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Pats Posits: Defense Dominates in Houston

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We’re going to the playoffs! After a two-game slide the Pats got back on track against the Texans, led by a suffocating defense that made plays with the pass rush and in coverage.

Houston converted just three of 14 third downs and had a total of 189 yards, 126 of which came on three plays. It was as good as this defense has played all season.

On offense, they made the plays they had to, but against a good defense they still looked out of sync at times. The biggest difference was having Gronk back. We all know he’s a game changer and that was once again proven against the Texans.

Now it’s back to home for a (hopefully) easy one against the Titans. Here are the Posits from the game:

– It’s time to give Logan Ryan
 his due. A lot of us thought Butler would draw Hopkins in coverage, but it was Ryan and aside from one big catch, Ryan erased Hopkins. Ryan was so inconsistent last season and into the preseason this year, but he’s gotten better each week and has developed a calm savvy to his game.

– Malcolm Butler has been just as good. He and Ryan aren’t getting a ton of interceptions but they’re competitive on every ball thrown in their direction. Now we see Leonard Johnson step right into the slot and do a terrific job, breaking up two passes. Johnson is thicker than Coleman and clearly more experienced. If he can keep it up he might be an important addition for the stretch run.

– No one is harder on Brandon Bolden
 than me, but with Blount going down with a hip injury, it was up to Bolden to be the early down back. This was the best game I’ve seen Bolden play as a running back (16 carries, 51 yards). He’s a fantastic special teams player but has lacked the ability to break tackles and make plays. Against the Texans he ran hard. Hopefully Blount isn’t out long, but credit to Bolden for stepping up and playing well.

– Not sure when Freeny got hurt, but Mayo was playing and had his best game of the season. Really looked like he was getting some of his “pop” back. He’s one to focus on in film review this week.

– Just as Keshawn Martin
 was starting to click with Brady he muffs a punt and opens the door to a potential Texans comeback (that failed when the defense got a fourth-down stop. Martin needs to shrug this one off, he’s taken real strides in the offense and looked a lot more comfortable this week. The better he fills the Edelman role the more they can hold back on Amendola (by keeping him as the “slot” receiver), and who knows, with Amendola’s contract Martin could end up replacing him.

– Jabaal Sheard has been a beast coming back off his ankle injury that kept him sidelined far longer than we expected. The combination of him, Ninkovich and Jones finally give us a deep rotation of impressive passive rushers who can all set the edge as well. 

– It seems like Easley dodged a bullett after going down grabbing his knee. He was riding the bike on the sideline and was seen laughing on the broadcast.

– The big injuries to monitor are LeGarrette Blount (hip) and Devin McCourty (ankle). Both looked fairly innocuous, but neither returned from the locker room. The at least have depth at safety to manage without McCourty, but going down to just Bolden and White would hurt.

– Injuries – Blount (hip), McCourty (ankle), Freeny (hand), Easley (knee)

– Nice to see the offense go 3-for-3 in the red zone but six punts and three three-and-outs made things look sluggish. They look nothing like the score-at-will team of September, but I still don’t think we’ve seen this offense’s capabilities post-Lewis. Hopefully we catch a glimpse of it against a floundering Titans team this weekend.

– All things considered I thought the offensive line was better than they’ve been, and that’s a good sign with two rookie guards playing the whole game. We knew they’d employ Michael Williams to help on Watt and they did a good job minimizing Watt’s impact.

Things have shifted quickly in the AFC with the Andy Dalton injury. Now it looks like Pittsburgh might be the biggest threat to the Pats’ AFC title hopes. At the least they’re the closest thing out there to healthy.

Broncos at Steelers will be big this weekend. With three games to go the Steelers are two behind the Bengals. The Bengals have a two-game western swing, first at San Fran then at Denver. The door is still very open on the Steelers getting the second seed.

The Pats game against the Jets in two weeks is shaping up to be a big one, but first the Titans!

Pats Posits: Tuesday Edition – Reacting to the Over-reacting

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To be honest I don’t really read or listen to a lot of the Pats analysis out there, but it’s always fun to wake up on a Monday after a loss to find out what people are apoplectic about. The loss to the Eagles was the classic example of some days you just don’t have the magic. Not to say the Pats couldn’t have won that game or that they didn’t shoot themselves in the foot, but this is the NFL. Every team has talent and regardless of records or how they looked last week, any team can beat any team on any Sunday.

Of course there are those who live in the alternate universe where the Pats get no credit for beating teams that don’t have winning records and subsequently get crucified for losing a game to one of them. It’s an easy way to give them no credit for winning more games than anyone else while simultaneously giving them all the blame when they happen to lose. Now they can declare everything that’s wrong with this Patriots team and why they won’t win the Super Bowl, etc. So yeah, that’s why I don’t need to hear what those kind of “pundits” are saying.

Aside from the obvious errors on special teams and bad throws by Brady, the problem is obvious. The receivers don’t get open as fast now, Brady has to hold the ball longer, the offensive line has to protect longer and everything has slowed down. The Eagles often flooded the field with zone defenders and that exposed the Patriots’ problems.

From WEEI.com:

Brady took an average of 2.63 seconds from snap-to-throw, his highest average of the season. Furthermore, Brady had 16 plays which took more than three seconds, something very uncharacteristic for the Patriots offense. Brady has averaged over 2.2 seconds from snap-to-throw in four straight games, which comes following the first eight games where he only had one game averaging over 2.2 seconds.

The defense was actually pretty good and will be even better when Hightower gets back. I am excited about this defense in the playoffs and there is still every reason to be excited about them.

The special teams problems were an outlier and won’t happen again.

So really, all that matters is the offense finding their groove once again and that’s something that is possible even before Gronk and Edelman return. They had flashes of it against the Eagles, they just couldn’t string it all together without a couple of game-deciding mistakes.

This season continues to feel like a weird version of 2013, with injuries piling up and constantly keeping the team in a state of flux. Last year, there wasn’t a single major injury outside of Jerod Mayo and Stevan Ridley, both of which happened early in the season. Each week the 2014 team seemed to be building on past performance and confirming their identity.

But this year they’ve been constantly adjusting to the latest injuries and after a white hot start they’ve been in triage mode every week since early October, trying to find ways to win without their top pieces. The offense is now a shadow of what it was in September. Maybe that’s an excuse, but it’s also a fact.

All that said, I still think the Patriots have the inside track on the top seed. The Broncos and Bengals play each other as well as the hot Steelers. There are losses in there for both of those teams. But the bye is so important with those Edelman and Gronkowski injuries. Even if they don’t get the one seed I think their chances in Denver or Cincinnati. The extra week of rest is critical.

It all just comes down to how quickly they can get their offense back and so much of it depends on the status of Edelman. I still hesitate to assume he’ll be back, because even if he is can he still get open immediately and make the impossible third-down catches in traffic? That’s asking a lot.

This might be the most interesting December we’ve had in New England in a long time, at least since 2008 where they were right on the playoff bubble. Needing wins at Jets and at Dolphins could really make those last two games meaningful and difficult. Let’s hope we’ve got at least 87 or 11 back for those.

Pats Posits: Any Given Sunday Applies to Pats Too

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It’s been a while since the Patriots lost a game like this. Losses marred by bad football are something Bill Belichick has distanced himself from in 15 years in New England.

But that’s what an ill-advised drop kickoff, a blocked punt for TD, a punt return for TD and a 99-yard pick six easily add up to. Yes, the Pats hung in there until the end, but the scoreboard doesn’t tell the story at 35-28.

The offense and defense weren’t particularly bad. Brady had two ill-advised interceptions but given the offensive pieces the Pats were rolling out there, it’s hard to be too upset with guys like Keshawn Martin for not making a clutch fourth down catch to keep the Pats’ hopes alive. Those are plays for people like Julian Edelman.

The defense failed to get a big third down stop near the end of the game, but did come through with Jamie Collins’ forced fumble, a clutch play in his return after missing four games. They didn’t see the field for a large chunk of the third quarter, but only allowed two scoring drives in the game.

It was as ugly a loss as we see in these parts and there’s plenty more to break down. Here are the Posits…

Big picture, this loss hurts in the playoff race for homefield advantage, but with the Bengals and Broncos still to play, the door is still open to a second-seed bye if the Patriots win out. But now, they might have to win out, and three of the last four are on the road, including two against teams (as of now) fighting for a playoff spot. This is going to be a drag out fight to the end for that extra week of rest, and boy do the Pats look like they need it.

I can’t remember the last time the Patriots lost a game because of multiple special teams breakdowns. Nine of the last ten years they’ve been ranked in the top ten in league special teams DVOA. An occasional snafu sure? Compounding, game-losing mistakes in bunches? Never.

So that makes it a little easier to swallow. It was out of conference and despite the huge deficit late in the game, they kept fighting and took it down to the wire. Even when the Patriots get blown out, it’s still close.

Does it hurt to see we’re now the #3 AFC seed? Sure. But let’s be honest, with the offensive weaponry the Pats have right now, they’re not the best team in the conference and are just trying to keep their head above water until they at least get Rob Gronkowski
 back.

I like the aggressiveness on the dropkickoff, like they were just trying to break the Eagles then and there, but it was really the spark that ignited a complete reversal in game momentum. So in hindsight, yeah maybe better just to kick it deep and save the dropkickoff. Not the first time an overly aggressive playcall has bit us in the ass with Belichick.

I think that was responsible for the TD on the ensuing drive, but I think the bigger meltdowns that came next – the blocked punt TD to tie it before the half, then the 99-yd interception TD near the start of the second half – were more about a team without an identity right now, and the injuries are certainly catching up with them on the field and in their heads. 

James White’s 10 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown is a silver lining. It still doesn’t seem the Patriots trust him entirely yet, but he must’ve gained some trust and confidence in him after his performance against the Eagles.

I liked how they worked Damaris Johnson in early with a couple touches. They need to find player who can make people miss. More of him please.

Danny Amendola was very solid after missing a game, and despite some drops, Scott Chandler is still hanging in there. They still can’t use Chandler in a Y-TE blocking role so they have to swap him and Michael Williams around, limiting the playbook. 

Wanted more out of LaFell in this one (five catches, nine targets), though he did have a key catch on the second-to-last drive, taking it down inside the five-yard line. I guess outside receivers can only be so effective in this offense, while inside guys and tight ends have to keep the chains moving, but he still needs to catch the ball.

The defense forced seven punts and one fumble, giving up just two scoring drives – the short field one post dropkickoff (eight plays, 59 yards) and the clincher drive, a 12-play, 80 yarder capped with a touchdown to make it 35-14 early in the fourth quarter. Hard to be too upset with the defense, despite that long drive and failing to get a stop on the last third down they saw.

I missed Jamie Collins. Once Hightower gets back too…

I’m guessing this will get plenty of action this week, but the Eagles were false starting throughout the game, and did so clear as day on the the last third down, where the RT was already kicking out to block Jabaal Sheard before the snap. I can understand that pass interference calls have a lot of moving parts, but if the refs can’t catch something as simple as a false start what are they doing out there?

Brady looked incredibly natural catching that pass! And on the bright side, someday that will be the only thing we remember about this game. It was a great play at the time, but all the good feelings were killed when Brady threw the bad pick the very next play. It was like he was feeling a little too good – like this was suddenly the 2014 offense and nothing could go wrong. 

Josh Kline looks to be the latest offensive player to get injured and leave the game, he’s the sixth offensive line starter to get injured as well. Hopefully it’s not a season-ended. Tough to tell. Was ruled a “shoulder”. 

The special teams are not going to have this kind of meltdown again, but the Patriots are now hanging by a thread as far as controlling their own fate in the conference. This week’s matchup against the former-Patriot laden Texans is fascinating. What I wouldn’t give to hear the conversations between Bill O’Brien, Romeo Crennel
, Mike Vrabel
, Vince Wilfork and Brian Hoyer, among others behind closed doors.

The Patriots’ offense will have a huge challenge, especially if they have to face JJ Watt without their most consistent interior offensive lineman this year. Starting two rookies against that front is far from ideal.

The 2015 season is three-quarters over and the Patriots are hanging on, but far from Super Bowl favorites if they don’t eliminate the sloppy play that showed up way too much against the Eagles. I believe the whole team was still reeling somewhat from the loss in Denver. That kind of loss, plus the way Gronk went out, has a way of being a dark cloud and I think it lingered a bit. They just froze in the face of adversity for the second week – which is a little troubling.

Still, it’s the kind of thing they can usually clean up. 

This loss should put Denver and Gronk to bed. They’ll turn the page, but it’s clear they’ll struggle to make it out of the AFC without Gronkowski and Edelman. They must find a way to turn the tide in Houston, a place that hasn’t been great to them since winning Super Bowl 38 there.

Pats Posits: Wednesday Edition

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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.

Pats Posits: Tuesday Edition

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I continue to try and wrap my head around this season, as it’s a script we haven’t seen before. Usually a Patriots season goes one of two ways – they lose a couple games along the way but figure it all out by January for a Super Bowl run, or injuries decimate their chances and they either just miss the playoffs or get beat by a more healthy team. Usually one of these or a combination of sorts.

This year however they raced out to a 10-0 start, losing significant players nearly every week in October and November. Now, they have a one game lead for the top AFC seed, but it’s up to a cast of fill-ins to get them to the playoffs at which time they’re expected to suddenly be back at (almost) full health.

I guess we have to call it the year of non-season-ending injuries.

But as I touched upon in Monday’s Posits, Dion Lewis still truly hurts and the Pats overall lack of a run game since he went down could ultimately be their undoing. 

Simply put, they aren’t winning on first and second down with the ground game and the result is more and more third and longs. In eight games with Lewis, the Pats had 35 3rd downs that were eight yards or longer. In just three games since he went down they’ve had 18. Their yards-per-rushing-attempt on first and second down have dropped from 4.07 to 3.13.

Now the running game’s importance can be minimized to a degree, but as we saw last night, it certainly hurts when you can’t run the clock out. Again, I think they should consider a street free agent who gets out of the backfield quickly, unlike Blount who takes time to build momentum and speed.

But if Gronk/Edelman/Amendola are back for the playoffs and the offensive line settles into a rhythm, they’ll be so much better than what we’re seeing on the field now.

Defense

Still so annoyed with the defense not putting the clamps down against Brock Osweiler at the end of the game. Just when I was reaching a comfort zone with the defense they give up 17 points in the fourth quarter and then, the cherry on top, giving up a 48-yard rushing walkoff TD on a 3rd-and-1 when a stop would’ve given Brady another shot at the win.

Maybe if this was 2010 or 2011 we’d just chalk it up to the fact that there was no talent on our defense. They couldn’t get by without turnovers, but this defense’s only excuse is that Dont’a Hightower went out in the second quarter.

I know the run defense suffered without him, but they still forced four three-and-outs in the second half.

Once they started having success with the run they started having big play success. The 36-yard pass to Demaryius Thomas and the 39 yarder to Emmanuel Sanders on the Broncos final drive of regulation to take the lead were killers and set back all the good work they did against the pass all game until that point.

The Patriots had this game and let it get away despite everything, which is why they’ll be in the mix down to the end for the Super Bowl. Once again all that really mattered was which team made the final play. That’s pretty much always what it comes down to and regardless of everything else, this year will be no different.

Pats Posits: Oh My Gronk, We’re Not Going Undefeated!

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Between this game and the one against the Giants a couple weeks ago, I’m pretty sure this Patriots regular season is going to put me into an early grave. 

I’m still trying to wrap my head around the Broncos game and it’s long been over. Obviously the Rob Gronkowski “injury” was a dark moment and I am still in shock that the early reports are that he’ll only be out a week, maybe.

In those moments as Gronk writhed in pain, all Patriots fans went through the same thought – “welp there goes our Super Bowl hopes”. In the moment that was a legitimate thing to believe, but even if Gronk was done for the year I wouldn’t totally rule the Patriots out given the state of the NFL this year. Not with Tom Brady still throwing. And not with our first legitimate defense since 2007.

I’ve never experienced a season like this one, which is refreshing in some ways. The Patriots will still in theory have all their major parts back (except Dion Lewis) for the playoffs. Can they all instantly click to win three games? That’s the question to ponder now.

No matter how many silver linings we spin, this loss still hurts. The Hightower injury – being reported as an MCL sprain – is significant. And the OPI calls on Gronkowski, that seem meant to single him out purposefully, are troubling.

Plenty else to digest, here are the belated Pats Posits…

– A favorite saying of mine is that you can’t truly appreciate a win until you’ve completely accepted that you’re probably not going to win. Super Bowl 49 was the greatest example of that, and now I’ve got the same feeling on a player basis with Gronk.

– We all accepted he was done for the year, that there was finally an injury that would really, really hurt, but now alas, Gronk will be back. Perhaps this is what we needed to break the weekly injury string. Perhaps.

– A brief bit on the penalties and then I’m done complaining about them. I’m not usually one to complain too much about calls but last night’s were just too egregious to ignore. The Chung PI was marginal at best, but I can live with it. I’ve been living with marginal PI calls forever as most of the NFL has. But the Gronk OPI is a disconcerting trend because it seems like he’s being targeted unfairly. The Pats have no choice but to keep playing and make them call it 100 times, because once you tell Gronk to avoid contact at the top of his stem he’s going to play tentative. I just pray to the Football Gods it’s not a Gronk OPI call in the playoffs that does us in because that will set me on fire.

– Rob Gronkowski was walking seemingly fine and the initial reports are that it is not serious but I still wouldn’t mind giving Chandler a game to play a lot. I know he’s had issues with drops but I think he might be the kind of player who benefits from being a central focus for a game or two. We saw it on the game-tying drive when he had a couple big catches. If we can break him out of the funk, get Gronk fully healthy, they could finally live up to their “Twin Towers” expectation.

– I have to say it was an impressive game-tying drive after seeing Gronk go down. You just had to know they were going to be shell shocked after that. Still Brady rallied them down the field and that is incredibly promising for the core of this team that will need to take them to the Super Bowl, especially the offensive line and Brady. That is the Patriots heart we’re used to seeing in the face of adversity.

– Some are probably killing the defense today, but it was pretty simple that once Hightower went down and Chris Harper fumbled the table was perfectly set for the Broncos comeback. I’d like to think Hightower was that critical to the run defense being so good in recent weeks, but it certainly looks that way.  Kevin Duffy of MassLive.com pointed out that with Hightower in the game, the Broncos had 15 rushes for 43 yards. After Hightower went down, they had 17 carries for 136 yards and three touchdowns.

– The end of course ruined what was really an exciting defensive performance until the wheels fell off. Logan Ryan was superb for most of the game as was Malcolm Butler until the end. It shouldn’t have gotten to that point, but I remain confident that with Hightower and Collins back in the lineup this is a championship calibre defense.

– The Broncos made the plays (and got the calls) but they really don’t scare me much down the road. The only focus now is staying ahead of the Bengals because the Broncos have another loss or likely two in them. The Bengals have had great injury luck this year and I still think that’s the AFC Championship game no matter what.

– If there’s something to worry about it’s the running game. Blount can’t get going on his own. White and Bolden can’t make anyone miss. Every game since Lewis went down has been ugly and I would advocate adding someone who can get through the line quickly. Not sure if that player is out there. But what’s distressing is that no one knew Lewis would be that good, and plenty of us thought Blount and White WOULD be the lead backs. So if there was a place that should’ve been a little further addressed this offseason it should’ve been running back. Or at least not cutting Jonas Gray? 

– Vollmer to LT and Cannon back to RT worked well but I thought it was Josh Kline’s worst game and some pressure up the gut hurt a few times. So now that Stork is back at center and we’re coming down the stretch I’d like to see a set line that we stick with. Just figure out the Mason-Kline-Jackson of it all at guard and then roll with it.

– If Gronk and Hightower are back sooner than later this was a good loss. Why? Because the pressure of being undefeated is off and let’s face it, this team isn’t a 16-0 team nor should we care or want them to be. Second, this was a loss that pissed off Brady and Belichick and that always locks . This is the kind of loss the 2007 Patriots could’ve used. Nothing was really exposed about these Patriots that we didn’t already know. Yeah, their run defense went down the tubes after Hightower went out, that’s troubling but not surprising. And really, given the emotion of the end of the game after Gronk, I can’t say I was shocked they laid a turd defensively after it. Those will be plays to look at closer on the rewatch, but I still feel pretty confident about the Pats’ chances of getting to the Super Bowl. It’s just going to be a matter of whether or not Brady can pick things up at an elite level with Edelman/Amendola/Gronk after potentially not playing with them for a while.

Wednesday Pats Posits: Some left off tidbits

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Decent news yesterday afternoon that Danny Amendola only has a knee sprain and won’t miss “significant” time, but after Jabaal Sheard and Marcus Cannon’s “minor” injuries that kept them out for more than a month, I’m not counting on having Amendola back for at least the next two, maybe more. This should be fascinating to watch unfold as BB scrambles to put together a competent passing offense on the fly with LaFell, Harper and hopefully Keyshawn Martin.

I had really hoped to see more out of Scott Chandler this year. Not sure what the issue is but he’s not much of a factor and I think I”m done waiting for his breakout game. They sure could use him in Denver but I won’t hold my breath.

What a difference Easley and Sheard are making on this defense. Finally it’s a diverse pass rush that can consistently win and it leaves me scratching my head wondering why it took this long? Why were we running Chandler Jones and Ninkovich into the ground from 2012-2014? 

Easley is so disruptive, he really is the player I’ve been dreaming about since I started blogging Pats. We all just though “oh, his explosive get-off will be huge for pass rush”, but really it’s great at blowing up runs too.

Don’t take this the wrong way, but I think not having Wilfork anymore is a tiny blessing as well in the pass rush department. The rotation of tackles is so effective and versatile.

And what about Malcom Brown. He’s not getting much heat for rookie of the year, but he’s been better than I had hoped he’d be this year. He’s already their best defensive tackle on early downs. He and Easley are cornerstones in their respective roles, both vital.

Dane Fletcher and Chris Jones will not be activated this year and it’s not totally surprising given that injuries haven’t hit too hard at DL and LB. With Mayo rounding into form it takes some of the need I perceived for Fletcher. We’ll see them next summer.

This is such a strange year considering the way this team will limp to the finish line likely with a bye, then (hopefully) get their best receiver back for the playoffs. If Brady can develop chemistry with just one other guy – Harper/Chandler/Martin – it will only make them that much stronger in the playoffs.

I changed my mind yesterday. I don’t think Belichick will force the issue of going undefeated if they hit 14 or 15 wins. This team is just too banged up and already on the edge. With the early bye and some assured dogfights coming up they’ll need rest far more than another meaningless perfect regular season.