Flynn: Blount, Running Game Carried The Patriots To Big Win Over Baltimore
BOSTON (CBS) - Sports Hub host and 11-year NFL veteran Mike Flynn joined the Toucher and Rich show Monday morning to analyze the Patriots huge 41-7 road win yesterday over the Ravens.
Fans were clamoring to see more run plays, especially in the red zone, after the offense struggled in that area in recent weeks.
Well, ask and you shall receive.
Coordinator Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady dialed up a game plan that featured 34 run plays to just 26 passes, for a total of 142 yards and two touchdowns both scored by LeGarrette Blount.
"McDaniels said earlier in the week that 'we have to stick to the running game more and help our offensive lineman out', and he did it. They established the run early and they did it great. [Offensive line] controlled the line of scrimmage and played really well."
However with that being said, the Patriots aren't built to be a "ground and pound" type of team.
Flynn thinks that the attention paid to running the ball was just a matchup thing against Baltimore, and wants fans to tone their expectations as far as what the running game will be going forward.
"I think it was just a matchup against the Ravens. They saw something and felt like they could get after them physically. Against Denver, a team that's more explosive, does that work? Running the ball establishes a tone, and it helped set up the play action yesterday to Julian Edelman - he had a lot of space to work."
"It's about offensive coordinators having patience and quarterbacks having patience [with running the ball] - especially in today's NFL. There's a commitment to it. When you run the football, it's fourteen, fifteen play drives. Whereas when you throw it , you can get down there in five or six plays. "
"I think running suits them well. I think it helps them. It takes pressure off Brady and opens things up in the passing game. I hope they stick with it. I don't want them to be 60/40 run all the time, because that's not what they are. But I like the fact that they focused on the run game this week."
Listen below for Flynn's full analysis:
