Hard to really judge because the best receiving back is still hurt and Bolden seems to drop every other screen pass they set him up with. You really can’t underestimate the effect of Gronk and Vereen’s return can potentially have. Two hugely versatile players that will add entirely new dimensions to the offense.
Patriots won the one-on-one against Saints – Sports – The Boston Globe
Patriots won the one-on-one against Saints – Sports – The Boston Globe
The good and the bad…
The Patriots entered the game tied for the league lead with 18 drops, and had four more, plus a fifth by Danny Amendola that was wiped out by a penalty. Aaron Dobson had two drops, including a crucial one on fourth down late in the fourth quarter.
Mankins was excellent in run blocking, and it seemed like every time Ridley or Brandon Bolden had a nice gain, there was Mankins pulling through the hole and making the key block. Mankins had the key block on a 14-yard run by Ridley, a 12-yard run for Bolden, a 19-yard run by Ridley, and then on Ridley’s first touchdown. Ridley had 20 of the Patriots’ 35 carries and clearly has the best burst of the running back group.
New England Patriots-New Orleans Saints review: Aqib Talib moves up cornerback rankings by shutting down Jimmy Graham | masslive.com
For years opposing offenses were able to circle the Patriots on their schedule and know that they could log big numbers against the secondary. That’s no longer true, and New England has Talib to thank for that. His standing as a shutdown cornerback is no longer up for debate. First he took down Tampa Bay’s Vincent Jackson, then Atlanta’s Julio Jones, and finally Cincinnati’s A.J. Green. All three were impressive feats, but the way he erased Jimmy Graham from Sunday’s 30-27 win may be his most impressive performance to date.
FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Week 6 DVOA Ratings
FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Week 6 DVOA Ratings
We take a brief reprieve from Jerod Mayo to bring you this week’s DVOA rankings…
Overall: 13th
Offense: 20th (pass 17th, rush 21st)
Defense: 12th (pass 7th, 23rd)
Special Teams: 2nd
So should we get ready to the the Patriots defense from the last couple of seasons emerge again? Giving up a tone of yards and seemingly not being able to stop anyone?
Depends on Talib, and even outside of him the secondary has been playing well and you still have all the top pass rushers and really, Mayo was good, not great, in coverage.
The areas most worrisome to me given the injuries are specifically the run defense on early downs and especially in sub packages. This is why I think (as long as Talib returns sooner than later) they can be okay in the long run. It’s a passing league and if they can continue to get great back end play from McCourty, and physical performances from Dennard and Arrington, I don’t think it will be the shredfest of the last two seasons.
Hey, bud! Just wanted to chime in and tell you that Rex Ryan is getting a Gatorade bath this upcoming Sunday around 4:15. And that the Jets are going to leave the whole Pats team feeling the way Brady did when Edelman left him hanging.
Ah my oldest and dearest Jets frenemy, good to hear from you!
Well, it will be a much deserved gatorade bath, moving to 4-3, with a chance to potentially have sole possession of third place in the division in mid-October. They better make sure the coolers are filled because that kind of achievement means the gatorade should flow like wine!
But seriously, it’s there for the taking. Jets are at home. The Pats have no Wilfork, Kelly, Mayo, Connolly, probably no Talib or Amendola, maybe no Gronk. Never has a more undermanned and starless Patriots team faced Rex. So good luck and may the better team win!
FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: DVOA PLAYOFF ODDS REPORT
FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: DVOA PLAYOFF ODDS REPORT
Patriots currently have an 89 percent chance of making the playoffs according to this. We’ll see how they manage without Mayo to make that a reality.