New England Patriots: What to watch for in Super Bowl 53
By Hal Bent
NE RUSHING OFFENSE vs LA RUSH DEFENSE
The New England Patriots proved in their past two playoff wins just how much they have become a potent rushing offense in 2018, behind solid running from first-round draft pick Sony Michel and multi-purpose backs Rex Burkhead and James White. With fullback James Develin often leading the way, the Patriots have rediscovered their mojo as a power-running team.
Michel led the way on the ground again with 29 rushes for 113 yards against the Chiefs, just one week after finishing with 24 rushes for 129 yards and three touchdowns versus the Chargers. James White got a lot of attention defensively from the Chiefs and was limited to less than 75 all-purpose yards, but Rex Burkhead picked up the slack with 12 carries for 41 yards and a pair of touchdowns – including the game-winner in overtime.
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels loves inserting Burkhead into the lineup, as the offense does not tip off the defense whether a running play is coming (Michel) or a passing play (White). The three running backs almost had equal splits in playing time, with them all getting over 30 snaps in Kansas City.
It’s no secret that New England needs to run to win. The Patriots are 9-0 in the regular season — and now 2-0 in the playoffs — when they rush for 100 or more yards on the ground. Their record drops to 2-5 when they rush for anything less.
Los Angeles finished 23rd in the NFL in rushing yards allowed during the regular season, and also allowed a league-worst 5.1 yards per rush attempt. They’ve looked better in the postseason, shutting down Ezekiel Elliott and the duo of Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara in their past two wins. The much-maligned rushing defense allowed just 98 total yards rushing in both games combined.
The Rams – like the Chargers and Chiefs before them – often go with a lighter front seven. They like to play with extra defensive backs and sacrifice power for speed at the linebacker position. Linebackers Cory Littleton (228 pounds), Samson Ebukam (245 pounds), and Mark Barron (230 pounds) are all on the smaller side, and in the playoffs the team has also used safety John Johnson (210 pounds) as their fourth linebacker.
Aaron Donald is of course a beast against the run or the pass, nonchalantly blowing up numerous offensive plays single-handedly by penetrating into the backfield. Michael Brockers is probably L.A.’s most consistent run-stopper up front.
The New England offensive linemen have routinely turned short runs into big chunks because of their ability to the second-level. If the Rams are going light at linebacker, they cannot afford to get caught up inside and see a Shaq Mason or Joe Thuney bearing down on them.
Just like against the Chiefs, look for the Patriots to test the lighter linebackers of the Rams with multiple tight end sets, adding Dwayne Allen as a blocker and James Develin as the hammer against these safety-sized linebackers. These formations overpowered the Chargers and the Chiefs, so it’s a good bet they might find similar success against the Rams on Sunday.
At the end of the day though, the entire game could come down to whether Wade Phillips can cook up a plan to slow Sony Michel running the football.