Super Bowl XLVI Preview: Part One
Gronk will likely be rocking the walking boot right up until Sunday.
Being that this is Super Bowl week, we thought it appropriate to do things a little differently. Our normal preview piece comes in one easily digestible chunk and highlights three key areas for the Patriots in their upcoming game. But since the Patriots are putting in extra work this week, why shouldn’t we? This is the first of five posts to come in which we’ll highlight various crucial elements of Super Bowl XLVI.
It seems appropriate to start out with what may be the Patriots’ biggest question mark heading into Sunday: the health of Rob Gronkowski’s ankle. Thanks to an overly chatty father, who is apparently unfamiliar with the “Patriot Way,” we know that Gronkowski suffered a high ankle sprain at the hands of Patriot killer Bernard Pollard. The national media made a big deal of the revelation, but while it was certainly not taken from the Bill Belichick handbook, was there ever any doubt about what kind of injury Gronkowski had suffered?
All indications are that the big man will play, but the question is how effective can he be? And if he can’t be effective at all, how will the Patriots adapt their offense? According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the Patriots used two or more TEs on 80% of their snaps, far and away the highest percentage in the league. They also lack a true backup at the position, meaning that replacing Gronkowski would entail more than a simple substitution. Who would take Gronkowski’s snaps? Julian Edelman? Tiquan Underwood? Chad Ochocinco? I’d rather not think about it.
In their first match up against the Giants the Patriots heavily utilized their three TE package. Presumably this was done to keep the Giants’ phenomenal pass rush honest and also because for all of their pass rushing acumen the Giants defensive line is a little undersized, particularly on the interior. The Patriots’ ability to use this package hinged on the health of Sebastian Vollmer, in whose absence Nate Solder is forced to slide in at RT.
Vollmer hasn’t played since that game, and his health is still very much a question mark going into this game. If Vollmer is unable to play, Gronkowski’s blocking ability becomes paramount. While he would seem to be the last player affected by physicality, one has to wonder how Gronkowski will react with lineman falling on and around his ankle when he’s called upon to block. Aaron Hernandez is adequate as a blocker, but the Patriots running game has been highly reliant on Gronkowski’s ability to block down the line of scrimmage and to win one-on-one match ups with defensive linemen.
Gronk's ankle didn't seem to be hurting after the AFC Championship Game.
While the running game is important in slowing the Giants pass rush, this team’s bread and butter is still and will always be the passing game. You can bet that the Giants will be chipping Gronkowski off the line even more than teams typically do. They’ll be testing his ability to cut and get out of breaks, and if he’s unable to quickly recover after being chipped, the heavily timing dependent offense will suffer for it.
If the Giants determine that Gronkowski can be single covered it would allow them to bracket both Hernandez and Wes Welker. Because the Patriots lack an outside-the-numbers threat the Patriots must take advantage of single coverage in the middle of the field whenever possible. The Giants linebacking corps is young and mistake prone. It is New York’s biggest weakness on the defensive side of the ball, and the Patriots’ play-action game will be key in attacking them. Even if hobbled, Gronkowski presents a big enough target to expose zone coverage, particularly if the Giants LBs are caught peeking into the backfield.
Gronkowski has arguably been the Patriots’ best player in 2011. Come Sunday his ankle will be shot up with any and all legal remedies available and a nice natural dose of adrenaline, too. And the Patriots will need it.
This is really interesting, You’re a very professional blogger. I have joined your feed and look forward to searching for more of your excellent post. Additionally, I have shared your site in my social networks
If you chase Eli Manning, his offensive line will hold you but the refs won’t call it.
hey. Amazing text and a fantastic blog
Thanks for another excellent post. The place else may anyone get that type of info in such a perfect method of writing? I’ve a presentation next week, and I am at the look for such info.
Wirklich extrem informative Informationen, würde die gerne mit meinen Kumpels auf Facebook teilen – hast du dafür einen Teilen-Knopf ?
Wirklich extrem informative Informationen, würde die gerne mit meinen Freunden auf Google+ teilen – hast du dafür einen Teilen-Knopf ?
Wirklich sehr informative Informationen, würde die gerne mit meinen Freunden auf Facebook teilen – hast du dafür einen Teilen-Knopf ?
My brother suggested I may like this website. He was entirely right. This publish actually made my day. You can not imagine just how so much time I had spent for this information! Thank you!
I have been exploring for a little for any high quality articles or blog posts on this kind of area . Exploring in Yahoo I eventually stumbled upon this web site. Studying this info So i’m glad to exhibit that I’ve an incredibly good uncanny feeling I discovered just what I needed. I such a lot surely will make certain to don?t omit this website and give it a glance on a constant basis.
Somebody necessarily help to make significantly articles I’d state. This is the very first time I frequented your website page and to this point? I surprised with the analysis you made to make this actual post incredible. Fantastic activity!
Wirklich sehr interessante Informationen, würde die gerne mit meinen Kumpels auf Google+ teilen – hast du dafür einen Button ?
hi. Fantastic post and a amazing blog
Nice blog here! Also your site loads up very fast! What host are you using? Can I am getting your affiliate link for your host? I desire my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
Hi, i think that i noticed you visited my site thus i got here to return the desire?.I am attempting to find things to improve my web site!I assume its ok to use some of your ideas!!
I believe that is one of the such a lot significant information for me. And i’m happy reading your article. But want to observation on few basic issues, The website style is wonderful, the articles is in point of fact great : D. Excellent process, cheers
It is actually a great and helpful piece of information. I’m glad that you simply shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.
Hello my family member! I wish to say that this post is awesome, great written and come with approximately all significant infos. I’d like to see extra posts like this .
Its such as you read my thoughts! You appear to grasp a lot approximately this, such as you wrote the guide in it or something. I believe that you simply can do with a few % to power the message home a little bit, but other than that, this is great blog. A great read. I’ll certainly be back.
nfl 2012 predictions
Generally I do not learn post on blogs, however I wish to say that this write-up very compelled me to try and do it! Your writing style has been surprised me. Thanks, quite great article.
We’re a bunch of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community. Your web site provided us with valuable information to work on. You have done an impressive process and our entire community shall be grateful to you.
I do not even understand how I finished up here, however I assumed this post used to be great. I don’t recognize who you’re but definitely you are going to a well-known blogger in case you aren’t already. Cheers!
Finally Real Help For Premature Ejaculation !
Attractive component to content. I just stumbled upon your web site and in accession capital to assert that I get in fact enjoyed account your weblog posts. Anyway I will be subscribing on your feeds and even I success you access constantly quickly.
Hello there, You’ve performed a fantastic job. I will certainly digg it and in my opinion suggest to my friends. I am confident they’ll be benefited from this web site.
Its such as you learn my mind! You appear to know a lot approximately this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with some p.c. to pressure the message home a bit, however other than that, this is excellent blog. A great read. I’ll certainly be back.
You have a wonderful webpage here! I really like the things you choose to point out and present to people and I hope to see a lot more of your website soon. Continue the nice job!
Howdy very nice web site!! Man .. Beautiful .. Amazing .. I will bookmark your site and take the feeds additionally?I am glad to seek out so many helpful info here within the post, we’d like develop extra techniques in this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .
I truly treasure your piece of function, Wonderful post. CHECK ME OUT BY CLICKING MY NAME!!!
My coder is trying to persuade me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using WordPress on various websites for about a year and am concerned about switching to another platform. I have heard good things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can import all my wordpress posts into it? Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated!
I used to be recommended this web site by way of my cousin. I’m not sure whether or not this put up is written by way of him as nobody else recognise such precise approximately my trouble. You are wonderful! Thank you!
Dude.. I am not much into reading, but somehow I got to read lots of articles on your weblog. Its amazing how interesting it is for me to visit you really often. –
A powerful share, I simply given this onto a colleague who was doing a little analysis on this. And he in fact bought me breakfast as a result of I discovered it for him.. smile. So let me reword that: Thnx for the treat! However yeah Thnkx for spending the time to discuss this, I really feel strongly about it and love studying extra on this topic. If doable, as you develop into expertise, would you mind updating your blog with more particulars? It is highly useful for me. Huge thumb up for this weblog submit!
I almost never create responses, however i did a few searching and wound up here %BLOGTITLE%. And I actually do have some questions for you if it’s allright. Is it only me or does it seem like a few of these comments appear like left by brain dead people? 😛 And, if you are writing on additional online sites, I’d like to keep up with everything fresh you have to post. Would you list of the complete urls of all your community pages like your twitter feed, Facebook page or linkedin profile?
Hello there, I truly appreciated reading the info on your web blog. If you want to build 1,000’s of backlinks like this visit my gig at http://fiverr.com/bponderjab/deliver-5000-fresh-backlinks my gig builds 5,000 FRESH backlinks for only $5. Thanks a lot
I just could not go away your site prior to suggesting that I actually loved the usual information a person provide in your guests? Is going to be again regularly to check up on new posts
My brother recommended I might like this web site. He was once entirely right. This publish truly made my day. You cann’t consider just how a lot time I had spent for this info! Thank you!
Wonderful goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you are just extremely excellent. I actually like what you have acquired here, really like what you’re stating and the way in which you say it. You make it enjoyable and you still care for to keep it sensible. I cant wait to read much more from you. This is really a terrific website.
Just desire to say your article is as astounding. The clarity in your post is just cool and i could assume you’re an expert on this subject. Fine with your permission let me to grab your RSS feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please carry on the rewarding work.