Pats Posits: Balanced Pats Show They Can Play with Anyone

The Patriots outlasted the Chiefs on Sunday, delivering the shootout everyone thought they saw coming with a 43-40 win. Not to toot my own horn but I feel like my gameplan was especially accurate this week, right down to the final prediction. I’ve got a good bead on the team this year and while you never want to give up 40 points, I still believe this is one of the most solid Patriots teams in recent seasons.

This is a new NFL, and all that really matters is surviving against an offense as good as the Chiefs, just as the Chiefs must’ve felt the same way about the Patriots. Defenses can’t dominate anymore. It just comes down to getting red zone stops and making the plays that matter at the end. That’s what the Patriots did last night and they continue to show great mental toughness as all Belichick teams tend to do.

The offense continues to make strides behind Sony Michel‘s running and the development of Josh Gordon. The defense had three bad plays but otherwise did everything you can ask from a defense facing such a diverse and explosive offense. The special teams were great as far as field goals go and terrible at kickoffs.

So yeah, it wasn’t all rainbows but the corrections are extremely specific and fixable. This Patriots team executed the gameplan nearly perfectly for 90 percent of the game, but even just those few plays where they messed up were enough to take the contest down to the final possession. If this team stays intact for the next few months they’re going to be right there in the hunt at the end per usual.

More on everything from the first epic regular season win of 2018 in the Posits…

— Four plays. That’s what keeps standing out to me as I prepare for an onslaught of “yeah but the defense gave up 40 points” takes today.

• 3rd quarter – Kareem Hunt 67-yard TD catch on 3rd & 2.
• 3rd quarter – Tom Brady fumbles on own 29
• 4th quarter – 97-yard kickoff return
• 4th quarter – Tyreek Hill 75-yard touchdown catch

Of course, huge explosive plays are never okay and must be eliminated, but we’re talking about 28 points coming directly from just these four plays. For the rest of the night, the Bend Don’t Break was on full display, allowing just 4-of-10 third down conversions and just 2-of-5 in the red zone.

— On the flip side of the coin the Patriots offense had their way with Chiefs consistently all night. They didn’t need splash plays, they just ran a balanced attack that featured the most consistent running game in a big-time matchup in recent memory. 35 passes and 38 runs with 43 points? It’s practically unheard of. Usually, those kinds of points mean Tom Brady threw for 500 yards but this game illustrated how this Patriots team is different and is getting contributions across the board.

— I’d much rather be the Patriots right now because the fixes are easy. Don’t give up big plays. Kick the ball out of the end zone and this is a different game.

— Brady’s instant trust in Josh Gordon is nothing short of shocking. Think of all the promising wide receivers, both rookies and veterans, who could barely get a game target out of Brady. Now Gordon’s been here less than a month and Brady’s chucking it up to him in double coverage. Ok, maybe that’s not the best thing, but Brady never would’ve given Chad Johnson that kind of chance. It just shows how much potential Gordon has. He’s such a clean catcher, grabbing the ball with his sure hands. You can see how often they’re going to work slants to him and it’s just a matter of time before he catches one and finds a seam for a bye-bye touchdown.

— Well Michel sure looks like a first-round pick now, eh? The blocking has been remarkable for him and it’s such a welcome element for the Pats offense. They’re running even more effectively than when they had Dion Lewis last year and that’s why I’m just so excited about the offense. Lewis’ playmaking was missed early on, but now with Michel being such a factor it takes so much pressure off of Tom Brady. We’ve been waiting so long for this, hopefully it continues because nothing would derail this team faster than losing Michel at this point.

— Great to see Dont’a Hightower and Trey Flowers leading the way early on for the Patriots’ defense. Hightower played more than he had in recent weeks and was consistently pointed out for his jams off the line of Kelce. His diminished athleticism was well hidden and he was able to make the kind of game-changing plays we’re used to with him.

— The inconsistency out of Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon is a little concerning, especially Harmon. The past couple years they’ve given up far too many big plays when they’re on the back end. Credit to the Chiefs for being crazy explosive but the Pats secondary will have to be better in a potential rematch. Those big plays are going to get harped on I’m sure and they must be eliminated.

— The kickoffs were a problem all night, even before the huge return. KC’s starting field position: 1st half – 41, 23, 45, 25, 25. 2nd half – 25, 37, NE29, NE3, 25, 25. Just kicking them into the end zone could’ve eliminated so major problems. Not sure what was going on there.

— Sum it all up and the Pats were simply better on third down and in the red zone on both sides of the ball. That was the simple difference and the sign of just a football team that can execute a gameplan to win. Third down was an area of focus this week and the Pats took some really good strides against a great offense.

If you were afraid that the Belichick-Brady Pats had already used up all their epic wins you rested a bit more easily last night before having to get up and roll into work with a major sports hangover. I’ve been Pats blogging for over a decade and I can honestly say I’m as excited about this team six weeks in as I’ve been about a team. They’re not dripping with all-stars but they have the look of a classic DYJ Pats team.

We can’t fall into the trap of 2015, when a great start totally unraveled by injury attrition, there’s still a long ways to go, but this team just looks like such a Belichickian team and that’s just such a good sign. There are still corrections to made but all the potential is there to go toe-to-toe with anyone. It feels like the season is really just starting now.