Butler’s Journey from ‘Reject’ Prospect to Revis Replacement
Really great read on Butler with plenty of rare insight from Belichick. Must-read!!
And now Dominique Easley goes down…
Dominique Easley
was placed on IR today, ending his season early for the second time in his second year. Easley was part of the Patriots pass-rush package, often playing with three defensive ends, and they were putting together the best third down defense percentage since 2009.
As an Easley fan from the get-go, I find this one incredibly frustrating. Sometimes injuries are just freak things, but it’s hard to argue this is a trend for Easley. Both this year and last year’s season-enders are somewhat of a mystery, but along with his double ACL tears in college it also seems like he has an endless parade of other small ailments.
I thought Easley was having a very good season, but not the “breakout super season” some are calling it on Twitter right now. He had his moments and seemed to be getting more and more comfortable, but I still think rookie Malcom Brown has looked like the better and more consistent player this year.
So now what? There’s no question the pass rush is taking a blow. Easley was the most explosive guy off the snap and caused a lot of issues. Now they’ll be forced to either go to a 300+ tackle on third down like Brown, Hicks or Branch. Less likely is the option of using Geneo Grissom who saw some time in this role early in the season when Easley was out.
After Grissom’s punt team snafu against the Eagles I doubt we see him in much action the rest of the season, and certainly not in the playoffs.
Perhaps a creative answer is using Hightower in a rush role in the playoffs. This is only doable if they feel comfortable with Jerod Mayo in coverage.
Aside from Dion Lewis, this is my biggest buzz kill injury of the season and the first major hit to the defense. Still not as bad as it would be to lose Collins, Hightower or one of the big three defensive ends, but Easley’s impact in the most important part of the game is irreplaceable and his absence will be felt on third-and-longs.
Pats sign Montee Ball to the practice squad but I have to think there’s a good chance he’s on the active roster shortly, unless Blount magically recovers. Quite an audition chance for him, not crazy to see him being an important part of the playoff run. Have to like the run above.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/pats-sign-montee-ball-to-the-practice-squad-but-i/
Pats Injury Regroup: McCourty high ankle sprain/Blount seen on crutches
After making it through the Eagles game without any major injuries I thought we had turned a corner, but alas it looks like LeGarrette Blount’s out for the immediate future and we’re probably not seeing Devin McCourty until the playoffs either as Jeff Howe reported he has a high ankle sprain.
Losing McCourty is manageable because of the depth at safety. Essentially it means Patrick Chung might be thrust into more coverage as could Tavon Wilson, Nate Ebner or Jordan Richards. But it’s a veteran group back there so you’d expect minimal dropoff as fast a communication goes.
If this was mid-season losing Blount would be a huge blow. But given what the Pats have left, they could give him a month off until they’d need him in the divisional round (assuming a bye of course). They should be able to beat the Titans without him, and running him head on into the Jets front is probably not the best strategy anyway. Then hopefully the game in Miami is meaningless.
Still, they need to add an early down back, and that could happen as soon as today. No idea who is out there, but there are a lot of harder positions to fill than an early down hard runner. And no, Jonas Gray is not available.
Finally, I’m running a $10/free shipping sale on all my tees, but supplies are limited and going fast. Head over to the store and grab one before they’re gone forever.
Brave New World for Patriots Offense-Defense Balance
With just three games left in the regular season it’s strange to still feel like we don’t quite know who the 2015 Patriots are. No, that will be defined by the team they put on the field in January, and whether or no Julian Edelman and LeGarrette Blount are on the field, and in what capacity, will play a large part in the Patriots’ fate.
The AFC has been leveled by injuries this year so picking a Super Bowl favorite isn’t easy. If you want to learn how to bet on Super Bowl 2016 or just wager online in general check out www.Betting-Super-Bowl.com which is our favorite Superbowl information site.
If the Patriots attain homefield advantage, it’s hard not to call them the favorites in the conference. The strange thing is that with so much uncertainty on offense, it’s now the defense that is the signature side of the ball for this team, and likely who will have to make the biggest plays this post season if the Pats are to make a run at repeating.
Against the Texans, the Patriots defense looked as good in all aspects as we’ve seen this season, and really this is probably their best defense since late 2003/early 2004. Now yes, it was against Brian Hoyer, but it wasn’t too long ago where almost every team the Pats faced put up over 300 yards passing.
Now, even without Dont’a Hightower, this group seems to be getting better each week. Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan are playing as good at cornerback as we’ve seen in these parts outside of Darrelle Revis last season. The front seven are getting consistent pressure, and Jabaal Sheard is a certified finisher.
Yes, they’ll give up a few big plays a game, but they never blink and the big plays only make them compete harder. Simply put, this is a defense that should be clicking on all cylinders as January hits. They are primed for a playoff run.
This is a throwback to the early dynasty days, when Tom Brady only had to manage the offense and not turn the ball over. He didn’t need to put 30-plus points up every game as was the case in 2010-2013.
But if Edelman returns to game action and is close to the player he was before his broken foot, the Patriots should be clear favorites to represent the AFC in Super Bowl 50.
Brady finds Gronkowski for the TD
Felt good to see a Gronko spike.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/tony-perfect-brady-finds-gronkowski-for-the/
