The Patriots have a very solid foundation that starts at the top with owner Bob Kraft and goes right down to Bill Belichick, Nick Caserio, coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia.
Blount’s numbers through 12 games, 165 carries, 703 yards for a 4.3-yard average and 6 touchdowns are decent enough considering he often had nowhere to run.
In this episode, we looked back at the AFC Championship Game loss for the Patriots. We analyzed each quarter of the game, and also graded all the Patriots units along with the coaching staff. We also had another segment of “Around The League” and we ended with our predictions for the Super Bowl.
The Patriots are hardly in uncharted waters here, the team is quite used to Bill Belichick’s staff being raided during the off-season, and this one like the others, will be handled, mainly from within as has been his modus operandi. But who fills these positions will bear watching.
The big 6’4, 325-pound lineman is versatile, a Bill Belichick staple and can play anywhere from 0-technique to a 5-technique. His ability to stop the run and collapse the pocket were big parts of the Patriots defense down the stretch.
The Patriots currently have 74 players on the roster, the 53-man unit that faced Denver in the AFC Championship and 21 players who are on IR. Of those 74, the team has 11 un-restricted free agents, four restricted free agents and three exclusive rights free agents
For most of the season the topic of conversation in regards to the New England Patriots has centered on the performance of the offensive line. While that unit has at times deserved scrutiny, the return of Sebastian Vollmer has seemed to have stabilized the group. Overlooked has been what may be the real Achilles heel for this squad as they battle the Denver Broncos on Sunday: the team’s third down defense.
Tom Brady with both Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski in the lineup is 22-1 in his last 23 games. In those contests, Brady has completed 67.3 percent of his passes for 7322 yards, 64 TDs and just 13 INTs for a passer rating of 107.
In Brady’s last 23 games with both Gronkowski and Edelman available the Patriots are 22-1. And in those games Brady has completed 67.3 percent of his passes for 7322 yards with 64 TDs, 13 INTs for a passer rating of 107.
Brady in the postseason has faced the #1 defense three times, all of them on the road. The Patriots are 3-0 in those games and in all three instances went on to win the Super Bowl
In the earlier game, the Patriots tried to stress the Broncos linebackers by putting them in coverage. It was a match-up they didn’t fully realize but with Edelman back on the field, White is a weapon that they can bring to bear.
In the Pats big nickel, they bring in an extra safety (Duron Harmon) to play an extra defensive back to go along with Chung and Devin McCourty.
Tickets for the game will only be sold to those with a billing address in the Rocky Mountain region, including Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, western Kansas and Wyoming.
The best social media postings from the Divsional Round matchup between the Patriots and Chiefs.
An even bigger factor of having Edelman back is teams can’t overload on covering Rob Gronkowski and he was extremely effective on Saturday with seven catches for 83 yards and two big touchdowns