I am loving the Pats first game of the season. Good offense, good defense, OK special teams. I think there are some things to work on but those items come to light without a defeat. A victory with problems is better than a defeat withe the same. Bill will be able to yell at some of the team without am=n "L" in the column.
Good summary. A really nice, thorough dismantling of a decent opponent on the road. Thorough domination on both sides of the ball, in all aspects of the game. Some things that stand out:
Offense:
1. Run/pass balance and efficiency. 35 rushing attempts, 32 pass attempts (including the sack). 162 yards rushing, 236 yards passing (228 after adjusting for the sack). Efficient on both fronts: Brady over 75% completion percentage, 2 TDs and 0 INTs. Nice ball distribution, with no one targeted over 8 times. 6.0 YPC rushing average.
2. Ridley. 149 total yards, including 2 receptions. Physical, explosive, versatile.
3. OL run blocking. The OL has been maligned, but they performed pretty decently, and were strong in run blocking. Scar does it again.
Wes Welker had a quiet day today, but Brandon Lloyd made a difference. We can expect Welker to be more Welkeresque in the future, and hopefully to get something from Vereen, so things are looking good overall for the offense.
Defense:
1. Domination up front. I can't remember seeing that much quickness from a Pats' DL. Total domination, inside and out. The run defense was as dominant as anything I've ever seen, against an elite RB and strong OL.
2. Great pursuit and tackling. The defense was swarming, closed off holes, and didn't miss tackles. Great fundamentals. Mayo and Hightower stood out
3. Big plays from the secondary. Tavon Wilson made a key INT and made plays all over the field. But for McCourty not quite holding on to a sure INT and the overturned fumble recovery, the secondary would have made some huge plays.
As you say, there's room for improvement, which is nice. 59-0 annihilations only happen so often. This was a more complete and workmanlike (though less brutal) dismantling, but it leaves plenty of room for BB to serve up some humble pie and focus on room for improvement down the road.
Overall, hard to think of a much better start for the season. After all, we're only the "second best" team in our division after week 1, as the Jets were thoroughly dominant against the Bills.
