Wilfork's more than just a nose tackle

Wilfork might be one of the best run-stuffers in the NFL, a wide body who occupies blockers as well as anyone in the league, but that doesn't mean he's just a nose tackle. In the past three weeks, the sixth-year defensive lineman has played just about everywhere on the Patriots' defensive line -- and has thrived doing it.

With the undefeated New Orleans Saints significantly weaker at tackle than at guard or center, Bill Belichick will have the luxury of unpredictability on his side: The Saints will have no idea where the Patriots plan to line up Wilfork.

"We put him where we felt like we need him on a game-by-game basis," Belichick said earlier this week. "How that will be going forward? We'll figure that out week to week. Vince, he does a good job for us every week."

Against Miami earlier this month, Wilfork played primarily right end on a three-man defensive line. He was matched up against left tackle and former No. 1 overall pick Jake Long, the Dolphins' best pass-blocking lineman. The first time Wilfork moved back to defensive tackle, Long went out of his way to block him again "" and Tully Banta-Cain tore right through the block of a tight end to drill Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne and force an incomplete pass.

A week ago against the New York Jets, though, Wilfork played almost the entire game back at nose tackle, occupying double-teams on more than half of his snaps and occupying the time of Nick Mangold, perhaps the best center in the NFL. Wilfork did spend one series at defensive end, however, and he was as productive in those three snaps at defensive end as he was the entire rest of the game at defensive tackle. Consider the numbers gleaned from a review of the tape:

-- In 29 snaps at the nose tackle on a three-man defensive line, Wilfork had two tackles;
-- In five snaps as a right tackle on a four-man defensive line, Wilfork had zero tackles;
-- In three snaps as the left end on a three-man defensive line, Wilfork had three tackles.

That's the kind of versatility the Patriots get with Mike Wright this season and used to get from Richard Seymour before he was traded to Oakland. But Wright and Seymour at least look like defensive ends "" Wright is 6-foot-4 and 295 pounds while Seymour is 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds "" while Wilfork looks like the prototypical wide-bodied nose tackle at 6-foot-2 and 325 pounds.

"Things happen a little quicker at the nose than it is at end," said defensive end Ty Warren, a lineman who has spent some time himself at nose tackle.

"It's a little dirtier at nose than it is at end "" but other than that, it's all the same schematically."

His three snaps at end against the Jets, though, made him look like anything but a wide-bodied nose tackle. Rookie Myron Pryor entered the game at nose tackle to allow Wilfork to shift to left end, and it didn't take more than the requisite three plays for the Patriots to force the Jets to punt.

On his first snap at end, Wilfork shrugged off right tackle Damien Woody and wrestled Thomas Jones to the ground a yard beyond the line of scrimmage. On third down, a situation that sees Wilfork head for the sidelines most of the time, the Jets ran their version of the Wildcat formation with wide receiver Brad Smith. Wilfork pushed Woody into the backfield and was in position to make the tackle of Shonn Green as soon as he fielded the pitch from Smith.

"Vince does what we ask him to do within the scheme, and he does it very, very well," defensive coordinator Dean Pees said earlier this week. "I can't tell you how much he means to our defense."

Like the Jets and Indianapolis Colts, the Saints have their best offensive linemen in the middle of their line: The film analysts at ProFootballFocus.com rank Jahri Evans and Carl Nicks rank as two of the four best offensive guards in the NFL.

On the outside, though, the Saints might be vulnerable. Starting left tackle Jammal Brown went on injured reserve with a hip injury in late September, and second-stringer Jermon Bushrod appears to have been outplayed by third-stringer Zack Strief. Bushrod and Strief alternated at the position a week ago, and that's usually a sign that neither has been able to seize the job for his own.

Belichick could line Wilfork up at end and send him against Bushrod or Strief, thus exploiting the weakest point in the Saints' line with his most talented defensive player. Belichick also could line Wilfork up at nose tackle and occupy either Nicks at left guard, controlling the gaps inside while also preventing Nicks from assisting Bushrod or Strief against Banta-Cain off the edge. Belichick even could alternate Wilfork between nose tackle and defensive end and never give the Saints' offensive linemen a chance to settle into any type of defensive rhythm.

Whatever he ends up doing, there's no question it's forced the Saints' offensive coaches to put in long hours this week.

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(unionleader.com)