The New England Patriots have been discussed and debated, compared to the greatest teams in NFL history and — in this column and elsewhere — all but fitted for their fourth Super Bowl ring.
But over the past two weeks, we’ve discovered something shocking about the Patriots:
They’re human.
Philadelphia proved that, then Baltimore. Both of those teams were in position to spoil New England’s bid for a perfect season before falling just short down the stretch and losing by three points. Remember, these are the same Patriots who won their first 10 games by an average of 25.4.
So is there a realistic strategy for beating the Patriots? A red, white and blueprint?
Sure. And Pittsburgh, which plays at Foxborough today, is just the kind of team that can pull it off. I’m not guaranteeing Pittsburgh will win — as Steelers safety Anthony Smith did this week — but it certainly wouldn’t surprise me.
(Smith, by the way, also said Cincinnati’s receivers are better than New England’s Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Donte Stallworth, so he’s not the most credible guy around.)
But here’s what the Steelers need to do to give themselves the best chance:
Hog the clock: Tom Brady is the most dangerous quarterback in football, and the goal is to keep the ball out of his hands. If the Steelers can deny the Patriots two possessions over the course of a 60-minute game, they’ll be doing themselves a big favor. Three years ago when Pittsburgh halted New England’s 21-game winning streak, the Patriots had the ball just 17 minutes, two seconds, their lowest time of possession in any game since 1985.
Run, run, and run some more: The Steelers have outrushed opponents by an AFC-best average of 61.5 yards per game this season, and they need to keep it up. It burns the clock, and it allows them to challenge the edges of a defense designed to funnel everything to the big men in the middle. Just look how well Baltimore, with rookies at right tackle and guard, wore out New England’s defense with the run.
Lost in space: The Patriots have what scouts call “box” linebackers, players who are at their best in tight quarters. They’re more physical than fast. So isolate them in coverage, get them out of their comfort zone by spreading them out with three- and four-receiver sets. Make them run.
Avoid the first-round knockout: The Patriots have scored 110 first-quarter points, more than double the average of the other 31 teams. New England’s 61 points on opening drives is triple the league average. It’s vital for Pittsburgh to keep things close from the start, especially with how loud that Gillette Stadium crowd can get.
Fake it: It’s awfully hard to confuse Brady, but try your best to disguise your coverages. No matter how many players he sends in motion, don’t tip off whether you’re in man or zone coverage. Hold your places, linebackers and safeties. Brady will settle under center, stomp his foot, stand up, re-set, anything to catch you dropping hints about what you’re going to do. Once he knows, you’re dust.
Bring the heat: Philadelphia and Baltimore both had success getting to Brady with the blitz, forcing him to rush things. That’s a specialty of the Steelers.
Moss, no mas: Make everyone else beat you. Just don’t let Randy Moss do it. The Steelers need to do what they have to, roll a safety over the top, whatever, to make sure they blanket Moss in defenders. When he scores a 50-yard touchdown, it’s not just six points. It’s a deflating punch to the gut that turns up the volume on an already ear-splitting crowd.
Go Wes, young man: Wes Welker is dangerous, especially when he’s lining up as the slot receiver on third down. He’s not big, and he’s quick but not blistering fast, yet Brady always seems to know where to find him. The Steelers need to do a better job than other teams at taking him out of the equation.
So, by way of review, all Pittsburgh needs to do to topple the league’s best team is control the clock, run like crazy, bottle up Brady, conceal its defenses, shut down Moss and nullify Walker.
Simple as that.
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