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PatsProp Preview – Saturday Night Fever

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AP Photo/Steven Senne

Welcome back! The bye week was eventful, but it wasn’t the same without the Pats playing. With a week until Christmas, the Patriots head on the road for a tricky test in Indianapolis, hoping to further solidify their place in the AFC standings.

Here’s your preview for week 15!

One’s To Watch

Rhamondre Stevenson

With no Damien Harris, Stevenson will lead the rushing attack tonight, similar to the game against Cleveland in week 10 when Harris missed out last. Stevenson has really come on as a complimentary piece of the offense in the second half of the season, he’ll be due a heavy workload this evening.

Brandon Bolden

Again, in the absence of Harris, Bolden will be worth keeping an eye on, he’s been very useful this year, filling in for James White in that swiss army knife role out of the backfield.

Mac Jones

I was a little concerned to see Mac show up on the injury report this week for a thumb injury to his non-throwing hand, but, he quickly reassured me with his comical thumb wiggling routine in a presser midweek. Jones has had a week to study ahead of this game and I’m hoping he’ll get back into the thick of it following all the talk after the Buffalo game when he only passed three times.

Christian Barmore

Stopping Taylor tonight will be crucial, and I think Barmore will have a massive part of the defensive gameplan, he’s been electric so far in his rookie season, definitely one to watch tonight.

Dangerous Colts

Who for the Colts could cause problems for the Patriots?

Robert Scheer/IndyStar/USA TODAY Network

Jonathan Taylor

Probably one of the biggest threats the Pats will face this season is Jonathan Taylor. He was floating around the MVP conversation somewhat in recent weeks, which may be just hyperbole, but, it’s a high compliment for a running back. Taylor leads the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns and the Patriots will have to limit his play tonight, otherwise, he could run over them all game.

Michael Pittman Jr

The second-year WR has risen to be Carson Wentz’s top target for the Colts. At 6’3 he’s really lanky and can make athletic plays all over the field. TY Hilton commented this week that he’s never faced the Pats without being double covered, I think I can say that won’t be an issue in this game, Pittman will get most of the attention.

Prediction Corner

@ShawMellors – Patriots 24 – Colts 21

I see this being a close game with some up and down play, but in the end, I have the Pats coming out on top with a field goal win late on. Patriots 24 Colts 21

@clazzyclare – Patriots 27 – Colts 14

This match up should have me concerned, the Colts are a sneaky good team and have been doing very well. But I have a strange confidence that the Patriots have got this! Patriots 27 Colts 14.

Patriots Ups & Downs Week 13

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Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images

By hook or by crook the Patriots are 9-4, top of the AFC East, and top of the AFC with the number one seed heading into their bye-week. A massive win in treacherous conditions last night, here are your Ups & Downs from Week 13!

Ups ⬆️

Damien Harris

Without his huge 64-yard touchdown run, the Patriots would have struggled to get the win last night, but Damien Harris came through for the team once again, with the support of his running mate, Rhamondre Stevenson.

Harris was dealing with a hamstring injury throughout the game, he returned a couple of times before being declared out, not before amassing 111 yards on the ground, along with the Pats’ only touchdown. Here’s hoping the bye week will allow him to recover and that the injury he suffered isn’t all that serious.

Rhamondre Stevenson

Boy can this kid run. One thing that sticks out to me when watching Stevenson every week is his ability to force through tackles and find yards out of absolutely nowhere. Another solid game for him last night as he helped the team rush for over 200 yards. Stevenson has shown the ability to have that rotational back role behind Harris, but also the skills to lead the running offense, something which he may need to do down the line as Harris battles injuries.

Nick Folk

I didn’t expect Folk to even attempt a kick last night, but he did, in fact, they were both field goals which he went 2/2 on, once again helping the Pats towards a close victory, this time in really testing conditions. He’s been brilliant all season, at minimum he’s the special team’s MVP.

Jakob Johnson

The German Warhammer was brilliant last night and really stood out for me in the almost all-run offensive game. Johnson has had a steady emergence as a useful piece in this offense since taking over from James Develin as the team’s lead fullback.

Downs ⬇️

N’Keal Harry

Without this mistake, the Patriots could have had a much easier route to victory last night, but it did happen and I still can’t quite figure out how the coaches put themselves in that position. Firstly, what is Harry doing out there, he doesn’t go to field the ball or call a fair catch. Instead, he lets it bounce, bends over towards the ball, and stumbles into the area the ball is moving, allowing it to graze his facemask before being recovered by the Bills.

The mistake is entirely on Harry, but I have no idea why he was back there, let alone sent back out for additional return plays after the turnover. I didn’t buy Bill’s explanation in the press conference either, I think he probably just wants to move on from what was a completely nonsensical decision, I mean, they have an all-pro punt returner on the roster, right?

Spoiler Alert: The Patriots win at Buffalo!

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The Patriots roll on the road with their seventh straight win!

(Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

So far this season the Patriots have had an on-the-road win streak for all six games. Mac Jones in a white jersey is plain and simple, hot.

Okay, so realistically, the win wasn’t all that. The game itself was a bit of a much for a nothingness. 14 – 10 isn’t a game full of sparkle, but as a Patriots fan, who has now finished watching the game, I’m mildly of caring, the Patriots win at Buffalo baby!

Whilst neither team blew, the wind seriously did at like 50 mph, and although the neither Patriots nor the Bills are un-used to poor weather, the ball went a little hinky here and there. And due to this, there was little to no air game for the Patriots, just 3 attempts. Josh Allen’s strength shined a little as he managed a few successful throws, 30 attempts, but this game should be known as The Run Game.

A few penalties for the Patriots again, 6 for 47 yards if you want the numbers. Looking at it IN the game though, Jonnu Smith erased a great run by Rhamondre Stevenson early in the third quarter. And that is how this game went really, there were no real bad players, just a few bad plays. Dont’a Hightower had an unnecessary horse collar tackle and a penalty called. But he redeemed himself with some great coverage afterwards. 

The Patriots did give Josh Allen a little bit too much time on the odd occasion and you can’t do that, the guy likes to get out to his right, and defenses just can’t let him unless they want to lose of course. 

Overall, it was a tricky game, but the Patriots did well! The Bills are a very good, strong team, as had been said over and over in all the discussions pre-match up. But the Patriots had plenty of pieces to look at in the positive light.

The brand new name of Daniel Ekuale chalked up the first sack of the game, boom, welcome to the Patriots!

Davon Godchaux played really well, 6 solo tackles and 4 assists. 10 tackles is a fab number for a single game, another notch on the belt of great signings by Coach Bill in the off-season! 

Christian Barmore pops up on my good list again, he was simply too much for center Mitch Morse and it was glorious to watch. 

Tight End Dawson Knox was pegged as an offensive weapon to keep a sharp eye on, and Adrian Phillips took this literally and watched that guy up close and personal. Phillips’ coverage of Knox was real good and he broke up most of those few plays that Allen managed to air out.

Speaking of tight ends (as I often do) there was a lack of a Patriots passing game which meant there was a severe reduction of tight endage action for li’l Clazzy Clare over here, however, Smith had that epic one handed pull the ball down for an awesome catch, and both tight ends were great with their blocking. Hunter in particular, sealed the edge and with Mike Onwenu in, Damien Harris made the touchdown.

And whilst on the subject of tight ends, I would just like to wish Hunter Henry a very happy birthday!

Rhamondre Stevenson, AKA ‘Mondre, is, plain and simple, a beast. There is no more “beast mode” it is now dubbed “‘Mondre mode”, which as you have probably guessed, is sheer power through the defense. It is, my friends, a beautiful thing to see. 

Ted Karras and Jakob Johnson are two names I have championed this season, and they owned up and showed up Monday night to help block and barricade for the run game. 

So there you have it Patriots Nation, a win at Buffalo, plain, nothing fancy, but delicious! A little like that first cup of coffee in the morning. Oh, speaking of coffee, time for another!

Go Pats!

Shipping back from Foxboro

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@ShawMellors

I’m back from an amazing trip to Boston where I saw our New England Patriots win their sixth-straight game as they beat the Titans 36-13, improving my own record at Gillette Stadium to 2-0 (The first win was against Dallas in November 2019).

I’d already been in Massachusetts for a week when game day came around, so jet lag wasn’t an issue. As it was a solo trip, I decided to use a coach company to get me to and from the game as Gillette Stadium isn’t the easiest place to get to from downtown Boston without a car! The trip was good and filled with mostly Pats fans, with a couple of Titans contingent braving forty-minute journey.

The coach arrived three hours before kickoff, so there was plenty of time to wander around the parking lots and experience the tailgating fun. The weather was crisp but pleasant as the crowds began to make their way to Patriot Place. One thing I should mention for those of you reading who don’t go to home games often or are planning to go for the first time in the future, what the Kraft family has done there is fantastic. Shopping, restaurants, bars, and movie theaters are all within walking distance of the stadium. This really adds to the experience, so it’s worth getting down early to see it all.

@ShawMellors
[Read more…] about Shipping back from Foxboro

Buffalo here we come!

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Patriots head to Buffalo for week 13: Preview and Predictions

As the Patriots head off to take on the mighty Buffalo Bills, plenty of Patriots Nation is determined, but nervous, at this match up.

Although a little up and down lately, the Bills are a very strong team, boasting one of the best defenses in the NFL at present and an offence with many weapons, not to mention their possibly strongest player, Josh Allen.

The Patriots are having themselves, although good, a little bit of an inconsistent season, but are currently on a winning streak, in particular all 4 of their road games.

Like the Bills, the Patriots have strengths on defense and offense, but the placing of Kyle Dugger on the COVID/reserve list creates a serious hole with the loss of such a strong player.

Neither team is at full capacity so let’s have a look at the most recent New England practice participation/injury report:

Friday 3rd December 

New England Patriots – 8 players with limited participation

CDavid AndrewsShoulder
DLChristian BarmoreKnee
LBJa’Whaun BentleyRibs
RBBrandon BoldenKnee
OTTrent BrownCalf
KNick FolkLeft Knee
LBDont’a HightowerAnkle
WRGunner OlszewskiAnkle

All that being said, anything can happen, as so far has within plenty of league games we have seen this season. 

And so, with that in mind, the Pats Prop crew have put forward their predictions. 

The Patriots go into a hostile Monday night game and manage to pull out a win in a close one, Mac leads a game winning drive late on.

Patriots 24 Bills 20

From Tom shaw-mellors

The Bills are a good team, it pains me to say it but it’s true, and this match up is one of the most worrying. However, the Patriots have been winning on the road and just hope they aren’t going to let me down after I said they would crush the Bills this season.

Patriots 33 Bills 30

From Clare ‘clazzyclare’ Cooper

Spotlight on Judon

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Matt Judon has hit the ceiling and danced upon it!

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

This season saw plenty of new faces welcomed into Patriots Nation, and one of the most successful and possibly the one most fans would vote as MVP so far, is Matthew Judon.

Drafted in 2016 by the Baltimore Ravens, Judon is possibly on track to have one of his best years as a player. In 2017, his statistically best year overall, Judon ranked 6th on PFF with 8 sacks, but in 2019 he topped his sack amount by another 1.5. So far this season he has put up 22 solo tackles, and is already at 11.5 sacks with a new team. That’s something that people shouldn’t take too lightly, being integrated into a new system can affect a player significantly. It’s a completely different player position, but take for example Jonnu Smith, a great tight end but struggling a little to really get going.

Not only is Judon putting out great stats, he is distinguishing himself as one of the team. His personality and character shines during media meetings and he isn’t shy to express himself fully – I refer your attention to the great mac and cheese Thanksgiving storm of 2021.

But seriously, how the Patriots plucked this gem stone from the clutches of the Ravens is beyond me. Although I know sensible people will say money, and that’s fair, he still seems to be one of the those players that you shuffle some cash around to keep. 

But let’s not misunderstand me here folks, I am not complaining! The confidence this 6 foot 3, 29 year old, edge-defending linebacker, Mr Redsleeves, gives this Patriots defense is fantabulous (yes that is a word, I say so).

This guy is pretty unstoppable. In fact, the only way to stop him is by a penalty-risking hold, which offensive lines have had to do, many, many times, and of those many times, officials have not called very many penalties… but now I’m just grumbling. 

Either way, I think all of Patriots Nation are in it for the long haul, I see red sleeves all over baby!

Go Pats!

The Patriots take on the Titans and triumph!

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Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

T’was the night before… actually it’s a little bit early for that, let’s get down to business on this chilly Monday morning shall we!? The Patriots hosted the Titans and got themselves a sixth straight win!

Not only is it the sixth win, Sunday saw the sixth undefeated November that the Patriots have completed under Coach Bill Belichick. 

And, whilst we are talking numbers, the Patriots spent the game against the Titans, driving. Ten drives to one punt. Not a bad ratio, huh?

But, whilst all those numbers are rather good, we can’t ignore some of the facts. The stats might look attractive, with a 36 to 13 win, but it wasn’t exactly an easy match up.

Even with an overall depleted crew the Titans didn’t just roll over and let the Patriots take the win. Their defense was still reasonably strong against the run and held the Patriots to 105 rushing yards. 

Contrast to that, the Titans managed 270 rushing yards, which in all fairness shows the lack of “picture painting” statistics can do sometimes. The Patriots defense generally played well. Kyle Van Noy batted down passes,  Devin Godchaux went fists in to knock a ball loose, and Kyle Dugger was quick on the recovery, and that was just in the second quarter! The third saw JC Jackson punching the ball loose, and Jalen Mills with the recovery to shut down a big run by the Titans.

Whilst Hunter Henry provided some good blocking, he was plagued by tight coverage, and only managed 2 receptions for 16 yards. Mac was not dropping dimes all game and his first quarter throw to Hunter in the end zone was just too high. 

Meanwhile, Jonnu Smith had perhaps one of his better games as a Patriot, with 49 receiving yards. His best since the Jets game at Gillette, and second best in yardage for the whole season. Although it wasn’t a roaring success, it was still glimpses of what the guy can do, and a chance to show that he is worth his two cents (okay his many, many cents but you get my point). 

Star of the show has to be Kendrick Bourne and his dainty feet! His 41 yard after the catch run was rather pretty, and in stark contrast to such prettiness, was the savage and awesome block Jakobi Meyers put down to assist Bourne in the touchdown resulting run!

So, if you’re keeping note, the Patriots are presently at 8 – 4, top of the AFC East, and second in the AFC. And we are on to Buffalo!

Go Pats!