SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Finding out the Seahawks’ protection the final two weeks, the Patriots knew to count on blitz strain in apparent passing conditions, particularly third-and-long.
However blitzing as early and infrequently as Seattle did Sunday?
This was new.
A number of Patriots gamers admitted they had been caught off-guard by the Seahawks’ preliminary sport plan in Tremendous Bowl LX, which helped set the desk for a 29-13 Seattle win. The Pats went scoreless and had 78 whole yards by means of three quarters. Drake Maye took six sacks and was beneath strain on greater than half of his dropbacks, per Subsequent Gen Stats.
“We noticed an excellent quantity of, (a) number of blitzes,” Maye advised reporters. “I wouldn’t say they’re an enormous strain staff, however clearly they’d some success tonight. They had been heating us up.”
Maye felt strain early, ending the Patriots’ opening drive with a throwaway towards an all-out blitz, AKA Cowl Zero, which generated instantaneous, unblocked strain.
“They introduced (Cowl) Zero early within the sport, which was a switch-up from what they’d proven,” Pats backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs advised the Herald. “They’d prefer to carry (Cowl) Zero, however perhaps not that early. That is the Tremendous Bowl, although. You’re gonna get some completely different appears to be like.”
One other wrinkle surfaced on Maye’s second sack taken late within the first quarter. Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon dropped Maye for a 10-yard loss on a uncommon blitz from his nickelback place over the slot. In accordance with Pro Football Focus, Witherspoon blitzed simply 21 occasions this season, about one per sport, and hadn’t rushed the passer since Week 16.
Witherspoon blitzed six occasions Sunday and generated 4 pressures, according to Next Gen Stats, together with a QB hit that induced Maye’s pick-six within the second half.
“(Security Nick Emmanwori) performs the nickel place lots, and he’s extra of the blitzer. Witherspoon’s extra the quilt man, and so they introduced him somewhat bit greater than they’d proven on movie,” Dobbs mentioned. “(That)’s to not say we shouldn’t have picked it up or had solutions for it, however that was one of many wrinkles that they’d.”
Schematically, the Seahawks overloaded the left aspect of the Patriots’ offensive line early with additional blitzers, then despatched added rushers to Maye’s proper on the Witherspoon sack. After that sack, the Pats adjusted, Dobbs mentioned, by specializing in small features that might maintain them out of third-and-long snaps. As an alternative, they punted six straight occasions round a possession that kneeled the clock out earlier than halftime.
In the beginning, the Patriots hoped to assault Seattle’s two-high coverages early within the sport, one other space the place they struggled. Maye’s solely lengthy completion by means of three quarters, earlier than the Pats trailed by a number of scores, was a play-action move with six offensive linemen on the sphere that led to a 21-yard acquire for Kayshon Boutte. Nevertheless, the Patriots by no means returned to that jumbo package deal, and their receivers struggled to win what turned a spread-style sport towards the NFL’s greatest move protection by DVOA.
“We knew once they had been going to (blitz) strain, so (we had been) attempting to have solutions for these. Then on third downs, they actually made it a 1-on-1 sport,” Dobbs mentioned. “That’s what they confirmed on movie, and so they did it once more tonight.”
Pats heart Garrett Bradbury mentioned the offense knew the Seahawks may dip into the kind of overload pressures they used to win the Tremendous Bowl, however didn’t block them nicely sufficient to compete.
“We knew they’d it. They pressured at a excessive clip within the first half, and so they had an excellent plan,” he mentioned. “They’re an excellent protection. Actually, give them credit score.”
