Local football fans are very lucky indeed to have Bill Belichick, Matt Patricia, Tom Brady and all the Pats. But, in my mind Globe writer Ben Volin is an unheralded New England treasure. Here's why.
LEXINGTON, MA. February 10, 2017. If you want to know how the Patriots pulled off the amazing last Sunday you need look no further than Globe reporter Ben Volin’s game analysis stories, “Patriots Replay,” from yesterday and today.
I’m guessing that Volin watches–and analyzes–as much tape as Belichick and Brady. Were I an opposing coach about to play New England, I’d check out his writing. The man is nothing if not thorough and totally knowledgeable.
These are my favorites of his many enlightening observations from Super Bowl LI:
· I honestly thought Edelman, beyond one of the greatest clutch catches of all time, was constantly hounded by Falcon defenders and didn’t have a great game. What I missed, as did our announcers, but was cited by Volin was the solid job he did sealing the edges with crunching crack-back blocks on linebackers at the most key moments of the game, including the game winning run, solidifying his status as a great all-around player.
· I think we all suspected Atlanta’s defense was gassed for the last quarter and the overtime, but Volin points out that they virtually admitted that by switching from man-to-man to a zone, and even we know what Brady and McDaniels do to a zone. Of course, the Falcons know this too, but they probably had no choice.
· There was almost no talk of this (nor should there have been) in all the appropriate celebrations after the game, but my heart was in my mouth on the second to last play. Be honest. Yours was too. That fade pattern on first and goal from the 1? Volin poetically referred to it as “almost having their Pete Carroll moment.” Thank goodness it wasn’t.
· It was easy to be blinded by the brilliance of Julio Jones, but Volin points out, he kills teams with his yards after the catch, and the Patriots–how’s this for a stat–held him to just 2, yes 2 yards total after his acrobatic receptions.
· Volin observed that the Patriots switched Hightower from an inside linebacker position to the outside after being gashed by Falcon runs, moving guys to the inside who had played there rarely all year. Hightower became a beast from that position, made the crucial sack and, according to Volin, was defensive player of the game.
The Patriots proved again that they are unequalled when it comes to in-game strategy adjustments. I’m guessing that there isn’t another sportswriter in the country who can analyze those strategies and report on them with the skill and acumen of Ben Volin.