One of the signatures of the Patriots’ dynasty has been the team’s ability to adjust.
To trends. To opponents’ strengths. To game plans. To weather conditions. And especially to the loss of players.
So it is with a level of confidence that the Patriots face what surely will be their most dramatic and daunting adjustment — a season without Tom Brady.
“The Patriots’ coaching staff is one of the best if not the best in the league at adjusting,” Bills defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said. “They utilize personnel as well or better than anyone. Bill Belichick has a vision for every player, and he takes each player to that vision.”
With Brady under center, the Patriots used the most ambitious passing attack in the NFL last year. They used five-receiver sets more than twice as much as any other team, according to “Pro Football Prospectus 2008.” They used three or more receivers 72 percent of the time, second most in the NFL. And they operated out of the shotgun more than 50 percent of the time, which no other team has done in the 21st Century.
Even though they often blew away opponents, they still had more passing attempts than any team in the AFC. In the first half they threw the ball 63 percent of the time.
Without question some of these tendencies are about to be broken. Belichick does not try to put square pegs in round holes, so he will not ask Matt Cassel, Brady’s replacement, to do what he asked Brady to do.
“[That] would be ridiculous,” said former Patriots and Bears quarterback Jim Miller, now an analyst on Sirius NFL radio and Comcast. “Unlike a lot of quarterbacks, Tom can see the whole field. He can diagnose what all his offensive linemen do on a play and what every defensive player does. It would be unrealistic to think Matt can do that.”
Miller subsequently predicted the Patriots would scale back their game plans significantly and place a greater emphasis on running. He also anticipates the team will cut down on whole-field reads.
The Patriots have the personnel to move the ball in other ways. They can run with a strong stable of backs that includes Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan. And they can play with two tight ends if Ben Watson is healthy.
Fewell said he believes the Patriots will continue to be aggressive offensively.
“That’s what they do,” he said. “The young man can’t be as effective as Tom. Tom is the best in the league along with Peyton Manning. But I think they will stick with that style until they prove they can’t play it.”
Why you need camp
The Bears’ victory over the Colts last week should have served as a reminder that training camp and exhibition games still have some value.
Dwight Freeney, Bob Sanders and Manning, the Colts’ three best players, missed all of camp and almost all of the exhibitions. And the Colts looked like a team that was out of sync.
Manning, Freeney and Sanders weren’t the only players in the league who didn’t get much preparation time and then didn’t make many plays on opening weekend.
Some of the others:
*Derrick Harvey, Jaguars DE: The first-round pick sat out until just before the start of the season because he didn’t like the contract he was being offered. Against the Titans he didn’t have a tackle or a sack, but he did have an interception.
*Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks QB: Back problems left him sitting out most of the month preceding the opener. He completed 41 percent of his passes and had a 53.9 passer rating in Week 1.
*Tarvaris Jackson, Vikings QB: He sprained his knee in the Vikings’ second exhibition game and didn’t play again until the opener. He had a passer rating of 59 and threw an interception with the game on the line against the Packers.
*Steven Jackson, Rams RB: He missed all of camp and the exhibitions because of a contract holdout. Against Philadelphia, he averaged 2.8 yards per carry on 14 attempts.
*Chad Johnson, Bengals WR: He had one catch for 22 yards in Week 1 after being sidelined with a shoulder injury in the second exhibition.
*Ed Reed, Ravens S: After missing camp and the exhibitions with a neck injury, Reed returned and finished tied for sixth on the team in tackles.
Quick hits
Only a kid from Burlington, Wis., and Eastern Illinois would stop to help someone change a flat tire at midnight after a day in which he led his team to an NFL victory and took 13 stitches on the chin. Way to go, Tony Romo.
I would like to see Alex Smith get a chance with another team next year.
I already have seen enough of Vince Young.
Applause for Colts general manager Bill Polian for cutting Ed Johnson after the second-year defensive tackle was arrested for marijuana possession. The move shows the team is not holding gifted contributors to a lower standard because of their value to the team. Before last week, team officials said they had not had a defensive tackle with his abilities in many years, but Johnson was on a short leash in Indianapolis because of off-field troubles at Penn State.
Taking Shawne Merriman off the Chargers’ defense is almost like taking Brady off the Patriots’ offense. No player in the NFL has more sacks than Merriman over the last three years.
Scout talk
The Bears had better hope that Kyle Orton develops into a starter they can depend on, because if they go shopping for a quarterback in this April’s draft, they may find the pickings very slim.
NFL teams in need of quarterbacks have to hope several underclassmen leave school early. Among the junior prospects who would enhance the draft are Georgia’s Matthew Stafford, Florida’s Tim Tebow and Central Michigan’s Dan LeFevour.
Here, based on conversations with NFL scouts, are the best senior quarterbacks:
1. Curtis Painter, Purdue: He is comparable to Orton in that he has a strong arm and limited mobility. The Joe Tiller system might make him look better than he actually is. His feel for the game and consistency have been questioned.
2. Tom Brandstater, Fresno State: He’s tall and thin with a strong arm. He is a streaky passer who throws a pretty ball. He is athletic, and if he develops his body and continues to produce this year, he could rise.
3. Chase Daniel, Missouri: At 6 feet, he’s shorter than an NFL QB is supposed to be, and his arm strength is so-so. But Daniel is a playmaker who is savvy, aware and accurate. A poor man’s Drew Brees.
4. Cullen Harper, Clemson: He’s a big passer with an NFL body, arm and athleticism. He may lack the “it” factor, with questionable poise, confidence and vision.
5. John Parker Wilson, Alabama: He’s smart, tough and poised, with enough ability to be an NFL backup. Can read defenses and pick apart a zone. Won’t make a lot of plays against man defense.
6. Rhett Bomar, Sam Houston State: He was a productive player at Oklahoma before transferring. Has a good feel for the game.
7. Hunter Cantwell, Louisville: Sat behind Brian Brohm, so he is somewhat of an unknown, but he does have size and arm strength. He has to show he can make good decisions.
8. Brian Hoyer, Michigan State: He has a good arm and athletic ability, but his instincts and consistency are off. If he gets in the right system and develops, he could do OK.
9. Pat White, West Virginia: White probably doesn’t have the size or arm strength to play QB in the NFL, but he has the speed and athleticism to develop into an Antwaan Randle El type of utility man.
10. Todd Boeckman, Ohio State: One NFL scout describes him as a “poor man’s Craig Krenzel.” He has good size and intelligence, but he lacks accuracy and poise.
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dpompei@tribune.com
