One week after allowing 191 yards and 5.0 yards per carry to the Dolphins, the Patriots will once again have their hands full in defending the run against the Vikings.
In a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia explained that between running back Adrian Peterson and receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota has a pair of dynamic runners who will need to be tracked closely. Combined they helped the Vikings put together six "explosive" run plays -- anything over 10 yards, Patricia explained -- in their 34-6 win over the Rams, which was most in the league in Week 1.
Peterson finished with 75 yards rushing on 21 carries and 18 yards receiving on two catches, while Patterson racked up a game-high 102 yards on just three carries, including a 67-yard third-quarter touchdown run. Patterson also had 26 yards receiving on three catches.
Patricia said that new offensive coordinator Norv Turner, who spent last season with the Browns, has a voluminous set of plays that allows him to find ways to get the ball into his playmakers' hands.
"There's obviously Patterson who can get the ball in his hands and get out to the edge very quickly, along with Peterson," Patricia said. "Really all the running backs do a good job with the ball in their hands. I think Norv does a good job of trying to find different ways to get those guys the ball, whether it's a direct handoff from the quarterback or some sort of toss play outside. Whatever the case may be, I think all of those guys are very dangerous and they can all run the ball extremely well."
Peterson is the known commodity. Now in his eighth season, he's eclipsed 1,200 yards rushing six times. At 6-foot-2, 217 pounds, he has an aggressive style that has made him a three-time First Team All-Pro. He's just as apt to run over a defensive back as he is to run by one -- and there are times he'll do both.
"They do a great job of pointing the game, the rushing avenues that they present with Peterson is obviously a huge challenge for us," Patricia said. "He's obviously so dynamic, so explosive, a very strong and powerful runner, a guy that can really make an explosive play at any point in time."
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Patterson splashed last season as a rookie when he scored four times as a receiver, three times as a rusher, and twice as a kick returner. His Week 1 performance only ensures the fact that he'll continue to be a menace to opposing defenses as long as he remains healthy.
One way in which the Vikings got Patterson the ball against St. Louis over the weekend was by handing it off to him while in motion. Two of his three rushes came on these types of plays -- often referred to as "jet sweeps" -- with which he amassed 35 yards combined.
"I think there's a lot of offenses right now that are using those types of plays where they obviously have dynamic skill players as their wide receivers that are really good with the ball in their hands," Patricia said. "It just gives the offense another way to put the ball in their hands without having to go through a traditional passing game to get it out there where now they can catch it and run. It gets it in their hands quickly. It marries up very well with a lot of teams that motion. Now it's a question of 'Is it motion? Is it a potential handoff situation?' Those types of plays hit very fast. They're on the edge very quickly of the defense and it's a huge recognition play for the defense to see it and keep it contained . . . That's definitely a difficult play to defend and to see and to recognize."
Here's a quick look at the first time the Vikings ran a sweep to Patterson; it came on their second offensive play of the game.
That's Patterson at the top of the screen. He'll go in motion, and no Rams defender will go with him, signalling the defense is likely playing some type of zone.
The ball has yet to be snapped, and the play could still be anything at this point. The Rams defense does not appear to shift whatsoever other than the safety on the left side of the St. Louis formation gets deeper down the field. With two tight ends on the right side of the Vikings formation, Patterson should have a pair of lead blockers paving him a lane once he gets the ball.
One tight end gets the Rams end, while the other kicks out the corner, leaving Patterson an open running lane. Patterson has already built up a head of steam and gets to the outside quickly. One of St. Louis' middle linebackers is a step slow in seeing the play develop, and Patterson uses his speed to get by him for a gain of 12 yards.
The Vikings ran a similar play later in the first quarter, but with a different setup. This time there was only one tight end on the side to which Patterson motioned. Instead of blocking the defensive end, the Vikings trusted Patterson to get around the edge untouched, which he did. The tight end was then free to seal the corner out by the numbers, giving Patterson another open running lane to the wide side of the field.
In the open field is where Patterson is at his best. He broke one linebacker's tackle and outran another for a gain of 23 yards.
As Patricia said, those are the kinds of plays that Patriots edge defenders will have to recognize before they happen. If they don't, Patterson may be by them before they know it.