McCarthy's halftime adjustments during the Green Bay game included neutralizing the DE's by having Rodgers get rid of the ball quickly. While this worked to a certain extent, Seattle seemed to be playing bend but don't break. The coverage was still tight, but the ball was getting in there for moderate gains. I was thinking that New England will see this and model their passing game this way since they are so good at the precision passing game anyway.

I'm wondering, New England and Seattle fans, will this be the way Brady and Bill play this? Will Seattle be looking for this and have a plan for it? If so, what will the plan be to stop the passing attack? This is the only thing I'm worried about (well beside Seattle's passing game). I'd like any insight on this I can get if you don't mind. In the hours before the game, I've been thinking about this.

McCarthy's halftime adjustment was talking the refs into looking the other way the second half on holding calls. Luckily for NE, the normal refs are already on retainer for screwing the haws.

McCarthy also started running the ball harder.

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That's true. There was an awful lot of holding, especially against Clemons in the 2nd half. However, Rodgers was still getting rid of the ball a lot quicker than in the 1st half.

Their second half was about them running the balk ans us committing to getting to Rodgers. If the pats want to focus on stopping clem and Irvin, I say bring it. Mebane will destroy them.

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Ha ha! I like your answer. Mebane, almost forgot for a minute how devastating he can be and how quick he can be in the backfield. I realize Green Bay started running more in the 2nd half, but I was referring to that when they did pass, the ball was out a lot quicker and the routes a lot shorter than in the 1st half.

yeah and they still only scored one TD (through an outrageous PI call), despite dominating second half TOP 18.43-11.17.

Best guess: The Patriots will plan to run the ball and use quick passes to keep our pass rush at bay. The Seahawks will plan to stuff the run and keep the "yards after catch" figure down to force them into a deeper passing game, then open up the pass rush.

It sounds weird when talking about the Pats, but the running game will actually be key here, probably. If the Seahawks can stuff the run without focusing on the run, that will really push the game in our favor. With Big Red and Mebane up front and the speed of Wright and Wagner behind them, it's completely doable too.

I think Mr. Wagner needs to have his best game of the season.

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Thomas will probably play up closer, which means NE could strike deep. But I don't think they will. They won't have time.

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Yup. I love how this discipline has involved every year.

In 2010, it was just Red, Earl, and Clemons. We could stop the run and thus force offenses to be a little more predictable, and that fed some plays to Earl and Clemons. But it wasn't much.

By 2011, they'd built the secondary to kill quick throws with press coverage and buy time for the initial pass rush. It kinda worked, but left our corners vulnerable to speedy receivers and forced Earl to generally stay deep. We also didn't have the speed or discipline at linebacker to cover the underneath stuff (thus our terrible ranking vs pass-catching RB's and scrambling QB's).

Our additions in 2012 have been HUGE. Our D-line can now handle most of its business by itself, both run-stuffing and pass rush. Since that helps kill the deeper-developing routes, Thomas gets freed up to cover faster guys himself, run support, blitz the A-gap (he's good at this), or help our corners against the more complex route trees. It also frees up our linebackers, who now have the smarts and speed to shake off play-action and help cover the underneath routes.

This is all generalities and it's all a lot more complicated, of course. But basically, we've now got the talent to address every area and free our guys up to reinforce each other or get creative. I think this is what we saw against Aaron Rodgers. This defense is beyond the "patching holes stage" and can take away every option quarterbacks have. Otherwise the Patriots wouldn't be resorting to the faintly-desperate quick tempo stuff. Hope theory becomes reality tomorrow.

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Great commentary.

I am hoping the weather will make passing harder than usual. If the weather makes long passes difficult, it will really free up Earl and Kam to help out elsewhere on the field...

If this is a rushing contest, I like our chances, very much. I think we can shut down NE's rushing attack more than they can shut down ours.

Forecast is for winds from the south at 10 MPH, which will probably lead to some swirling in the CLink. (When the winds are coming from the west, the stadium design blocks them fairly well, but winds from the south or especially north aren't blocked as much.)

Forecast is also for rain during the game, as well as throughout warmups. High of 66, so not cold.

It's actually kind of an ideal forecast for us, given our strengths.

what he said

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New England tends to attack horizontally not vertically. They'll throw short, quick passes because they always throw short, quick passes.

You can't neutralize our defense. I'm sorry. So, new plan?

I don't think they'll neutralize the whole defense, I was just worried about the ends getting time to get in there. If New England plays the horizontal game like Steve F is saying, then the ball will be out of Brady's hands fast. I think it's up to the linebackers to be quick to react to those quick routes. I think the linebackers, safeties, and corners will have to jump the routes and make Brady hold the ball so Irvin and Clemons can get in there, just like the Monday night game against Green Bay. Rodgers was stifled and he knows it, regardless of the whining over one call. Coverage on the tight ends are key matchups as well in the game this week.