For Broncos head coach Sean Payton, it’s no secret that defenses led by New England coach Bill Belichick are good at eliminating an opponent’s best offensive weapon.
Payton saw it first hand when he was coaching the New Orleans Saints in 2013. Tight end Jimmy Graham was arguably one of the best pass catchers in the league that year, finishing with 1,215 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. But against New England, Graham was shadowed by former cornerback Aquib Talib and ended up being a non-factor.
“This was when Jimmy Graham was really having a breakout-type season and there goes Talib everywhere Jimmy was, jamming him at the line of scrimmage,” Payton said. “We’re at halftime and Jimmy doesn’t have a catch yet, and now you are out of your rhythm.”
Graham finished the game without a catch on six targets, as the Saints lost 30-27.
“(Belichick is) just really good at taking away some things that you want to do or making you play left-handed, if you will,” Payton said.
Sure, the Patriots are one of the worst teams in the league and the Broncos are 6.5-point favorites in Sunday night’s matchup. But Payton is not taking any chances against Belichick and his formidable defense.
This season, New England has ranked near the bottom in every major offensive category. But defensively, the Patriots have been one of the best across the board. New England is ranked eighth in total defense (308.3 yards allowed per game) and second in stopping the run, as opponents have averaged 84.9 rushing yards.
In a chess match between two well-respected coaches, Payton already expects Belichick to try to neutralize the connection between quarterback Russell Wilson and wide receiver Courtland Sutton.
“There are some things even in the planning stages. You start with Courtland. If we put him here, what is our Courtland double-beater opposite? That kind of thing,” Payton said. “All of that has to go into it. You can see it with different opponents when they play. You can just see it if you look at the last two years and pick out a tight end or receiver. You can see what he’s trying to do to someone else’s version of Courtland.”
Wilson and Sutton’s on-field relationship has done wonders for the offense this season, especially in the red zone where the Broncos wideout has caught eight of his 10 touchdowns. But that success comes with warranted attention from defenses.
It’s expected the Patriots will try to double-team Sutton on Sunday night, which he views as a sign of respect.
“I’m going into (the game) being as prepared as possible so whenever the opportunities do arise and we find the looks that we like, I will be ready,” Sutton said.
Of course, the Patriots do more than just shut down the opponent’s best player. Belichick loves to give teams lots of different looks.
New England has held opponents under 100 rushing yards in five straight games. That doesn’t bode well for the Broncos, who have averaged 3.2 yards per carry in the last two matchups, and badly need to get their run game going if they want to stay alive in the playoff race.
Right tackle Mike McGlinchey called New England’s defense an incredibly well-coached group that responds differently to personnel groupings compared to other teams in the league. He noticed that the Patriots will rotate players around and have them play different positions.
“They’ll have safeties play MIKE linebacker and linebackers play (defensive) end,” McGlinchey told The Denver Post. “They have well-timed pressures and we have our hands full, for sure.”
Against New England, Payton said communication and ball security will be important. The Patriots have recorded at least one takeaway in four of the last five games, including two in the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15.
The Broncos, on the other hand, have turned the ball over in four straight contests.
“Field position and ball security…Those things will be huge in this game,” Payton said. “You have two really good defenses. You have to be smart when you get aggressive, and you also have to understand how the game is unfolding.”
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