{"id":2750,"date":"2015-11-09T12:00:37","date_gmt":"2015-11-09T17:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=2750"},"modified":"2015-11-09T09:30:23","modified_gmt":"2015-11-09T14:30:23","slug":"patriots-report-card-at-the-halfway-point-of-the-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2015\/11\/09\/patriots-report-card-at-the-halfway-point-of-the-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriots Report Card at the Halfway Point of the Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0New England Patriots<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0sitting at 8-0 and in great position as one of only two undefeated teams in the AFC and one of three in the league. So this is a good time to take stock of the performances so far in 2015 and give a grade and outlook moving forward by position.<\/p>\n

Overall the Patriots and Bengals sit alone atop the AFC and if the season ended today would get a first round bye entering the playoffs. In the AFC East, much of the talk that the Patriots would be pushed hard for division by Miami, Buffalo and the Jets hasn\u2019t materialized. The Patriots are a perfect 3-0 in the division having beaten every other team the first time thru the schedule<\/p>\n

The Jets are 3+ games back at 5-3, Buffalo is 4-4 and Miami, which was thought to be a playoff contender sits in last place with a 3-5 record. Barring a disaster down the stretch, the Patriots are in great shape to repeat as division champions.<\/p>\n

So here is the Report Card for the Patriots position by position starting with the Offense: <\/p>\n

QUARTERBACK:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tom Brady<\/p>\n

Jimmy Garoppolo<\/p>\n

Grade and Outlook:<\/strong>\u00a0 Brady is playing as well or even better than ever. At 38 years old he\u2019s moving better in the pocket than he ever has and his pocket awareness has been top notch. His pre-snap reads are outstanding and his accuracy has been excellent.<\/p>\n

He shows no signs of slowing down and his ability to command the offense has never been better. Brady\u2019s numbers at the halfway point, he\u2019s completed 225 of 328 passes for a 68.5 percent completion rate, 2709 yards for a 8.25 yards per attempt, 22 touchdowns and just two interceptions for a 113.4 passer rating which is tops in the NFL.<\/p>\n

Jimmy G. has been relegated to just holding the clipboard and a few kneel downs at the end of games\u2026.which is a good thing. Grade:<\/strong> A \u2013<\/strong> no shocker here.<\/p>\n

RUNNING BACK:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dion Lewis<\/p>\n

LeGarrette Blount<\/p>\n

James White<\/p>\n

Brandon Bolden<\/p>\n

Grade and Outlook:<\/strong> No one has surprised more than Lewis this season and he\u2019s been a huge sparkplug for the offense coming out of the backfield. He\u2019s been so elusive and hard to bring down that he\u2019s brought an added dimension to the offense. But his injury on Sunday looks serious and the team will likely be without him for a long time if not for the remainder of the season.<\/p>\n

Blount got the most work of the season on Sunday and responded with 29 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown. He has looked good behind what has been a patchwork offensive line so far.<\/p>\n

White and Bolden have been relegated to spot duty but more than likely will see their roles increased now given the Lewis injury. Bolden filled in nicely Sunday and hauled in an 18-yard touchdown pass from Brady, his first of his career. Grade B+<\/strong><\/p>\n

WIDE RECEIVER:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Julian Edelman<\/p>\n

Brandon LaFell<\/p>\n

Danny Amendola<\/p>\n

Keshawn Martin<\/p>\n

Aaron Dobson<\/p>\n

Grade and Outlook:<\/strong>\u00a0Edelman and Amendola have picked right up where they left off in 2014 and have been excellent, dependable and productive WRs for Brady. LaFell started the season on PUP and has quickly found his rhythm with Brady and the offense. He had 5 catches for 102 yards against the Redskins.<\/p>\n

Dobson and Martin have had spot duty and will probably be relegated to just that unless someone gets banged up down the stretch. Grade: B<\/strong><\/p>\n

TIGHT END (3)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rob Gronkowski<\/p>\n

Michael Williams<\/p>\n

Scott Chandler<\/p>\n

Grade and Outlook:<\/strong>\u00a0Gronkowski has been his usual dominant, virtually un-coverable self and is arguably the offensive MVP thru the first half of the season. Williams has played more than Chandler which is somewhat of a surprise but given the state of flux in the offensive line\u2026he may see even more duty there. Grade: A-<\/strong><\/p>\n

OFFENSIVE LINE:<\/strong><\/p>\n

OT\u00a0Sebastian Vollmer<\/p>\n

OT\u00a0Marcus Cannon<\/p>\n

OT\u00a0Cameron Fleming<\/p>\n

C\u00a0David Andrews<\/p>\n

C\u00a0Bryan Stork<\/p>\n

G\u00a0Josh Kline<\/p>\n

G\u00a0Shaq Mason<\/p>\n

G Tre’ Jackson<\/p>\n

Grade and Outlook:<\/strong> This unit has been banged up and hurt more than any on the roster and still they keep performing at a high level. LT Nate Solder was lost for the season. So Marcus Cannon moved up from swing tackle to take his place. After he was injured Vollmer slid over from RT to fill in. He was injured on Sunday so Cameron Fleming, a PS player from a few weeks ago is now the starting left tackle.<\/p>\n

Stork, fresh off IR-Return played RG as Jackson is also banged up as is Mason. Andrews has played every snap this season, the UDFA from Georgia has been a very pleasant surprise. Behind it all is the outstanding coaching of Dave DeGuglielmo who has done a magnificent job of preparing his players and moving them around seamlessly, which isn\u2019t supposed to be done. Grade A-<\/strong><\/p>\n

Next up is the defense: <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

DEFENSIVE TACKLE:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alan Branch<\/p>\n

Malcom Brown<\/p>\n

Dominique Easley<\/p>\n

Sealver Siliga<\/p>\n

Akiem Hicks<\/p>\n

Chris Jones* (PUP)<\/p>\n

Grade and Outlook:<\/strong>\u00a0This unit has really turned things up in the past month or so and is doing a much, much better job of stuffing the run and being stout at the point of attack. Branch is playing some of the best football of his Patriots career right now. He shot a gap and forced a fumble against Washington, something to watch for more of down the stretch.<\/p>\n

Brown is adapting well to the NFL game and Easley is returning to health and showing that explosiveness he was known for in college. He\u2019s been disruptive and making plays in the backfield. Hicks has flashed well in limited duty, the only downer has been the play of Siliga thus far. He was thought to be the rock of this unit and hasn\u2019t played up to his potential in 2015.<\/p>\n

Jones started the year on PUP and is practicing again; he\u2019ll have a tough time breaking into this lineup right now. Grade: B-<\/strong><\/p>\n

DEFENSIVE END:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chandler Jones<\/p>\n

Rob Ninkovich<\/p>\n

Jabaal Sheard<\/p>\n

Geneo Grissom<\/p>\n

Trey Flowers<\/p>\n

Grade and Outlook<\/strong>:\u00a0Jones leads the NFL with 9.5 sacks and is poised for a career season. Ninkovich is playing as solid as ever and is always coming up with either a big play or forcing the opposition into committing a penalty. Sheard who is injured and missed the past few weeks was actually playing better than either of them before going down with an ankle injury so the rotation the team was looking for this season is there.<\/p>\n

Youngster\u2019s Grissom and Flowers haven\u2019t had the chance to show much yet, but as rookies that is expected. But when they\u2019ve played both have flashed potential. This is a big area of strength moving forward\u2026if Sheard returns soon.<\/p>\n

They can always improve and show a bit more consistency in the pass rush, but in setting the edge this season, they\u2019ve been outstanding. Grade B+<\/strong><\/p>\n

LINEBACKERS:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jamie Collins<\/p>\n

Donta Hightower<\/p>\n

Jonathan Freeny<\/p>\n

Jerod Mayo<\/p>\n

Jon Bostic<\/p>\n

Dane Fletcher* (PUP)<\/p>\n

Grade and Outlook:<\/strong>\u00a0Collins and Hightower have been arguably one of the better tandems in the NFL this season. Both have been outstanding and the scary part is, they\u2019re only getting better. Freeny has been first in the rotation when they come off the field as Mayo has fallen far down the depth chart as he\u2019s struggled to regain form after two serious injuries shortened his last two seasons.<\/p>\n

Bostic was picked up for depth and has been a solid STs presence and has the experience to step up and play inside whenever needed. Fletcher started the season on PUP and has just begun practicing. Grade B+<\/strong><\/p>\n

CORNERBACK:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Malcolm Butler<\/p>\n

Logan Ryan<\/p>\n

Justin Coleman<\/p>\n

Rashaan Melvin<\/p>\n

Grade and outlook:<\/strong>\u00a0This position is the thinnest on the roster and the Patriots can ill-afford an injury here, especially to either of the starters Butler or Ryan. This was the area of the roster that was supposed to struggle mightily after the loss of last season\u2019s starting three of Revis, Browner and Arrington.<\/p>\n

It hasn\u2019t been perfect by any means and the Patriots haven\u2019t faced many prolific passing offenses thus far but the play of the corners has to be encouraging. Playing much more man coverage than envisioned, they\u2019ve been competitive and physical.<\/p>\n

Butler has had his moments both good and bad in the first half of the season but with only eight games starting experience, it has to be considered a positive thus far. Ryan has had a renaissance at right corner and has played much better this season.<\/p>\n

Coleman has surprised with solid play as the #3 corner and has made some nice plays as he gains valuable experience. Overall the unit continues to improve. Grade B-<\/strong><\/p>\n

SAFETY (6)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Devin McCourty<\/p>\n

Patrick Chung<\/p>\n

Duron Harmon<\/p>\n

Jordan Richards<\/p>\n

Nate Ebner<\/p>\n

Tavon Wilson<\/p>\n

Grade and outlook:<\/strong>\u00a0The deepest position on the team and its strength in pass defense. McCourty, Chung and Harmon have been outstanding in 2015. The extra safety in the nickel and dime coverages have given the Patriots great versatility in being able to move pieces around to combat opponents\u2019 strengths.<\/p>\n

Richards is getting some experience and Ebner remains a valuable STs contributor. This unit has been the strength of the entire defense. Grade A-<\/strong><\/p>\n

Next up the Special Teams and overall team grade: <\/p>\n

SPECIAL TEAMS SPECIALISTS:<\/strong><\/p>\n

K\u00a0Stephen Gostkowski<\/p>\n

P\u00a0Ryan Allen<\/p>\n

LS\u00a0Joe Cardona<\/p>\n

Matthew Slater\u00a0(WR)<\/p>\n

Brandon King\u00a0(LB)<\/p>\n

Dewey McDonald\u00a0(S)<\/p>\n

Grade and outlook:<\/strong>\u00a0A unit that has the most reliable kicker in the league (Gostkowski) a perpetual Pro-Bowl gunner (Slater) and a worthy Pro Bowl punter in Allen gets high marks. King is an intriguing player, he got a ton of one-on-one instruction at training camp from STs coach Joe Judge. McDonald was just signed.<\/p>\n

The coverage units have been very solid this season, if there is one area that could use a boost in the second half of the year is the kick \u00a0and punt return game. Grade A-<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Patriots get high marks, as they should for getting to the halfway point of the season and being 8-0. The only game that they were seriously challenged was the Jets game. The rest they’ve pretty much dominated and had them won fairly convincingly. Bill Belichick and his coaching staff have done a fantastic job thus far. But the hallmark of Patriots teams with Belichick has been their play after Thanksgiving, when they feel they should peak as a team.<\/p>\n

If this team follows that tradition, then the second half of 2015 is shaping up to be quite a ride. Overall team grade A\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Follow me on Twitter\u00a0<\/em>@SteveB7SFG<\/em><\/a>\u00a0or email me at\u00a0<\/em>stevebpatsfans@gmail.com<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Listen to our\u00a0<\/em>Patriots 4th<\/sup>\u00a0and 2<\/em><\/a>\u00a0podcast on blog talk radio as the writers Russ Goldman, Derek Havens and I from\u00a0<\/em>PatsFans.com<\/em><\/a>\u00a0discuss the latest Patriots news Wednesdays at 12 noon.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Patriots reach the halfway point of 2015 at 8-0, for the 2nd time in team history.. Health is the only obstacle standing in their path and a deep run.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":1878,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,10],"tags":[185,34,132,226,46,37,18,204,31,19,141,162,16,14,17,24,15,45,418,44,47,8,38,40,270,247,201,104,117,36,556,22,219,13,21,35],"class_list":["post-2750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patriots-commentary","category-patriots-news","tag-2015-nfl-season","tag-bill-belichick","tag-brandon-lafell","tag-bryan-stork","tag-buffalo-bills","tag-chandler-jones","tag-danny-amendola","tag-dion-lewis","tag-foxboro-stadium","tag-geneo-grissom","tag-indianapolis-colts","tag-injuries","tag-jabaal-sheard","tag-jimmy-garoppolo","tag-julian-edelman","tag-lagarrette-blount","tag-malcolm-butler","tag-miami-dolphins","tag-nate-solder","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-new-york-jets","tag-patriots","tag-patriots-edge-rushers","tag-patriots-training-camp-photos","tag-pats","tag-picks","tag-pittsburgh-steelers","tag-rex-ryan","tag-rob-gronkowski","tag-rob-ninkovich","tag-sebastian-vollmer","tag-shaq-mason","tag-social-media","tag-tom-brady","tag-tre-jackson","tag-trey-flowers"],"yoast_head":"\nPatriots Report Card at the Halfway Point of the Season<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Patriots reach the halfway point of 2015 at 8-0, for the 2nd time in team history.. 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