Will Brodney Pool See More Action This Week?

Brodney Pool is only averaging 23 snaps per game this year with Eric Smith in the starting lineup. This is a subject of great debate among Jets fans. This seems like the kind of week where he should definitely be more involved. The Patriots have excellent receiving tight ends, although Aaron Hernandez is questionable. The Jets have matchup problems against athletic tight ends with a Smith/Jim Leonhard duo. Pool's superior coverage skills will be in demand.

This does not necessarily mean Pool should take snaps away from Smith depending on the package, particularly if New England spreads the field. The Pats have run the ball successfully, but the key to beating New England's offense is slowing down Tom Brady. You play the pass and adjust to the run. I think Smith will get snaps, but they should be closer to the line. Smith was very good in the postseason last year playing a hybrid safety/linebacker position. Taking the underneath part of bracket coverage while displaying his run support skills, he can be an asset against this dynamic offense. He is better against the pass than the average linebacker and better against the run than the average safety.

What I worry about is the Pats potentially using a lot of big packages with multiple tight ends so the Jets cannot use subpackages with a lot of defensive backs. The Jets will need to make a decision. New England will hope for them to keep Smith on the field over Pool and exploit the tight ends against the safeties.