Vince Wilfork, MVP

The Patriots are using one elite player to anchor an entire phase of their game: Vince Wilfork on defense. In a week of terrible, horrible, no-good, idiotic articles ostensibly being "written" about "sports", Chris Brown's analysis of the Patriots' rube-goldbergian defense stands out.

So what has Belichick done with his oddball assortment of defenders, anchored by Vince Wilfork? Did he choose 3-4 or 4-3? One-gap or 2-gap? Traditionally a 3-4 coach, Belichick ran this system even when almost every other NFL team was mimicking the 4-3 defenses popular in Dallas and Tampa. But Belichick now finds himself in a time when, by desire and necessity, he has largely moved to a four-man line approach. And yet, in typical Belichick fashion, he has chosen not to rely solely on the 4-3 or 3-4 or a 1-gap or 2-gap approach. Nor does he just alternate between 3-4 and 4-3 looks from play to play. Instead, Belichick has essentially combined both approaches in the same play. How?

Read the article to learn something (or just to sound smug and knowledgeable at your Super Bowl party). Go Patriots!