PC Games » Don’t expect New England’s 2019 offense look like 2018’s."

One of the classic but incorrect criticisms of Tom Brady compared to other quarterbacks is the old ‘he never played in another system.’ While the future Hall of Famer did spend his entire career so far with the New England Patriots Hjalte Froholdt NFL Draft , the system in which he played has been a highly diverse one over the last two decades: with several coordinators coming and going and coming again, the Patriots’ scheme evolved all the time depending on the personnel.Don’t be surprised if 2019 is more of the same. Over the course of the offseason, the Patriots added big wide receivers to play alongside returning veterans Julian Edelman and Phillip Dorsett: first-round draft pick N’Keal Harry is 6-foot-3, while free agency additions Demaryius Thomas, Dontrelle Inman and Maurice Harris are all in the same area. Add suspended Josh Gordon and the tight ends and you have a tall group of receivers.This is, of course, somewhat of a deviation from years past and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is aware of that. “We’ve had some experience with bigger players periodically, and everybody makes a big deal out of that because we have had some players that are a little smaller be successful,” the Patriots’ offensive play caller said during a meeting with the media ahead of last week’s rookie minicamp.For McDaniels, however, size is irrelevant to a certain degree: it is about talent, and about getting this talent in the best possible situation to be successful. “I think the biggest thing that we try to do with our team and our offense in particular, as I’m talking about it, is just take guys that have a skill and a talent about it and don’t try to fit them to what we have done in the past,” said the 43-year-old.“You have to have enough versatility and flexibility in your system that you can maybe feature the X-receiver, or the Z-receiver, or the tight end, or two tight ends, or the halfback. Whatever style you want to be, it should reflect the talents of your team,” he continued. Given the Patriots’ current personnel — especially without core players from years past like Rob Gronkowski and Chris Hogan — the flexibility McDaniels talked about will be on full display again in 2019.Joe Judge Hjalte Froholdt Buffalo Bills Jersey , who saw coaching the wide receivers added this offseason to his already existing responsibilities of coordinating the special teams units, feels confident in McDaniels’ abilities to adapt his scheme to a point where the new, taller receivers will be as successful as the smaller ones from the past. “I think Josh will identify the strengths of our offense and he’ll look to go ahead and build it around what we can do well,” said Judge.When it comes to the receiving corps’ size in particular, Judge does not see it as anything special. “We’re going to try to use everyone the best we can,” he said. “I don’t think by bringing in a bigger receiver or having maybe a traditional mid-size slot receiver, that doesn’t truly affect exactly what you do. It all ties into the player’s knowledge and ability to execute the offense. We’re looking for smart, tough, dependable players and if you fit that category, five-nine or six-three isn’t the biggest factor.”“Years ago we haven’t been a big 12-personnel team with two tight ends, and all of a sudden we did that. Back in ‘07 we went to 11-personnel and spread the field; years later, we were more of a tempo team,” added McDaniels when speaking about the schematic flexibility the Patriots offense displayed in the past, and might do again this season considering the available personnel. “I think it kind of moves and it really reflects your team.”Last year is a good example of that. The Patriots had a deep and versatile group of running backs, but lacked in other areas especially early in the season. As a result, receiving back James White saw his workload increase while Tom Brady developed a rapport with his other weapons. Once Julian Edelman returned off a four-game suspension and Josh Gordon was added to the mix, the Patriots’ aerial attack shifted its focus again. In the meantime, the ground attack led by rookie Sony Michel picked up its pace.“You gotta look at who you have and what they do well, and then you gotta look at who are we playing and what are the best advantages we can gain this week,” said McDaniels about adapting the system. “You try to, as many times as you can in the game Youth Devin McCourty Jerseys , gain an advantage. Sometimes that’s with skill, sometimes that’s with size, sometimes that’s with tempo, sometimes that’s with play style or personnel groupings. You just take as many good football players as you can, put them in our room, try to coach them as best we can.”“We look for the best available players,” added Judge when speaking about player types and how they impact the offense and dictate its style. “As far as the size, some guys might fit more into the specific role we’re looking for. We’ve never sat and had the tape measure out to make sure a guy fits a certain profile. You can go through the history here, we’ve had guys that have been tall, short, burners with speed, maybe a little speed-deficient at times, too. We’re going to work to use everyone’s skill-set to help our team the best we can.”How this will look like remains to be seen considering the Patriots’ current skill position depth: while the aforementioned Edelman is still part of the mix and the running back group again one of the NFL’s deepest, the rest of the talent is rather unproven in New England’s system. As a result, the power run game of 2018 might be heavily featured again in 2019. On the other hand, the Patriots might attack teams differently in the passing game as they are trending towards smaller but quicker defenders.For McDaniels, those determinations will be made over the course of offseason workouts and training camp. “Today and the next so many months are about foundation, evaluation,” he said. “Let them rep, see what happens. Is it good enough? Is it not? Do we need to change something? I don’t think we know the answers what exactly we’re going to look like in September and October yet.”One thing we do already know, however: the Patriots’ ability to adapt their scheme and be flexible depending on the personnel will once again play a big role in their offensive success. KANSAS CITY Devin McCourty Jerseys Stitched , Mo. — It seems football fans everywhere are suddenly on the Kansas City Chiefs‘ bandwagon, enthralled by their record-setting young quarterback and exciting playmakers and hopeful their amiable old coach can finally win the big one.Then again, maybe they’re just fans of anybody facing New England.The Patriots have dominated the AFC for nearly two decades, and the coach-quarterback combination of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady will be playing in an eighth consecutive conference title game Sunday night when New England visits the Chiefs at frigid, hostile Arrowhead Stadium.But whereas Brady and Co. once instilled awe in their opponents, the Chiefs view their showdown as an opportunity for Patrick Mahomes to take the baton as the league’s best quarterback and for Kansas City, seeking its first Super Bowl appearance in 49 years, to surpass the Patriots as the NFL’s “it” team.“It’ll be huge,” Mahomes said. “When I got here, the goal was to win the AFC championship and get to the Super Bowl, and win that. To do that early in my career, it would be a huge thing.”There aren’t two more dichotomous teams than the Patriots and Chiefs.New England has won five Super Bowls during the Belichick-Brady era, setting all kinds of records along the way. The cruel efficiency with which they’ve sliced up the AFC has made them the bane of fans everywhere but New England and given them the kind of unbeatable aura that accompanied the New York Yankees teams of Derek Jeter and the Chicago Bulls teams of Michael Jordan.It’s not just petty jealousy, though. Many fans have been turned off by Deflategate, Spygate and other instances over the years that have saddled the Patriots with a rather unsavory reputation.Brady has mostly shrugged it off. So has Belichick, who almost seems to embrace the villain role.“I don’t think about it too much, what people might say or think,” said Brady, whose team is a rare playoff underdog Sunday. “I know we’re playing against a very good football team. They’re the first seed for a reason. They’ve had a great season and we’re going to have to go into a really tough environment and play our best football, and it’s a great opportunity for us.”On the flip side are the Chiefs, a team that dominated the AFC throughout the 1990s but reached only one conference title game. They were the league’s worst franchise six years ago http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-john-hannah-jersey , when Andy Reid came aboard, but have become a perennial playoff team that was always missing that certain something.They found it when they drafted Mahomes nearly two years ago.The quarterback shattered just about every franchise passing record in his first season as a starter, and his down-home style has made him a fan favorite. Kids dressed up like him for Halloween, his curly Mohawk has become the trend at local barbershops, and the aw-shucks way Mahomes has embraced his stunning success has only made him more endearing.“I think he’s a great player on a great team that’s very well coached,” Belichick said. “They have a great scheme and a great system. He’s got a ton of weapons, so he’ll be tough to handle, as will their entire offense, as will their entire team. We’ll need our best game.”As the Patriots (12-5) try to advance to their third consecutive Super Bowl, something only two other franchises have accomplished, and the Chiefs (13-4) try to make it for the first time since winning the title in 1970, here are some things to know:PERSONNEL CHANGESThe Patriots beat the Chiefs in a 43-40 shootout in Week 6, but both teams are different these days. The Patriots lost wide receiver Josh Gordon to personal issues, and the Chiefs waived Kareem Hunt because of off-the-field trouble. Kansas City also is poised to have linebacker Justin Houston and star safety Eric Berry back from injury Sunday. Linebacker Justin Houston also missed the game at New England, though he has been back since Week 10.“I mean, that was Week 6. That was a long time ago,” Patriots safety Patrick Chung said. “We can’t really worry about that. They’re a better team and they’re on a roll. It’s the two best teams in the AFC, so you can’t really worry about, ‘Well, we beat you guys last, so we’re going to win.’ If we have that mentality White Julian Edelman Jerseys , we’ll get kicked — they’ll kick our ass, pretty much.”STAR POWERBrady and Mahomes get plenty of attention, but they don’t do it alone. Pats running back James White tied Darren Sproles‘ postseason record with 15 catches in their 41-28 divisional victory over the Chargers, while Sony Michel has become a breakout star and Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman remain dangerous downfield threats. The Chiefs counter with running back Damien Williams and the pass-catching trio of All-Pro speedster Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and sure-handed tight end Travis Kelce.ROAD WOE-RRIORSNew England hasn’t lost at home since early last season, but it’s been a struggle away from Gillette Stadium. The Patriots were 3-5 on the road this season, their worst mark since 2009, and lost back-to-back games in Miami and Pittsburgh in December. They haven’t won a postseason game on the road since 2006, and away teams have lost 10 consecutive conference championship games.“I don’t get caught up in all that,” Reid said this week. “They’re a heck of a team. I mentioned that before, if you’re talking about a dynasty in the National Football League, they’re that.”HOME COOKINGThe Chiefs were founded by Lamar Hunt, the namesake of the Lamar Hunt Trophy awarded to the AFC champion. But they will be hosting the AFC title game for the first time after ending a 25-year drought in divisional playoff games last week against Indianapolis. They are 8-1 at home this season; their lone loss came on a last-second 2-point conversion by the Los Angeles Chargers.“You know it’s going to be a playoff atmosphere there,” Gronkowski said. “I’ve been there in the regular season and it felt like a playoff atmosphere. So I just can’t imagine what it’s going to be like going into a stadium like this.”WEATHER WATCHWhile snow is expected Saturday, the forecast for frigid temperatures Sunday has improved a bit and it could be in the 20s much of the game. There will also be a “super blood wolf moon” later in the night, a rare total lunar eclipse in which the moon turns a rusty shade of red.“There’s not really much you can do with the cold,” Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower said. “I think Trey (Flowers) and Bill said it best: ‘Give us a ball and a field and we’ll be there.'”100<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:View from the sidelines: NFL cheerleaders 2018Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports | Raj Mehta