Checking in with the Patriots: The “Fearsome Foursome” of Running Backs

Last season, the New England Patriots relied more heavily on their rushing attack than they have in recent years.  This was for obvious reasons, not the least of which was the season-ending injury to Tom Brady in the first quarter of opening day against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Let’s compare the Patriots rushing attack in the past two seasons:

Patriots running backs	Attempts	Total yards	Yards per attempt	Rushing touchdowns
2007	451	1,849	4.1	17
2008	513	2,278	4.4	21

To give a bit more perspective to these numbers, the Patriots ranked 10th in the league in rushing attempts in 2007 versus fourth in 2008.  Their yards-per-attempt average was only .1 less than the vaunted Vikings rushing attack last season.

What does this say about the New England Patriots?  Well, it says that their offense is multi-dimensional enough to adapt when needed to (and also that the offensive line is a lot better at run blocking than they are credited for).

Of course, they increased their attempts, but the increase in yards per attempt indicates that the additional attempts were justified; the Patriots weren’t just trying to nurture Matt Cassel, they were using the run more effectively.

Imagine you’re a young quarterback who hasn’t started since high school.  Aren’t you a bit more comfortable every week knowing that you have a solid rushing attack behind you?

How comfortable do you think Tom Brady feels, knowing that his knee might not be 100 percent perfect for the season opener vs. Buffalo?  The fact that he can divert attention away from himself and use the play action pass as effectively as his early years must be helping to keep Brady cool as a cucumber in these hot summer days of training camp.

To add to the three-headed rushing attack of first-round pick Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, and Kevin Faulk, the Patriots signed veteran free agent Fred Taylor.  Although he’s on the downside of his career, he will be serviceable behind New England’s nasty line.

We all know that the “Fearsome Foursome” (as I’ve begun calling them) features a slew of runners that are capable of fulfilling multiple duties.  Morris and Taylor are both up-the-middle pounders that like to make contact.  They will bruise opposing secondaries to slow them down on the outsides, or simply run head-on into a middle linebacker and carry him a few extra yards.

Meanwhile, Maroney makes up for their lack of athleticism with his agility.  He does use his lower body strength to barrel into defenders, but likes to use his quickness to break away from them instead.

The backfield is culminated by Kevin Faulk, a.k.a. Mr. Everything.  He is excellent in every facet of the game: catching passes out of the backfield, picking up the blitz as a pass blocker, and he proved last season that he is still a legitimate threat when carrying the ball.

Make no mistake, Maroney is definitely the weak link.  He must prove his worth this season by producing and avoiding injuries in order to prevent himself from becoming a free agent, where his lack of talent won’t earn him as much money as he’d like.

The four working as one could easily mask any deficiencies of the other, especially if the Patriots plan to run any two-back sets (which it appears they will, a lot).  One possible scenario: a shotgun formation, with Faulk and Taylor flanking Brady.  A play-action hand-off to Taylor clogs the middle of the field with defenders, while Kevin Faulk runs a quick screen pattern and breaks off a 15-yard gain down the sideline.

That’s no pencil in my pocket.

I am extremely excited just thinking about what this backfield has to offer.

I could be wrong, but I think that the Patriots will lean somewhat on the run in the first couple of games, just to get Brady re-acclimated with game speed.  The number of pass attempts will definitely go up, and probably peak around mid-November (depending on how bitter New England’s winter is this coming year).  After that, Belichick will once again shift back to the run for December and possibly the playoffs.

As much as the thought of no aerial attack in December has scared me in years past, this time, it doesn’t.

The multi-dimensionality of the Fearsome Foursome is what makes them such a threat.  It seems that they will succeed in every facet of the game, no matter what circumstances may arise.

Of course, only time will tell how invincible the Patriots truly are, if at all.