Evan Lazar

@ezlazar • 90,288 subscribers

Senior Reporter and host of Patriots Catch-22 at https://t.co/ZPuThmiF57. Thanks to @guertin11 for putting up with football season. Thoughts are my own.

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Evan Lazar

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#Patriots QB Drake Maye hitting the tricky Tampa-2 hole on a 31-yard wheel route to rookie TE Eli Raridon might be one of the best throws I've seen on tape this season.

#Patriots pre-snap alignment shows cover zero before the snap. Allen checks into a WR screen to beat the blitz and the Pats bail out of the sim pressure.

Two more plays that stood out: #Patriots WR Efton Chism III finding the zone void on mesh traffic (third down conversion) &amp; DeMario Douglas finding the soft spot in a tricky cover-two for 16 yards. Vrabel on Douglas's catch: "That looked like a professional football play."

"Credit the offensive line. Eating a ham sandwich, so I got all day back there." - Drake Maye

Good stuff from #Patriots defense. Been loving their "tricky" cover two disguises from Zak Kuhr. The Pats start Marcus Jones in the post and Byard/Woodson down near the line. They then rotate into cover two, take away curl/flat up top, and Allen has to take a 4-yard check down.

#Patriots OLB Dre'Mont Jones read this end around to Tre Tucker like a book. 11-yard loss that knocked the Raiders out of field goal range in a 14-7 game in the second quarter. Big play when the game was competitive.

Love these "dash" passes the #Patriots are running to get Maye on the move. Looks like they flooded the quarters side of cover six for a 63-yarder to Doubs. Getting Maye on the move and answers to cover six. 👌

Besides in an end-of-half scenario, don't think I've seen a defense run a "drop-9" coverage quite like this from the Jaguars. This play was at the 3-min mark of the second quarter. Dropped nine into coverage vs. HOSS Juke.

Looks like #Patriots LG Alijah Vera-Tucker knocked off all the rust last week. He was much better in Week 2. Check out the movement he gets on this double team with Campbell to get Stevenson started on his 24-yard run.

That would make more sense. Sorry, I misheard him. Still, he pops right up after it. Just wild.

Same play-caller, same play.

A cleaner pocket for DeVito on his 36-yard scramble and Kyle Williams might've had another long touchdown last night (Williams running the deep post).

More personnel matching fun for the #Patriots: Pats put 12-personnel on the field with Henry and Raridon. Steelers match it with base defense. Raridon matched up with LB Payton Wilson and runs by him on the high seven route for an explosive.

#Patriots reported signing FB Reggie Gilliam moves really well at 6-0, 244 pounds. Has some range at the position and body control to square up his targets while on the move. Buffalo really liked this zone windback play with Gilliam leading up to the second level.

Romeo Doubs put up 8 catches for 124 yards and a TD in Green Bay's loss to the Bears in the Wild Card round last season. Doubs pretty much put his full repertoire of tricks on tape in that game. Slot fades, play-action verticals, 1-on-1 wins in isolation, slot options, etc.

Penn State LG Vega Ioane (No. 71) is an absolute stud. This is what a first-round guard prospect looks like.

The end zone angle of the Williams TD goes hard. Not even sure how Maye bent the bullet like this while he was being hit during his throwing motion. And the ball placement was perfect.

Always hesitate with Tennessee wide receivers because that offense is weird. However, a 6-foot-5 burner with legit deep speed and the ability to win the ball downfield feels like a Drake Maye kind of receiver. Some impressive reps vs. press by Chris Brazzell against Georgia.

Film review on A.J. Brown coming tomorrow morning. Here are a few cutups: go-ball winner, slant demon, double move artist, backside digs/crossers. Brown only ran 12.4% of his routes from the slot last season (career low). Could see Josh McDaniels move him around more.

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I get disregarding anything that happens in garbage time, but this looks so much more like last year from Drake Maye. Steps through the pressure, eyes downfield, Williams breaks off his route to mirror Maye's movement, and they work off-script to generate an explosive.

Kyle Williams mixtape just dropped.

Two more plays that stood out: #Patriots WR Efton Chism III finding the zone void on mesh traffic (third down conversion) &amp; DeMario Douglas finding the soft spot in a tricky cover-two for 16 yards. Vrabel on Douglas's catch: "That looked like a professional football play."

The #Patriots generated three explosives on the dagger concept vs. the Raiders, with QB Drake Maye hitting three different routes, including a 35-yard TD to DeMario Douglas and a 31-yarder to TE Eli Raridon.

This is when you knew Drake Maye was feeling it yesterday. Picks up the aborted snap, relocates in the pocket to avoid pressure, keeps the play on time while throwing across the field to Henry for a 20-yard gain. Exactly how they drew up the play, right?

New #Patriots S Jaylen Reed: - Plays the run from the slot or in the box - Man coverage vs. WRs and TEs - Well-versed in Cover 1-cross/robber schemes - Urgent downhill trigger from deep safety Hope he's the "big" nickel/dime SAF the Pats could use.

The #Patriots defense was a step ahead of the Bills, baiting Josh Allen into a blitz beater against a cover zero bluff. Also, throw screens to Carlton Davis’s side at your own peril.

#Patriots best run of the night was a 15-yard gain by RB Jam Miller on a zone-lead play. Liked seeing the two rookie tight ends at the point of attack. Raridon+Arkin combo the end and Raridon comes off with good timing to get out to the play-side CB to spring Miller.

The #Patriots motioned on a season-high 67.7% of their called runs on Sunday, which led to a 42.9% success rate on those runs. We got duo with Mack Hollins motioning across to insert up to the safety coming down and it gains 8 yards.

Breaking down an impressive rookie debut for #Patriots second-rounder Gabe Jacas in Week 1.

Breaking down how the #Patriots got their offense and QB Drake Maye going: more motion, a higher play-action rate, and Maye playing better in structure led to a big win in Buffalo. +Pats zones limit Josh Allen, quick-hit film notes, etc. Read:

#Patriots CB Kindle Vildor with three pass breakups in a four-play sequence to make his case for a roster spot.

The John Saunders tape is good.

Some signs of progress from the Drake Maye to Romeo Doubs connection in Sunday's win over the Bills. Broke down Doubs's opening-drive touchdown and his two fourth down conversions.

You wish #Patriots QB Drake Maye could've played like this for four full quarters last night. Turns a 2nd-and-19 into a new set of downs by taking the profit on a Stevenson check-down (11 yards) and then alerts into a screen to Pop Douglas against the blitz.

#Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez with one of the best pass breakups I've seen from a corner all year. Bail technique in cover three vs. a post route with the safeties exchanging. Unreal recovery speed and athleticism to make the diving PBU vs. one of the fastest WRs in the NFL.

#Patriots WR Kyle Williams was ballin' in the second quarter last night.

The touchdown got wiped away by a hold on a downfield block, but Josh Allen doing this to you on fourth down must be the worst feeling ever.

The #Patriots running the ball off their own goal-line while chewing up 6:09 off the clock in the fourth quarter was indeed "classy" as HC Mike Vrabel said. Two great outside zone reps (Onwenu!) and then Chism digging out the safety on a 9-yard run. Playoff football.

#Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez vs. DK Metcalf in Week 2: 34 routes, 1 catch, 9 yards, PBU. 🔒

Two more plays that stood out: #Patriots WR Efton Chism III finding the zone void on mesh traffic (third down conversion) & DeMario Douglas finding the soft spot in a tricky cover-two for 16 yards. Vrabel on Douglas's catch: "That looked like a professional football play."

Two more plays that stood out: #Patriots WR Efton Chism III finding the zone void on mesh traffic (third down conversion) & DeMario Douglas finding the soft spot in a tricky cover-two for 16 yards. Vrabel on Douglas's catch: "That looked like a professional football play."