Your chance to play OC, what would you have done to minimize the impact of Wilfork in the AFCCG?

[KidSampson]

It was glaringly obvious to most that the Patriots DLine, particularly Wilfork, was smashing the Ravens OLine in the AFCCG. It doesn't seem like Cam put in a lot of adjustments in the offense to over come this. Either that or the adjustments he made just didn't work.

What would you have adjusted in the running or passing game to minimize Wilfork?

For one, I would not have called that draw on 3rd and 3 right up the gut. That only works if the linemen are tired and not getting off their blocks well, which is the opposite of what was happening. They basically ran a slow developing play right at the heart of the defens I would have also called a few more play action roll outs like that long pass to Smith in the first half, but with some intermediate passes as well. Cam never seemed to go back to that and it looked perfect for getting Joe away from the pressure caused by the DLine.

I'm not trying to pass judgment on Cam and I know that I could not do his job, but it's just something I have thought a lot about since Sunday. The image of Wilfork getting his paws on Joe on third down right after the dropped TD and before the shanked FG really sticks out to me.

[Paintballguy]

run toss plays to rice/williams
screens to rice
1 step drops and quick passes
no huddle
more bootlegs and naked bootlegs

basically what brady did to our defense. our defense never had a shot to get up the field.

[wickedsolo]

The quickest way to minimize a pass rush is to encoporate a lot of quick passes and run a hurry up O. Getting Rice out into the flats and getting Pitta/Boldin out into the flats would have been my #1 priority. It controls the ball, controls the clock, gets Flacco into a rhythm, and then tires the defense out.

Spikes is slow, Nikovic isn't that great in coverage (Mayo is their only good LB in coverage) and none of their secondary are really great at tackling. We saw Torrey spin off a guy, break his arm tackle, and go for a TD. I'd make their players either chase Boldin or Rice down or have to come up and tackle them. Eventually, Rice is going to break one.

Wilfork was able to sit and collect his breath too often on the offensive possessions. A hurry up makes that fat ass sucking wind really hard because it reduces the time for player substitution exponentially.

I also would have had Rice/Pitta/or Dickson chip over on Mark Anderson more often, which would bump him back into McKinnie or Oher.

[Ravenswintitle]

Everyone keeps pointing to that draw play on 3rd because you could tell it was never gonna work. Why didn't Joe check out of it? It was doomed from the time they went to the line

[wickedsolo]

Everyone keeps pointing to that draw play on 3rd because you could tell it was never gonna work. Why didn't Joe check out of it? It was doomed from the time they went to the line

Maybe he didn't have a play to check to?


A lot of times coordinators call in a series of 2-3 plays in that same formation. There have been several indicators that Cam doesn't do that on a regular basis...so it's possible that was the only play that Cam had sent in.

[KidSampson]

Maybe he didn't have a play to check to?


A lot of times coordinators call in a series of 2-3 plays in that same formation. There have been several indicators that Cam doesn't do that on a regular basis...so it's possible that was the only play that Cam had sent in.

I would agree, or Joe didn't like the play that he was given to check to. Or he expected the OLine to block it well enough. But nothing about the play call makes sense. A slow developing run right into the middle of the only part of the defense that is playing well. I think Cam was just thinking "They'll never expect this" because the Ravens didn't call many draws all year. He got too tricky.