Preparing to face the Carolina Panthers and their third-rated rushing attack, the Patriots’ run defense will be tested. Based on the style of play that the Panthers adopt, this figures to be a game in which the Patriots are in base packages for the majority of the time.
Playing more four-man line also might be a consideration given the makeup of the roster and some of the overriding issues facing the team (e.g. injuries, possible discipline).
The Patriots’ usage of base personnel, compared to sub packages, has been charted throughout the season.
Including some penalties which don’t count as official plays, here is a breakdown of the team’s sub package usage through 12 games (small margin for error):
Sub package: 371 of 737 (50.3 percent)
Base defense: 347 of 737 (47 percent)
Short yardage: 19 of 737 (2.5 percent)
Playing more four-man line also might be a consideration given the makeup of the roster and some of the overriding issues facing the team (e.g. injuries, possible discipline).
The Patriots’ usage of base personnel, compared to sub packages, has been charted throughout the season.
Including some penalties which don’t count as official plays, here is a breakdown of the team’s sub package usage through 12 games (small margin for error):
Sub package: 371 of 737 (50.3 percent)
Base defense: 347 of 737 (47 percent)
Short yardage: 19 of 737 (2.5 percent)
Mike Reiss
Patriots reporter, ESPNBoston.com- Covered Patriots since 1997
- Blogging on Pats since 2004
- Joined ESPNBoston.com in 2009
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Mike Reiss
Mike Reiss first started covering the Patriots in 1997 with the team's official newspaper, Patriots Football Weekly, before moving on to the MetroWest Daily News in his hometown of Framingham. From 2005 to 2009, he covered the Patriots for The Boston Globe, while also writing on the NFL. He started his popular Patriots blog in 2004. Send any questions or comments for Mike to his mailbag. Follow him on Twitter here.
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Chris Forsberg has been reporting on the Boston sports scene since 1999. With his video camera in tow, Forsberg covered everything from Massachusetts high school sports to Boston's pro sports teams. Follow him on Twitter.
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