Solder/Vollmer vs. Ware/Miller match-up looms large this Sunday
Through the first four games of the regular season, the porous offensive line of the Patriots presented massive problems for Tom Brady. He was crushed by the Dolphins, Raiders, and Chiefs, and was clearly rattled. His play suffered, as did the team's performance.
Nate Solder, regarded as the most talented member of the line and a borderline elite left tackle was more of a matador than a blocker in the early stages of the season. Vollmer was better, but as a unit the line nearly got Tom killed on multiple occasions.
The constant reshuffling of the interior line clearly had a negative impact on the play of both tackles, evidenced by the fact that the solidification of the unit has lead to starkly improved play all around. The team appears to have found their ideal combination with rookie Bryan Stork at center, Dan Connolly and Ryan Wendell at the guard spots, and Solder and Vollmer on the edges.
While much of the focus leading up to the Broncos/Patriots match on Sunday has been on match-ups between defensive backs and wide receivers, I think the most critical battle for the Patriots will be the one between Solder/Vollmer and Ware/Miller.
While he has improved, Solder is not having a fantastic year in what many thought would be the season when he established himself as one of the league's best. He has earned an overall grade of -4.5 so far this season from Pro Football Focus, which ranks him 48th our of 72 measured tackles. He has not protected Brady's blindside well, allowing 4 sacks, 5 QB hits, and 9 QB hurries. Vollmer, on the other hand, has been solid, earning an overall grade of +6.1, ranking him 15th/72 tackles. He has allowed 2 sacks, 2 QB hits, and 8 hurries.
Von Miller and Demarcus Ware have teamed up to be one of, if not the, best pass rushing tandems in the NFL. Of 54 graded defensive ends (4-3 scheme, cumulative), Ware ranks 19th with an overall grade of 1.9. He has also racked up 8 sacks, good for sole possession of first in the league at the position. This from a player who many deemed washed up heading into the season and scoffed at the money Denver threw at him. Maybe they did overpay for an aging player, but in the short-term, it is paying off.
Miller has been even better. He has been downright scary good. Of 34 graded 4-3 OLBs, Miller is in first with a cumulative overall grade of 26.4. As a point of reference for how dominant he has been against the field, the second highest graded player at the position is Detroit's Deandre Levy (14.7). Von is also tied with Justin Houston as the league leader in sacks, with 10. Second most in the league at Miller's position is Bruce Irvin, with 3.
Long story short, Solder and Vollmer have their work cut out for them Sunday, and are facing their most daunting challenge so far this season. While Tom Brady has shown some flashes of great mobility and play extension in recent weeks, he will not fare well trying to evade Miller and Ware.
Brady's month of October was a dominant tear, one of the best of his career. And this is largely due to a vast improvement in protection from his line. We all know what happens when Brady gets hit consistently. He gets spooked and becomes a shell of himself. We saw it in the early stage of this season. His internal clock was sped up, resulting in rushed throws while locked in almost solely on Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski. It wasn't pretty.
The book on Brady is if you can hit him early and often, his effectiveness will fall off a cliff. Ensuring this does not happen Sunday falls primarily in the hands of Vollmer and Solder. If they can contain them and provide Brady with ample time in the pocket to deal with an extremely talented secondary, the Pats should be able to pull this one out.
If Ware and Vollmer and flying off the edge and Solder goes into "Matador Mode," things could get ugly, fast.
@LC_NEP
@PatriotsLife
Nate Solder, regarded as the most talented member of the line and a borderline elite left tackle was more of a matador than a blocker in the early stages of the season. Vollmer was better, but as a unit the line nearly got Tom killed on multiple occasions.
 |
| Tamba Hali blew by Nate Solder, leading to a strip sack of Tom Brady in Week 4 |
The constant reshuffling of the interior line clearly had a negative impact on the play of both tackles, evidenced by the fact that the solidification of the unit has lead to starkly improved play all around. The team appears to have found their ideal combination with rookie Bryan Stork at center, Dan Connolly and Ryan Wendell at the guard spots, and Solder and Vollmer on the edges.
While much of the focus leading up to the Broncos/Patriots match on Sunday has been on match-ups between defensive backs and wide receivers, I think the most critical battle for the Patriots will be the one between Solder/Vollmer and Ware/Miller.
While he has improved, Solder is not having a fantastic year in what many thought would be the season when he established himself as one of the league's best. He has earned an overall grade of -4.5 so far this season from Pro Football Focus, which ranks him 48th our of 72 measured tackles. He has not protected Brady's blindside well, allowing 4 sacks, 5 QB hits, and 9 QB hurries. Vollmer, on the other hand, has been solid, earning an overall grade of +6.1, ranking him 15th/72 tackles. He has allowed 2 sacks, 2 QB hits, and 8 hurries.
Von Miller and Demarcus Ware have teamed up to be one of, if not the, best pass rushing tandems in the NFL. Of 54 graded defensive ends (4-3 scheme, cumulative), Ware ranks 19th with an overall grade of 1.9. He has also racked up 8 sacks, good for sole possession of first in the league at the position. This from a player who many deemed washed up heading into the season and scoffed at the money Denver threw at him. Maybe they did overpay for an aging player, but in the short-term, it is paying off.
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| Getty Images |
Miller has been even better. He has been downright scary good. Of 34 graded 4-3 OLBs, Miller is in first with a cumulative overall grade of 26.4. As a point of reference for how dominant he has been against the field, the second highest graded player at the position is Detroit's Deandre Levy (14.7). Von is also tied with Justin Houston as the league leader in sacks, with 10. Second most in the league at Miller's position is Bruce Irvin, with 3.
Long story short, Solder and Vollmer have their work cut out for them Sunday, and are facing their most daunting challenge so far this season. While Tom Brady has shown some flashes of great mobility and play extension in recent weeks, he will not fare well trying to evade Miller and Ware.
Brady's month of October was a dominant tear, one of the best of his career. And this is largely due to a vast improvement in protection from his line. We all know what happens when Brady gets hit consistently. He gets spooked and becomes a shell of himself. We saw it in the early stage of this season. His internal clock was sped up, resulting in rushed throws while locked in almost solely on Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski. It wasn't pretty.
The book on Brady is if you can hit him early and often, his effectiveness will fall off a cliff. Ensuring this does not happen Sunday falls primarily in the hands of Vollmer and Solder. If they can contain them and provide Brady with ample time in the pocket to deal with an extremely talented secondary, the Pats should be able to pull this one out.
If Ware and Vollmer and flying off the edge and Solder goes into "Matador Mode," things could get ugly, fast.
@LC_NEP
@PatriotsLife
