and only allowed Brady to get hit three times in 53 drop-backs. That’s a major reason why he completed 38 passes for 349 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Suh only hit Brady once, and it occurred on the second drive when left guard Dan Connolly and center Bryan Stork left him unblocked while racing outside to set up a 5-yard screen to running back Shane Vereen.
The Patriots double-teamed Suh on 24-of-43 passing plays, including 15-of-23 plays in the first half. In the second half, there was a stretch when Suh was singled up on 8-of-9 passing plays. Right guard Ryan Wendell handled the one-on-one responsibility 14 times with Stork (twice), Connolly (once) and Vereen (once) getting a shot.
The other two hits happened after defensive tackle C.J. Mosley sliced through Connolly in the second quarter and end Jason Jones beat Connolly in the third, but Brady completed both passes to offset the damage.
Wendell and tackles Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer were at their best against their most vicious foe to date.
More importantly, Brady’s extraordinarily quick releases were the biggest wrinkle in the game plan. Naturally, it’s easy to look run-pass disparity between drastically different victories against the Colts and Lions, but Brady’s lightning reads and deliveries were an obvious point of emphasis.
Brady completed 24-of-25 passes for 201 yards and one touchdown when delivering the pass within 2 seconds of the snap. To put that in perspective, quarterbacks typically unload the ball between 2.5 seconds and 3 seconds of the snap, with anything fewer than 2.5 seconds being considered speedy. Therefore, the amount of passes that were unleashed within 2 seconds, plus the unfathomable 96 percent completion rate, displayed a mastery of a unique game plan.
Brady’s 53 pass attempts were uncorked within an average of 2.09 seconds after the snap. He was also 10-of-23 for 106 yards and one interception when throwing between 2-3 seconds of the snap and 4-of-5 for 42 yards and a touchdown when holding the ball longer than 3 seconds.
The receivers also deserve credit for getting open, which details the significance of all 11 players working in harmony.
“It’s definitely a big part of those plays,” wide receiver Julian Edelman said.
When Brady unloaded a pass within 2 seconds, Edelman caught 7-of-7 targets for 43 yards, LaFell hauled in 5-of-5 for 42 yards, Vereen snared 7-of-8 for 44 yards, Gronkowski corralled 4-of-4 for 68 yards and fellow tight end Tim Wright nabbed a 4-yard touchdown.
The screen game wasn’t a huge part of the success, though that was predictable because the Lions defend them so well. Brady completed all 11 screen passes for 58 yards, which helped move the ball but wasn’t as significant as the downfield throws. Oh, and the Pats essentially scrapped the play-action throws by their standards, completing 7-of-8 for 71 yards.
The Patriots used a complex game plan that involved a great deal of belief and dedication through a week of preparation, and they got everyone involved in the execution.
“Most of the time, the coaches do a great job of putting us in the right situation of what we have to do to attack a defense,” Edelman said. “It can change every week. It’s definitely a confident thing to see with these back-to-back weeks, but it really doesn’t mean anything unless we can go forward and keep on improving because now football really starts.”
