Look at me banging out some Pats Posits every day this week! Obviously there’s a ton to talk about, so let’s hop right in!
Pats Sign Trey Williams
I’m not a big fan of in-season additions but I really felt like they had to do something at the running back position this week and on Tuesday they did, adding Trey Williams who had been cut by the Cowboys. On paper Williams seems a lot like Dion Lewis, including the ability to make defenders miss, but like Lewis he is undersized. He didn’t get a carry with the Cowboys but given how things have looked with Blount/White/Bolden I think he’ll get a shot in New England. Of course this is just an undrafted rookie so expecting him to come in and do anything at all might be a long shot. Still, he has undeniable explosion and given what we have right now, it can’t hurt to take a look at him over the last five games.
Whiny Pats Fans
Frank Schwab of YahooSports was complaining a bit on Twitter yesterday asking if Patriots fans really felt like they had it bad. Look, I hate whining about referees more than most people and really the only thing about the Broncos game that really bothered me is that it truly seems like Gronkowski is being unfairly targeted by the refs with all these OPI calls. Of course the Patriots don’t have it bad, we all know that. All we want is fairness and after Deflategate, when the NFL purposefully spread misinformation and lies to win their case in the court of public opinion, is it any surprise that Patriots fans are on high alert for anything unfair? So I’m not crying about some bad calls, I’m crying about a player being unfairly singled out and that’s all.
Malcom Brown
Taking a closer look at the Broncos game I was even more impressed with how good Malcom Brown is getting. He’s really elusive for a man his size and has an uncanny ability to slip around blocks with his quickness. He continues to make bigger and bigger plays and combined with Alan Branch, they’re forming a stout interior. Hard for me to say it, but he certainly looks like the better overall player compared to my boo Domnique Easley at this point, though their roles are entirely different.
Injuries
Not to rain on the parade, but as much as I’ve been saying “just get healthy for the playoffs,” it’s probably too much to expect the Pats can have Edelman, Gronk and maybe Hightower out until the playoffs then just have them all step in and play like it’s the 2014 playoff run. They can certainly still beat the entire stable of AFC teams, but I think we’re fooling ourselves a bit if we think the offense can just pick up where it left off two months previously. Edelman especially is a concern considering his injury and how physical he plays, with lots of cutting.
Defense
Honestly the defense blowing the Broncos game is probably the best thing that could’ve happened to them (and the team as a whole). But give me Collins and Hightower back in there (assuming everyone else stays healthy) and I feel like this is a defense that could shut down anyone. Right now I’m just praying for Butler and Ryan to make it all the way without getting dinged. They’re playing so well together, it would be a devastating blow to lose one of them. Again, hopefully the Gronk Return will break the injury curse of the last two months.