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Patriots Gameplan: Week 10 at Denver Broncos

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After nearly two weeks off the Patriots are finally back in action this Sunday night on national television against the Denver Broncos. The weather has turned cold, the clocks have turned back and all of a sudden it feels like the 2017 NFL season has gotten real.

The Patriots have had one of those years where injuries strike early and often, but Thursday’s addition of Martellus Bennett was just the kind of spark they needed coming off the bye. It was a bit surprising to see the Pats inactive at the trade the deadline, so the Bennett move seems like the perfect one, both on the field and off it. Now the Pats play back-to-back AFC West games, and will remain in Colorado before traveling to Mexico City to face the Raiders.

These will be two really good challenges that tell us a lot about the 2017 Patriots. They’ve had the bye week to focus in on maximizing their strengths and hiding their weaknesses, and it was also a chance to get healthy. Stephon Gilmore should be back, while Eric Rowe is making progress. Unfortunately the bye week was not enough time for Malcom Brown, Chris Hogan and Marcus Cannon, as all missed practice this week and are unlikely to play. Those are three significant absences against the Broncos, and given the travel schedule, very likely the Raiders as well.

Playing in Denver has always seemed to give the Pats trouble. Even when they win, it’s never pretty. Still, winning there last season was the kind of win that got the monkey of 2015 off their back and sparked the team on to a Super Bowl win. Even though the Broncos aren’t atop the AFC, they’re still going to give the Pats hell, and pulling out a win there is always something to build off of.

Here’s the gameplan to get win number seven and start the second half of the season out right.

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Scouting Report: Denver Broncos

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The second half of the Patriots’ 2017 starts at the closest thing Tom Brady has to a house of horrors — Mile High Stadium (or whatever it’s called now). Brady has had three playoff runs end in Denver (2005, 2013, 2015), which ties the number of playoff losses he’s had at home (2009, 2010, 2012).

The three recent losses, two in the playoffs and the overtime bummer against the quarterback they’ll face Sunday, make it seem like the Broncos rivalry is a big deal. But after their Super Bowl win, the Broncos have been on a slow-to-medium descent, which has them at 3-5, losers of four straight. Their once-feared defense just gave up 51 points to the Eagles, and despite a poor performance, they’ll start Brock Osweiler for a second week in a row.

Still, it’s hard to take much solace in how the Broncos have stumbled recently. Their three wins were all over three pretty good teams — Chargers, Cowboys and Raiders, and if there’s one team Denver will be up for, it’s New England.

Here’s a look at the Broncos and why I think this one will be closer than many of us expect or hope.

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Patriots vs. Broncos Film Review: Defense Edition

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It was one of the most dominant defensive performances of the last decade and one that I couldn’t wait to jump into. The Patriots defense had a slow start to 2016, but with each passing week they’ve gotten better and better. In the last three games they have the second-best third down defense in the NFL, and have risen all the way from 28th early in the season to 7th overall on third down.

The emergence of Trey Flowers as veterans Rob Ninkovich, Jabaal Sheard and Chris Long got their games going now has the entire defensive front clicking. And don’t just take my word for it, here’s what Belichick had to say on Tuesday:

“I think in our case what I’ve seen from this team, especially defensively but really in all three phases of the game, is a commitment to work hard and get better. You take small steps every day. Those pile up after days, weeks and months together. I think that’s really what’s happening with our team is they’ve worked hard. They’ve improved, improved a little bit each day. They maybe improve a little bit each week in certain areas. I think we do things better now than we did a few weeks ago. We did them better a few weeks ago than we did them a couple of months ago, which is the way it should be.”

Let’s take a closer look at the All-22.

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Pats Posits: Primed, Again

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2016 AFC East Champs!

The Patriots locked up the AFC East championship and a first round playoff bye with their 16-3 win over the Broncos, moving to 12-2 on the season, and putting to rest some of their Denver demons.

Yup, if you didn’t love the 2016 Patriots before impressive wins over Baltimore and Denver, you sure do now!

The victory was perhaps the most complete of the season, with the defense completely neutralizing Denver’s offense in the second half and becoming the top scoring defense in the NFL; the offense capitalizing in key spots while maintaining excellent balance; and the special teams generally dominating every hidden yard there was.

With just two games to go, the Patriots look as primed as ever to make a run at another Super Bowl. But they might need to win both to secure homefield.

More on the Pats’ playoff aspirations and a feel-great win over the Broncos…

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Patriots Gameplan: Week 15 at Denver Broncos

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We’re going back. It’s no secret that Denver has been a house of horrors for Tom Brady and the Patriots. Three times has Brady’s playoff run ended in Denver (2005, 2013, 2015), more than any other away stadium or team. The annoying thing about Denver, and this was especially true in both losses there last year, is that they’re fluky weird games, with Gostkowski’s missed extra point still looming large over last year’s season ender.

Now the Broncos are not the same team that won the Super Bowl this year. Free agency departures, retirements and injuries have depleted a team that rode their impenetrable defense to a championship last season, despite an offense that was the least lethal to ever raise the Lombardi Trophy.

This is an important game for so many reasons. The tangible — that the Patriots can clinch a first round bye with a win and give themselves options to rest some key players down the stretch. The intangible — getting the Denver monkey off their back and potentially eliminating the Broncos from playoff contention in the process.

Yes, there would be a lot to feel good about after a Patriots win this Sunday, and it appears that the Broncos are primed to get throttled, IF, the Patriots can finally just play their game in the Mile High Stadium.

What the Pats need to do to put a nice big bow on the 2016 season before turning their sites to the playoffs in the gameplan…

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Grudge Match: Week 15 Scouting Report: The Denver Broncos

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After a long week with an extra day of recovery, The Pats are now on a short week to prepare for the Denver Broncos. This game doesn’t feel like it has the last few years, partly because Peyton Manning is gone, and partly because the Broncos have certainly lost a step. The Patriots could knock the Broncos out of playoff contention so they’re fighting for their lives here. There is nothing I love more than being the spoiler for Denver this season so let’s get to it.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Denver Broncos, aka, “John Elway’s Free Agent Frenzy”

Week 15 at Denver Broncos

Sunday December 18

4:25 pm, CBS

Low 20’s (Patriot football weather), Minimal chance of precipitation, 6 mph winds

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Pats Potential Playoff Primer: The AFC Elite Scouting Report

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The bye week is often a time to reflect on the first chunk of the games a team played and to look forward to what is to come. I’ve been thinking a lot about the scope of the league and how the Pats will fare come playoff time. It has seemed for a while now that the regular season is just one big warm up for the real show in Foxboro, the playoffs. So let’s dive in, shall we?

Here’s everything you need to know about the best of the best of the AFC aka, “The Teams Just Trying to Keep Up.”

This is where the AFC stands as of today in terms of playoff seeding

Credit to CBSSports

Credit to CBSSports

The Patriots are at the top of the conference at 7-1, followed closely by the Raiders, only 1 game back. The Steelers being behind the Texans is a little shocking, and you’d think you could pin that on Ben Roethlisberger being out injured, but he was only out a game against the Patriots, a contest Pittsburgh was hardly guaranteed to win with Roethlisberger. Clearly, the best QB of these six teams belongs to Pats Nation followed by a (when healthy) Roethlisberger, and then Oakland with Derek Carr. The other three are serviceable QBs ranging from inconsistent to above average. Looking beyond these 6 teams, the only other teams with at least 4 wins are the Bills, which received a thrashing from TFB last week, and the Tennessee Titans who still feel one season away before being competitive with the top of the AFC.

All these teams have their strengths, and how exciting that the Raiders are relevant in the NFL again, but now let’s look at how they might match up with the Patriots.

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