5 Things the New England Patriots Must Do Well in 2016

The New England Patriots are facing the possibility of playing without Tom Brady for the first four weeks of the 2016 regular season if his appeal is denied. Bill Belichick and his staff must adjust accordingly.

The New England Patriots need to prepare for life without Tom Brady to start the 2016 season. If the Patriots are going to navigate their way through a tough schedule to start the season, they are going to need to play team football.

The pressure can’t simply fall on Jimmy Garoppolo or Jacoby Brissett. The Patriots are going to need all three phases to contribute in order to win games in Brady’s absence. Here five things that need to happen schematically in order for the Patriots to win in 2016.

1. Run the Football: Now more than ever, the Patriots need to commit to the running game. LeGarrette Blount, Donald Brown and Dion Lewis will play a major role in the offense, especially the first four weeks of the season.

The Patriots must take the pressure off of Garoppolo and Brissett and be more balanced on offense. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels needs to be more patient and the Patriots need to stay long down situations. Running the football will allow to stay ahead of the chains.

2. Get the Ball Out Quick: The Patriots three step passing game and perimeter screen game are the best in the NFL. No team does more with formations and personnel groupings and getting the ball out quick than the Patriots.

Tom Brady took a beating last season because of poor line play. If the Patriots want to protect Brady and the other quarterbacks, they need to get the ball out quick.

Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots defensive lineman Jabaal Sheard (93) against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Get Production from Chris Long and Jabaal Sheard: Patriots fans never gave defensive end Chandler Jones enough credit but he was the Pats’ best pass rusher and integral part of their defense. This past season, New England finished second in the NFL with 49 sacks and Jones totaled one quarter (12.5) of those traps.

Long and Sheead must replace Jones’ production from a pass rushing standpoint. They must get consistent pressure on the quarterback and allow the Patriots to be flexible with their fronts and coverages. Jones wore a variety of hats in the Patriots defense. Long and Sheard need to be just as flexible and do many of the same things Jones did.

4. Use More 30 Fronts: The Patriots need to use more 30 fronts(three man line) in an effort to generate more pressure. 30 fronts allow teams to use more exotic pressure schemes and blitz from different angles. The Patriots need to sub more along the defensive line and put more speed on the field in long down situations.

5. Offensive Line Must Play Better: Knowing Dante Scarnecchia like I do, he must not have been happy the first time he started watching film from last season. Thanks to injuries and inconsistency, the Patriots were awful up front at times.

must read: 5 NFL Coaches Who Need to Take Over Play Calling

Look for Scarnecchia to go back to the fundamentals and to do some different things with the blocking schemes, especially pass protection.

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5 Things the New England Patriots Must Do Well Schematically in 2016

By John Sarianides | Jul 2, 2016

The New England Patriots are facing the possibility of playing without Tom Brady for the first four weeks of the 2016 regular season if his appeal is denied. Bill Belichick and his staff must adjust accordingly.