The Patriots actually did move the ball; there were four drives of double-digit plays, and three drives of at least four minutes. The only problem was that three of the four long drives ended on the Oakland 2, 2, and 18-yard lines. But the red zone troubles can be fixed, and I doubt the Patriots will have another game in which two drives stall inside the 5-yard line. They’ll figure it out.
The Patriots picked up 21 first downs. They did a nice job on third down, converting 9 of 18 opportunities. ... The offense cut down on the penalties, committing four for 30 yards, plus a holding call that was declined.
Tom Brady actually spread the ball around pretty well. While Julian Edelman dominated with 13 targets (and 10 catches), Brandon LaFell had eight targets and Shane Vereen tied Gronkowski with six. On third down, Vereen, LaFell, and Edelman each had three targets, while Gronk had two.
And maybe, just maybe, Brady has figured out how to get the ball down the field. Brady threw six passes that traveled at least 15 yards; five of them came in the second half, and four of them in the fourth quarter. Brady completed three of the five passes for 57 yards, plus a pass interference penalty for 14 yards. He also threw a fade pass to Edelman that resulted in a 15-yard gain.
Brady is still missing some easy throws, the offensive line still has major issues, and the receivers need to do a better job of getting open. But this offense isn’t as far off as you think.
