Boom and bust for New England Patriots Power-I formation
When Laurence Maroney scored a 59-yard touchdown against the Miami Dolphins last Sunday it was only the second big-time play this season for the New England Patriots from the Power-I formation that delivered several touchdowns last year. The first was runningback Sammy Morris’s 49-yard run over the strong side of the formation against the Cincinnati Bengals in week four (it was actually a variation of the Power-I with a split end rather than a tight end on the weak side). One reason for the lack of notable Power-I plays is simply fewer opportunities than last year. Last year the receiving corps was the weakest part of the offense, this year it is the strongest, meaning coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels have had little reason to go to the Power-I well.
Another reason is that the tight ends, who are key to Power-I success, have been beset with injuries this season. Second-year player David Thomas missed the entire season and Benjamin Watson and Kyle Brady have missed games as well. Back-up Marcellus Rivers looked good in pre-season but was a complete bust in regular season games and contributed to Morris’s season-ending injury. Rivers’s replacement Stephen Spach has performed a good deal better.
With few tight-ends available Patriots have pressed offensive linemen Ryan O’Callaghan , Wesley Britt and Russ Hochstein into action as tight end (a role they were prepared for during training camp). The results have been mixed, but no more so than when the Patriots used their regular tight-ends in the Power-I.
The Patriots have run more to the formations weak side this year than they did in 2006. What I call the worst offensive play of the year for the Patriots, the failed third down conversion late in the third quarter against Indianapolis Colts, was a Power-I run over the weak left side where Hochstein played tight end. Maroney’s touchdown run against the Dolphins also went over the left side, but with Britt as tight end (Hochstein was manning the right guard position).
Different teams choose different approaches to defend against the Power-I. The Colts, for example, used a 4-6-1 lineup, presumably counting on their speed to get defenders to the point of attack. They may also have been wary of a play action pass to Watson. The Dolphins sold out entirely, putting six men on the line of scrimmage and the remaining five in a line just a couple of yards behind them.
Against the Cleveland Browns in week five the Patriots got a bit fancy and ran an end-around to the weak side with fullback Heath Evans as lead blocker and Watson as ball carrier. Watson gained 11 yards.
