Game Rewind: The Patriots Defense Continues to Prove it's Championship Caliber
 Patriots cornerback, Darrelle Revis, dominated on Sunday night, limiting the Chargers leading receiver, Keenan Allen, to three yards on two catches. (USA TODAY Images) |
The New England Patriots defeated the Chargers 23-14 in San Diego Sunday night.
The Patriots have now won eight of their last nine games, coming home successful after a week long stay in San Diego. It wasn't pretty, but the Patriots made enough plays to win against a tough Chargers team.
After reviewing the game, here are a few thoughts on Sunday's victory. --
Defense Reigns: The biggest takeaway from this game, New England's defense is championship caliber. The Chargers have a solid offense, but the Patriots defense made them look bad on Sunday night. With San Diego averaging over 23 points-per-game prior to this contest, New England's defense held the unit to only seven points.
After so many years of the Patriots fielding a powerhouse offense with a leaky defense, it seems they now have a defense that can win them games when the offense struggles. The Patriots offense couldn't get into a rhythm for much of the evening, but the defense was able to make plays and secure the team's 10th victory of the year.
Revis and Collins Shine in Defensive Performance: The Patriots defense won this game for the team Sunday and two players stood out in their effort. Darrelle Revis shutdown Chargers top wide out Keenan Allen, who led the team with 72 catches going into the contest. Revis blanketed Allen throughout the game, holding him to just two receptions for three yards.
Second-year linebacker Jamie Collins also played an outstanding game. Collins had to step up Sunday. With Dont'a Hightower sidelined (shoulder), Collins took over as the defensive play caller and was utilized in several different ways. He filled the stat sheet tallying eight solo tackles, two sacks and three tackles for a loss. Collins has flashed during the season, but his ceiling as a player seems very high.
Bill Belichick praised Collins post game:
“Jamie has had some really outstanding moments throughout the course of the year. His consistency has gotten better every week. This was a big game for him San Diego with [Hightower] out – taking over the communication and working with Johnathan [Casillas], who has had the least amount of time playing in there. I thought Jamie did a great job of controlling the defense, recognizing a couple of checks and adjustments we needed to make... He did a really good job for us."
Offensive Line Issues Left Pats Offense Sputtering: The Patriots have averaged over 30 points-per-game this season, but there have been some hiccups along the way. New England couldn't get rolling Sunday night and the third quarter was specifically bad for the unit.
The biggest issues for Tom Brady and the offense started up front, with the offensive line struggling impose their will. The line failed to open up many holes in the run game after the opening drive and the line looked overwhelmed in pass protection. Left tackle Nate Solder continues to struggle, he was pushed back by Dwight Freeney and Melvin Ingram consistently in the game.
After fixing many of their line woes midway through the season, the offensive line has not been good the past two weeks. Even though it hasn't always led to sacks, Brady has been pressured more than usual and forced to shuffle inside the pocket. He looked uncomfortable Sunday night.
Slow Starts in First and Third Quarters Troubling: The Patriots offense struggled at times Sunday, specifically to start the game and coming out after halftime. New England had only one possession in the first quarter, the unit drove 89 yards down the field on 17 plays, but failed to punch it in for a touchdown and settled for a field goal.
The third quarter was a much bigger concern, starting with four straight punts and settling for a field goal on the fifth possession. New England had favorable field position for a large majority of third quarter, but couldn't move the ball. Here's how it breaks down:
- Drive begins on New England's 19; 3 plays, 8 yards, punt.
- Drive begins on New England's 48; 3 plays, 4 yards, punt.
- Drive begins on New England's 44; 3 plays, - 4 yards, punt.
- Drive begins on New England's 30; 3 plays, 4 yards, punt.
- Drive begins on New England's 25; 10 plays, 55 yards, field goal.
The first four drives of the second half resulted in 12 offensive plays for 12 yards, four three-and-outs for the Patriots. Not what you would expect from a Tom Brady led offense and one of the league leaders in scoring.
Credit the Patriots defense for keeping the team in position to win this contest, as well as San Diego's defense for their play, but New England's offense has to adjust and figure out how to get out of slumps. The unit looked like it was stuck in the mud and could not get rolling. With field position so much in their favor, this game should not have been as close as it was down the stretch.
Mid-Season Additions Make an Impact: Over the course of a season, an NFL team will make a countless number of roster transactions. This season, the Patriots acquired two players in late October who have given a boost to the defense and stood out on Sunday.
Akeem Ayers has stepped in for the injured Chandler Jones and done a remarkable job. He pressured Phillip Rivers several times during the game and came up with a big interception. He's surpassed many expectations and worked his way into a strong role moving forward, showing a willingness to set the edge and providing a pass rush.
Jonathan Casillas stepped into the starting lineup Sunday and did a solid job overall. He had four solo tackles and forced a fumble. While it's not ideal if he's a weekly starter, the 27-year-old linebacker has been a special teams contributor and shown that he can contribute on defense when called upon.
What's Next: The Patriots return home for a Division Game against the Miami Dolphins in week 15. New England has an opportunity to clinch the division on Sunday, but the Dolphins will look for a similar result to week one when they defeated the Patriots 33-20 in Miami.
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