Zimmer to copy Cincinnati game plan? Last season when the Patriots faced Mike Zimmer’s Cincinnati defense, the Patriots’ offense could not handle the pressure in a performance everyone would like to forget. Now that Zimmer is Minnesota’s head coach, the question is whether he will come back with the same game plan he used with the Bengals. Zimmer “I wouldn’t be surprised if they xerox off the same game plan,” Belichick said. “We couldn’t do much. We were 1-for-13 on third downs, scored six points -- whatever it was, they did a good job. Yeah, we are certainly prepared for that. If they do the same thing they did last year, it wouldn’t shock me at all -- until we can show we can do something about it.” Offensive line decisions are fluid. The Patriots used a rotation on the offensive line against Miami and it didn’t go too well. But Belichick didn’t put the blame on the offensive line as the only problem. “I said after the game in Miami that we all have to do a better job on offense, defense, special teams,” Belichick said. “We have to do a better job, so I put everybody in that category.” Belichick said he is satisfied with the progress the offensive line made this week, but the test will come Sunday. He is not ready to say whether the team will continue to use a rotation or select a consistent five players on the line. “Each week we will do what we feel is best for the football team in every area at every position,” he said. Patterson Belichick compares Patterson to Jacoby Jones. Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson is explosive in the return game in addition to being a major offensive weapon. Belichick said the closest comparison for Patterson in the return game is to Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones, who has returned four kickoffs for touchdowns in his career -- three in the past two seasons. “He’s big, strong, aggressive, hard to tackle,” Belichick said about Patterson. “He’s got good vision, and it seems even there are a lot of times when guys have a shot at him and they just can’t tackle. He runs through tackles and he has breakaway speed. So he’s that type of player. Can hit the home run, go the distance. Sometimes it’s there, but sometimes it’s not there and he still makes a lot out of it.” Cassel’s biggest improvement? Belichick gave high praise to former Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel; after Tom Brady’s knee injury, Cassel started every game of the 2008 season for New England. He said the area that Cassel has improved in the most is experience. “Well, since he was here it is obviously experience,” Belichick said. “He didn’t start a game since high school until he started in that ’08 season. He’s got a lot of playing time under his belt now. You can just see his experience and confidence and decision-making. They are all on a lot higher level than they were in ’08, and they were good in ’08.”
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 21:42:22 +0000
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