Patriots Stuff Cadillac, Stymie Bucs' Offense William Bendetson, The Tampa Tribune, published 18 December 2005 It was an ideal postgame locker-room scene for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions after their 28-0 victory against the Bucs on Saturday. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was talking with his father. Linebacker Mike Vrabel was running around with his son. Defensive end Richard Seymour was saying how proud he was of his defense for producing a shutout after barely missing one a week ago. "I could not feel better than I do right now," Vrabel said. "This is just great." For a normally modest group, the Patriots defense could not hide its excitement with its performance. They did what was necessary to stop the Bucs offense: stop Cadillac Williams. New England held him to 23 yards on 14 carries, just a 1.6-yard average for someone who will receive Offensive Rookie of the Year consideration. But on this day the Patriots' defensive line, particularly improved nose tackle Vince Wilfork, forced the Bucs away from their goal of pounding the ball and controlling the clock. In the Patriots' 3-4 scheme, a defensive lineman's primary responsibility is to consume blockers so the linebackers can make tackles. Wilfork, a second-year player from the University of Miami, is starting to comprehend his role in a defense that has enough schemes to make someone dizzy. "He is a maturing player and someone who is learning the game," Seymour said. "Vince is incredibly strong inside and a lot of offensive linemen simply can't block him. They either try to pull him down or grab him and there is only so much of that you can do before Vince becomes a force." Patriots coach Bill Belichick also has noticed the improvement in the former Hurricanes standout. "He has been out there and he has not missed any games so he keeps getting better," Belichick said. "He is playing some of the blocking schemes better and technique-wise he is improving." Each week the Patriots practice by having a player mimic the moves of an opponent, but they knew that imitating Williams probably was impossible. "Forget about imitating Cadillac Williams. You just can't do it. He is too good," said Patriots linebacker Rosevelt Colvin, who finished with five tackles and a sack. "Playing really well as a unit is the key to stopping him and that is what we did." Williams did not argue that point. "Their defense was tough; it just seemed like they were everywhere," he said. "They had a good scheme. They are definitely the best defense we've faced, and we've faced some pretty good ones this year."