Patriots' backs ready to hit the ground running

Vanilla.

The word doesn't offer much hope for the spectacular, doesn't beg for anything exciting - that is, unless you are a fan of smash-mouth, fundamental football - in which case this Friday night's preseason tilt that pits the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should be right in your wheelhouse...

Blount adds a large, physical presence to the backfield

The Buccaneers have come to town to participate in joint practices with New England, culminating in the second exhibition game of the preseason on Friday night - and since the two face off against each other just three weeks into the regular season as well, both the practices and the game should have that very vanilla flavor to them.

That said and being true, both teams are focusing more on fundamentals and less on game planning - and as a result, we should have a rare opportunity to witness hard-core rudimentary football, and at the same time get a good idea of where the team is at, from its core outward...

...because nothing is more fundamental in football - nothing more elementary - than achieving balance on offense and forcing the defense to defend every inch of the field, and with both teams' game plans developed with clandestine motive, it will come down to brute force against raw power, particularly in the running game, where the bruising Patriots' attack will face a stout Bucs' front seven.

Given the first opportunity to see the Patriots' running backs in action last Friday night in Philadelphia, a couple of long runs skewed the average, set at a gaudy eight yards per carry on the game, overall - but the detractors are quick to point out that the performance wasn't what it seemed.

Ridley caught from behind by Bradley Fletcher

Take away the 62 yards by Stevan Ridley to open the game and a crazy 51 yard scamper by LeGarrette Blount from the 248 total yards gained on the ground, and the remaining 135 yards doesn't sound as impressive - but to do so on 29 carries still comes out to 4.6 yards per, slightly more than what the team averaged last season...

...but, the pundits continue, that was against a Philadelphia Eagles team that was horrible against the run last season, and is also in the process of switching from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4, prompting many to believe that it wasn't a true gauge of what the Patriots' running game actually is...

...and that makes this Friday's game against the NFL's best run defense from 2012 a greater challenge for the offensive line and the backs - and while the upgrade in competition isn't exactly a fair gauge of the running game either, it does offer a baseline from which to proceed.

Though it seemed as if the Baltimore Ravens took particular care to work on their power running game against the Bucs last week - scoring on runs of 2, 3 and 21 yards, achieving balance and blowing Tampa Bay out of their own building - Greg Schiano's front 7 held the powerful Ravens' runners to 3.7 yards per carry, so it goes without saying that New England's offensive line and stable of backs have an opportunity to make a most powerful statement by flexing their muscles against them.

The bulk, will and talent is there as the Patriots feature one of the most dominant run blocking lines in the league, and hung those 248 rushing yards on the Eagles last Friday despite having to press swing tackle Will Svitek into service as an impromptu right guard - which will probably happen again this Friday night.  Not to fear, however, as Svitek did his usual yeoman's job and will benefit from the practice reps leading up to the game.

Unbelievably, Ridley took some criticism this week for not being able to finish off what ended up being the 62 yard run - but the nit-picking is unfounded, as Ridley showed his usual burst through a gaping hole on the left side but was caught from behind by speedy cornerback Bradley Fletcher, who was the only man that had a realistic shot at catching him.

Regardless, Ridley will keep trudging along, undeterred by the detractors, backed up by the 250 pound Blount, who is a nifty runner - and while not displaying the same burst through the hole that Ridley does, he is a bruising back nonetheless.  Quite nimble - like a tank with power steering -  He seems to glide through the hole, folks bouncing off of him.

But neither of these guys could catch a cold curling out of the backfield and into the pass pattern, so they will be counted on to tote the rock for many yards on first and second down, but will come off the field for anything besides third and short - giving way to the likes of Brandon Bolden, Leon Washington and, most notably, Shane Vereen.

Vereen celebrating his touchdown reception

A cousin of the famed dancer Ben Vereen, the speedy third year man out of Cal may be the most versatile and pernicious weapon in the Patriots' multi-faceted arsenal.  At 5' 10" and 205 pounds, Vereen has the bulk and the style to handle both running between the tackles and gaining the corner - but his speed and soft hands make him even more dangerous lined up as a receiver, be it wide or in the slot...

...too fast for linebackers to cover, Vereen may dictate a nickle safety or even slot corner coverage from opposing defenses, initiating mismatch opportunities for the entire offense.

Beyond those three, the depth chart is filled in with Washington and Bolden, but both should see most of their field time on special teams as Bolden is a key member of all kick units and free agent Washington is one of the premier kick returners in the NFL.  Both are capable receivers as well and could see snaps as change of pace or third down backs.

The Potential is present for the Patriots to field a commanding ground presence, which will open up the field for Tom Brady and his brace of fine new receivers, Brady being the master at selling the play action - and setting the stage to ultimately gain coveted balance.

The Patriots were close last season, sporting a 53/47 split in passing plays over running, but given the growth potential and overall skill and brutality of the backs and blockers - and with balance opening more and more of the playbook, that just makes Brady and the rest of the offense that much more dangerous...

...and we should see how dangerous that can be against Tampa Bay's top ranked run defense on Friday night.