Tom Brady and New England The Patriots must be ready to face the "diamond front"

FOXBORO – Before the Patriots and Texans met in the third week of last season, we made a good deal in defensive against Houston's "diamond head". We wrote about it. We did a podcast on it. We spent segments of television talking about it.

Then Tom Brady and the Patriots attack went out and manipulated him. For the majority.

It was not at all perfect when the Patriots were confronted with the appearance of the diamond. But it was a lot better than what happened in the playoff division round in 2016, when Brady was fired twice and completed just one pass six times.

First of all, here's a reminder of what the diamond looks like, taken from last year's piece …

Take your third defensive line four to one, with two wide defensive ends and two inside techniques. Then place a fifth defender just above the center. And make him an athlete, be it another defensive player or a linebacker. Someone with a pressing know-how.

The result is individual clashes at all levels for the offensive line. Each blocker in a five-person protection configuration has a pass-rusher to take into account. If the defense plays well, she will get the matches that she wants.

When the defense is as impressive as Houston's, head-to-head clashes are pretty mouth-watering, no matter the lineup. Mercilus inside is a problem because of his athleticism. Jadeveon Clowney has the length and speed that create problems against guards and shorter armed centers. J.J. Watt one-on-one with anyone is almost an impossible task …

If Texans are able to add a layer of disappointment to their diamond appearance, this is only three. Showing five points on the line of scrimmage and then leaving two of these defenders on the cover, Houston still gets head-to-head clashes (leaving two offensive linemen temporarily blocking the air force because their assignments are lost) . tract.

It's an idea similar to what the Jets did to the Patriots under Rex Ryan, what the Broncos did to them in the AFC Championship game in 2015, and what the Chiefs did. [Week 1 last year]: Invert the area in the short or medium term with the defenders to force Brady to keep the ball and win your face-off.

Pressure and coverage Even the best quarterback of football can not help being thwarted by this combination.

When they came back victorious at the last minute, 36-33 against Houston last season, the Patriots saw the Texans in the lead twice more than in the playoffs. In 13 clicks, Brady was 7-in-9 for 62 yards and a touchdown. Brady scrambled for six yards – a game that gave rise to a defensive warning – on a snap. He also performed a two-point conversion against this look.

This was not all good for the Patriots, though. As Brady's number of shots per attempt (6.89) would indicate, he had to quickly get rid of football and accept shorter finishes – even if he tried to convert to third place. Two of his first three finishes against the diamond front allowed him to win just six total yards in the third game of the duel, both of which resulted in punts.

The Patriots were summoned for a race on the diamond front, and Brady was sacked by a turn that had been replaced by a front defender.

This trick – where the Texans dropped one of their inescapable passers-by on the cover and brought in a high school runner or linebacker – added another level of cunning that the Patriots had to face. If David Andrews had not recovered Brady's fumble, the Patriots would have looked a 1-2 record to start the season.

The diamond front may be different in 2018, in part because some of its key components are being degraded.

Watt needed several blockers during the third week – it was often Rob Gronkowski who was helping LaAdrian Waddle on the right side – but it's unclear exactly how he's going to handle three games last season and eight pre-season games. Mercilus only played five games last year, he did not see any games this summer and was quoted Wednesday as injured due to a hamstring injury.

Do not tell Bill Belichick.

"They have always been," said Belichick, "one of the league's best defenses in all categories when they are healthy … Some of their best and most important players seem ready to go." "

"I mean, they are unreal talents," said Gronkowski. "These are great players and you definitely need help blocking those guys, I mean, if that's what coaches ask me to do, if that's the case, I have to go and I have my nose is dirty, I have to do what they need for this team, and blocking anyone, maybe it's helping an offensive lineman, helping a tackle before heading out. go out to get dirty. "

For any uncertainty that the Texan stars could have created elsewhere, the Patriots sound as though they were preparing for the worst. It means seeing the diamond front at its best Sunday.