Soul_Survivor88
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Really enjoyable read by Chris Price of WEEI. I posted the article in the On To Pittsburgh thread, and it kinda flew under the radar. Thought I'd repost it here. Would like to hear your thoughts on how this might impact Sunday's game.
Taking The Lead: Why a quick start for Patriots will spell doom for Pittsburgh
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Taking The Lead: Why a quick start for Patriots will spell doom for Pittsburgh
[Click Here For Full Entry]
Over the second half of the season, no team has been better at playing with a lead than New England. The second half of the Nov. 27 contest against the Jets in North Jersey marked the last time this season the Patriots have had to play catch-up. Since that second half— a span of six-plus games — the Patriots have not trailed. At all. That’s a remarkable run of 361 minutes and 56 seconds of game action. It’s all added up to a six-game win streak to end the regular season, as well as a divisional playoff victory last Saturday against the Texans.
The last team to go that long without trailing? According to NFL Research, it was the 2005 Colts, who went a remarkable 444 minutes and three seconds of game action with a lead from Week Six to Week 15 that season.
How have the Patriots managed to take and hold a lead so consistently?
One, they were the second-best first-quarter scoring team in the league in the regular season, which allowed them to put their imprint on the game right out of the gate. New England (130 points) finished the year second only to the Falcons (139) in first-quarter scoring. The Patriots were also the best team in the league when it came to holding opponents in check in the first quarter, yielding just 32 first-quarter points in the regular season — an astounding average of just two points per game. You put up those sorts of numbers in the first quarter, you have control of the game.
Two, they’ve had a run game in that period that has done an excellent job killing the clock and allowing them to keep lead. Including that win over the Jets, the Patriots have topped 90 rushing yards in each one of those games, and had 100-plus yards on the ground on four occasions. LeGarrette Blount has fallen off his pace since the start of the season, but he’s still produced quality yardage. In addition, a rejuvenated Dion Lewis has also provided a jump-start since his return, averaging 4.4 yards per carry through that stretch and helping New England control the clock in the second half. Overall, the Patriots finished the year fifth in time of possession with an average of 31:12 per game.
Pittsburgh has very little margin for error, as the Patriots’ ability to finish off teams after an early lead — especially at home — remains without peer. Since 2001, New England is now 100-1 when leading at halftime in games at Foxboro. In addition, the Patriots have now won 104 straight home games when leading after three quarters.
The last team to go that long without trailing? According to NFL Research, it was the 2005 Colts, who went a remarkable 444 minutes and three seconds of game action with a lead from Week Six to Week 15 that season.
How have the Patriots managed to take and hold a lead so consistently?
One, they were the second-best first-quarter scoring team in the league in the regular season, which allowed them to put their imprint on the game right out of the gate. New England (130 points) finished the year second only to the Falcons (139) in first-quarter scoring. The Patriots were also the best team in the league when it came to holding opponents in check in the first quarter, yielding just 32 first-quarter points in the regular season — an astounding average of just two points per game. You put up those sorts of numbers in the first quarter, you have control of the game.
Two, they’ve had a run game in that period that has done an excellent job killing the clock and allowing them to keep lead. Including that win over the Jets, the Patriots have topped 90 rushing yards in each one of those games, and had 100-plus yards on the ground on four occasions. LeGarrette Blount has fallen off his pace since the start of the season, but he’s still produced quality yardage. In addition, a rejuvenated Dion Lewis has also provided a jump-start since his return, averaging 4.4 yards per carry through that stretch and helping New England control the clock in the second half. Overall, the Patriots finished the year fifth in time of possession with an average of 31:12 per game.
Pittsburgh has very little margin for error, as the Patriots’ ability to finish off teams after an early lead — especially at home — remains without peer. Since 2001, New England is now 100-1 when leading at halftime in games at Foxboro. In addition, the Patriots have now won 104 straight home games when leading after three quarters.
