Earlier this week, reporters spoke with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady on a conference call and gave their thoughts on playing the Chargers this Sunday in New England. they were asked various questions about who they believed to be the key players in the chargers and various preparations they were going through to get ready for the showdown.
They also answered questions about what they thought about the opposing charger squad as a whole and the mutual respect between the two franchises.
here is part of the question and answer segment that can be viewed in its entirety on the chargers website:
bill belichick:
p: they have had a personality change in the defensive coordinator. can you see the change from the group that played in minnesota and the ones that played with you last year?
r: “i think (dante) hughes has come in and done a really good job for them in the nickel. we played (donald) strickland (last year). they’ve acquired (takeo ) spikes and (travis) laboy. both have played well.
“(corey) liuget is a good defensive lineman. we really liked him coming out of the draft. he is an explosive player, strong on the point, athletic and can rush the passer. bob sanders is a very good addition and a strong player American football. a playmaker. a great hitter. a fast guy. very active.
“I think they’ve added some very good players to an already good group. Greg (Manusky) has done a good job with his defense. We played him when he was in San Francisco and he did a good job there.
“of course he was there in san diego a few years ago before he went to san francisco so I’m sure he’s very familiar with the players and the scheme and I’m sure he’s added his own touches to but he knows they look great and sound great in everything they do.
“they do a good job of mixing man, zone and pressure. (they) switch the front up, so they give you a lot to worry about and they have a lot of good players.”
analysis: When you first look at this answer it looks like “hey belichick just names the players in the loaders and says they’re good”, but when you actually look at the staff he names, you can tell these are the players they’re focusing on at the coaching meetings.
he mentions hughes several times throughout this interview. that tells me they may be looking to go after him early when he’s covering wes welker in the slot in nickel and dime covers. the nickelback is the point of attack when planning the game for many teams; they are always looking to get the ball out from under.
liuget, spikes and sanders proved that they can be playmakers in the viking game. The Patriots have never faced Liuget and have faced Sanders and Pickaxes sparingly. The fact that belichick mentions them tells me that the new england coaching staff is really trying to understand their game and therefore has put a lot of focus on these players in the film.
I don’t think they will attack these players, moreover, they will just try to avoid getting hurt by the game changing abilities of these charging players.
Q: What is the real challenge facing Turner and his offense?
a: “he has a really good scheme. he has a lot of different ways to attack you and he knows how to attack defenses. he doesn’t attack them all the same way. He specifically looks for what your weaknesses are and it’s easy to see when he calls, plays how he’s trying to get to you and it’s very disconcerting because you know he’s looking for an area where you’re vulnerable.
“their formations are good. it forces you to make a lot of difficult adjustments and it forces your players to play outside of their comfort zone and do things they’re not used to or do things they don’t really want to do what you don’t want do schema-wise.
“their formations, their utilization of personnel, the way they move guys around, their play is very difficult because it keeps you off balance. The bottom line is they execute well. They know what they’re doing. They know how to run the They know how to throw it They know how to protect the pass They run different combinations of routes that put a lot of stress on their coverage matchups.
“they carry the ball down the field. they beat you with screens and check-downs and route crossings. you have to defend everything. it’s tough. they’re a good team. even when it’s 3 and 3. 20, you don’t feel very fine with san diego. 3rd and 20, 3rd and 3, they can pick up anything. that’s also very dangerous.
“There aren’t too many teams in the league you say that about, but it doesn’t matter if they need a yard or a quarter of the football field, it seems like it’s easily within their grasp.”
analysis: As much as Charger fans love to hate Norv Turner, there’s no denying he’s one of the best play-callers in the NFL, and belichick knows it. this will be a battle of masterminds.
Keeping the opposing defense off balance is what these two offenses do best. both quarterbacks have an innate ability to recognize defensive schemes and change their play accordingly. That’s why I think both teams will use the no-huddle offense at some point in this game. Qbs won’t want defenses to settle in and take away what the offense is trying to accomplish.
If the Chargers are going to win, they’re going to have to do exactly what Belichick says: convert on third downs, expose coverage mismatches and break up big plays deep. if belichick knows it, the chargers coaching staff definitely knows it.
We know the Patriots will try to take these things off defensively, but the Chargers still need to execute. I feel like belichick is overlooking one part of the chargers offense: the running game.
I know this goes against everything I’ve said in the past, but if they can expose the patriots on the field early, they’ll really catch new england off guard. It looks like the Patriots are preparing for an aerial assault, so the best way to counter it is with a dominant run. Not to mention, this will help the Chargers keep the ball out of Brady’s hands.
tom brady
(his questions about his Monday performance and his answers about chargers basically mirrored belichick’s answers…but one thing stood out)
p: I heard you asked your fans to make some noise on Sunday and have a drink. what do you hope to see in the stands?
a: I was just trying to tell them to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water. stay hydrated, because it’s hot in here and I don’t want anyone to get dehydrated.
analysis: These questions and answers speak for themselves. New England fans will be excited about this season opener against a rival AFC team. they know it’s going to be a good match and they’re going to drink accordingly. especially, when “god” himself proclaims that they do.
However, Brady’s politically correct response is quite funny.