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[QUOTE="SUFan44, post: 5609748, member: 39"]
I do think Brady/McDermott have made the offense into one that is based on the running game. And to their credit, it’s one of the best in the NFL.

Overall, the offense has not been the issue on paper. 4th in overall yards per game and total scoring. It’s not at the elite level I think it was maybe 2-3 years ago, but it’s very good.

But if you watch every game, you’ll see the spamming of plays and some questionable play calls in key situations that put us behind the eight ball. It’s happened a little less as the season has gone on I think, but I do worry about the team’s ability to sustain drives if the running game is bottled up.

All of this said, the factor that will hold them back is the defense and that’s been a consistent theme in the playoffs since they’ve been good again. They need to change the approach and player archetype they go after. The secondary is trending in the right direction (still need a safety but have Hancock getting reps; also probably need to replace Johnson soon). If Oliver and Hoecht were healthy (even one honestly), I do think it would have a huge impact. The one spot that I don’t agree with their usage and value assessment is Bernard. He has not been good and the splash plays he made his first year as a starter masked the fact that he plays out of position all the time and is simply too small to play MLB - even when healthy. They really need to either change his position or cut him - he’s hurt way too much and looks more like a safety at a position that is critical to defensive success.
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