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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.

Pats Posits: We Escape Rex Once Again

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I know it’s fun to crap on Rex Ryan but once again he showed why he’s the only coach who has consistently given Tom Brady
a tough time. He always seems to fall just short in the end, but he knows how to slow down New England’s offense. It also helps when Julian Edelman’s not there.

I’d just like to go one week with an important piece limping to the sideline or getting checked out on the bench. 

Now we’re at double digit wins without a loss. In 2007, I was so intrigued by 16-0 because it really looked like no one could stop the Pats until early December, and the only siginificant injury loss was Rosevelt Colvin
.

Imagine that team without Welker, Faulk, Light and Bruschi. 

So this time around at 10-0 I’m just hoping we can lock up the top seed asap and get healthy in the right spots at the right time. But make no mistake, these final six games will be a total grind, every single one of them.

Let us dive into a very Thanksgiving-y Posits…

Defense Wins Championships

This was the most comfortable seven-point final-drive lead I’ve experienced since the mid-2000′s. If this was 2010-2013 Patriots defense we were going to overtime. 

Say what you will about the injuries this year, but what we’ve still got is Tom Brady and a pass-rushing, run-stopping defense. Those are the two biggest ingredients for a Super Bowl winning team. 

The defense held the Bills to 3-of-15 on third down. Five three-and-outs. Seven punts. Under 100 yards rushing for the fifth-straight weeks. Don’t look now people but we have a defense.

Brady Toughing It Out

The protection was terrible at times, with the line (and Brady) were confused about who was coming or going. As Jon Gruden pointed out in his only correct statement of the night, the Bills played a lot of zone and were spinning the dial as hard as Rex could spin it. Edelman out. Amendola down. Brady just hung in there and willed the team to win. 

LaFell Down the Depth Chart?

Strange to see LaFell not starting and only getting significant reps once Dobson and Amendola both went down. Something strange there and I’d bet there’s some digging by the beat crew. I don’t want to speculate but either his foot (or something else) isn’t right or it’s disciplinary. Can’t imagine any world where Dobson (who was suddenly on the injury report Monday morning with a back injury before leaving the game not being able to walk on his ankle) is suddenly ahead of LaFell on the game day depth chart. We’ll see, but obviously we need him more than ever if Amendola’s out for any length of time.

Wilson at Linebacker

Curious to see in film review how the Pats used Tavon Wilson, who suddenly appeared after being MIA through nine games. My guess is that Chung took over the slot spot over Melvin (smart), so the trickle down was who played the box safety spot (which has been essentially a linebacker role). He flashed in a couple different instances, reminding me that if Chung was just a better fit in this spot, maybe Wilson might be too. Something to monitor because he’s got a little more size and thump than Chung. The Cardinals have been using safety Deon Bucanon at a linebacker spot with great success. This is where the game is headed.

Mayo at OLB

I’ve been critical of Mayo but I thought this was his best game of the season. Not that he played a ton, but he finally made an impact on the game with some big stops. They shifted him to outside linebacker it appeared at times. Something to take a closer look at. But Mayo made plays and that bodes well coming down the stretch with Collins poised to come back.

Blount can’t get going

I always liked Blount with someone like Ridley in front of him. Even Dion Lewis seemed to soften up defenses just enough for him. But this just playing him as the lead back style has not looked good. Unfortunately there’s not another option really. Hopefully he shows he can get going in Denver, but remember in 2013 when Blount ran roughshod over the Colts and then did zippo in the AFC Championship in Denver? I hope this doesn’t make us one dimensional because teams can go with light (pass-stopping) boxes.

Free James White

The feel good takeaway from this one (besides the defense) has to be James White’s two touchdowns. Again, White wasn’t a huge part of the gameplan, but he came through in a couple spots. He’s not electric like Dion Lewis, but he can make defenders miss. That’s more than I can say for Bolden. Hopefully White continues to see more touches as he and the coaching staff gain confidence. 

Hello Chris Harper

It’s a shame Harper’s first catch had to be negated by a Marcus Cannon penalty. It was a spectacular play, while Harper also did job fighting (though losing) for the ball on the gross Brady interception.  Now if Amendola is out he’s going to have a monumental opportunity to step into a role that many seem to think is “plug-and-play”.

Little Things

What’s the difference between the Patriots and the other 31 teams? It was on display last night, as it usually is against Rex Ryan. They are simply all on then same page. They are sound in all facets and they will not beat themselves. The faces have changed over the years but that’s the Belichick aspect that has not. Everybody knows the situation and exactly what to do. The line is thin between winning and losing, but the Patriots are consistently so solid and clean with their football it almost always puts them on top. That’s really what it comes down to.

DL

Have to give a tip of the cap to the defensive line and linebackers. Easley, Brown, Branch, Hightower, Nink and Chandler right down the line played fast and aggressive. It was fun to watch and something I feel like I’ve been waiting a decade for again.

Malcolm Butler

Butler took Sammy Watkins out of the game, just like he took Odell Beckham out of the last game. It’s clear that Bill Belichick was keeping the best cornerback on the roster last year, and at 1/32nd the cost of Darrelle Revis. 

OL

We didn’t even know how good of a left tackle Marcus Cannon was while we were all waiting for him to get over his supposedly minor toe injury. Well he didn’t look too good there last night, with multiple penalties and blown blocks. Honestly Cameron Fleming looked better there than Canon did. Maybe he was just “rusty”, or maybe it’s time to look at Fleming (or Vollmer) at LT. 

Brady- Manning Osweiler

Now that next Sunday’s game isn’t a Brady – Manning one, it’s taken a different gleam. I like our defense over their offense, but this will be Brady’s hardest test of whatever meaningful regular season games are left. If we roll into Denver with Harper and LaFell starting we could struggle to move the ball. Badly. But we know what kind of fight this team has so it should be a battle.

Pats Posits: Breaking the Giant Curse at a Cost

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There hasn’t been a more emotionally draining football game since the Super Bowl, and to find its regular season equivalent we might have to go all the way back to the 4th-and-2 2009 game. Wow. What a ball game.

Early on it looked just like the last three Giants games have looked. Eli and his bottom-of-the-depth-chart receivers making magical plays and moving the ball seemingly at will.

But this time it was Eli and the Giants who left just a little too much time for Tom Brady, and he made them pay the same way the Patriots had to pay the Giants the last three times.

So much to digest from this game, with Julian Edelman’s injury, one that will keep him out at least until the playoffs, if not longer, being at the forefront.

But for now here at the Posits on how the Pats finally beat their Giant mind block.

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First, with the Broncos losing again the Pats are sitting in good position for a top two seed and the bye that comes with it. Honestly if this means we’ll have an almost-healthy Edelman for the playoff run it’s not the worst thing in the world. Better this than a Week 17 Welker ACL tear.

They’re paying Amendola plenty of money, he should be okay filling Edelman’s role for six weeks. He’s a much better option than rookie Edelman was filling in for Welker in 2009. I think we all generally trust him a lot more down than we did early in his Patriots career. He’s made a ton of clutch plays since mid-2014 and a big reason why the Pats not only won a Super Bowl, but are currently 9-0.

Big picture for the offense, they just need Vollmer and Cannon back and then we’ll see where we’re at. What this patchwork offensive line did against the Giants deserves a ton of credit. We still must wonder how healthy they can get, and then just how good that group is. We haven’t even seen Cannon at left tackle much at all. Obviously Vollmer’s return will settle things. Hopefully that’s not too bad of a concussion.

Now there’s another chance for Aaron Dobson
, who should find himself on the field more frequently. But I still think LaFell, Gronk and Amendola are a very experienced and tough trio. 

Big picture on the defense, the pass rush was too quiet against the Giants. But overall they didn’t have as bad of a game as some on my twitter feed thought. They didn’t allow a touchdown in the second half. Yes, the long drive at the end was dreadful, but in the end they bent but didn’t break enough for Brady to pull it out.

This is what they do. No one should be surprised.

But overall what a gutty road performance by the 2015 Patriots. We might’ve lost Edelman for a bit but we learned a lot about this team. Every year is unique but this is another edition that will fight down to the last man.

Now, the small stuff:

This is just the kind of game I’ve been talking about with Chandler Jones and he had the nice sack at the start, but a relatively quiet day when the Pats were often only rushing a few guys. Would’ve liked to have seen more out of him, NInkovich and Easley. 

Though Ninkovich did come through with the big sack that set up a punt near the end of the game. That was a game-saving play. 

Easley and Hightower were also quiet on the pass rush front, while Sheard gets a pass in his first game back.

The run defense was once again excellent, one of the most pleasant surprises of the first Post-Wilfork season. Credit to Branch and Brown, Siliga and Hicks.

Malcolm Butler was on the end of a tough play to start the game but he bounced back extremely well. This might’ve been the best full game of his career. Take away Odell Beckham’s 87-yard touchdown and he had just 3 more catches for 17 yards. And that’s with 12 targets! Butler had three passes defensed.

I understand the thought to try to get Blount going with this makeshift line we’re running out there, but I still think he’s the kind of back that needs someone in front of him to soften the defense up before downshifting to Blount.

I wanted to see more of White, but they seemed to put away the Lewis portion of the playbook as far as he was concerned. There were a couple with Brandon Bolden, but the Pats passing down back offense hasn’t been ignored it was in this game very often.

This was a big third down game, neither team did much on first or second down. The Pats finished 7-14, the Giants 7-15. That one third down stop was literally the difference in the game. The pass rush can and will be better, and once that happens they’ll be fine. 

Don’t think McCourty’s had his best season. There was the miscue on first touchdown, but there’s been a couple of those kind of plays from him this year. Not picking up a fumble earlier in the season and getting a “you’re a better player than that” from BB springs to mind as well.

For the second time this year I’ve thought that Matthew Slater
was done for the year only to see him return. Can’t imagine what his body is going through right now.

Rough penalty game with a lot of bad calls in key situations going the wrong way. Eli even Flacco’d us a bit.

Justin Coleman got picked on and eventually replaced by Melvin. I like Melvin’s size and that’s about it. Still think Coleman is the better player. As many catches as they gave up the tackling was pretty solid and there wasn’t much YAC.

The defense is different without Jamie Collins. Obviously. And Hightower has had a couple down weeks. Unfortunately the dropoff to Freeny and Mayo is huge. I don’t know how quickly Dane Fletcher can get up to speed, but they could use a guy like him.

Losing Dion Lewis
hurts man. This is one of the worst breakups I’ve gone through in some time. I’m trying to just not think or post about him, but wow did they miss his multiple first-down-outta-nothing plays against the Giants.

Amendola’s punt return what was really sparked the comeback, but Brady almost gave it away there a couple times. Really, they should’ve put them away much earlier than they did, but overcoming that is still pretty impressive. They know they can’t get away with that in big games against good teams.

I turned my TV off after I thought Landon Collins intercepted Brady on the final drive. Only one last look at twitter saved me from missing the real ending. Could you imagine?

What else is there to say about Tom Brady. This one felt good. It came at a price, but it was a warm feeling to finally give Eli a last second loss, even if it doesn’t mean anything as far as those Super Bowl losses are concerned.

Let’s get Vollmer and Cannon back this week!

Pats Posits: Dion Lewis Buzzkill Edition

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The Patriots pretty easily handled the Redskins as expected on Sunday, but once again were dealt more problems in the injury department.

Still, the Pats rolled, the defense played well even without Jamie Collins, and they’re headed to another date with Eli sitting at 8-0.

But 2015 has quickly become a war of attrition since the Pats early bye week, when offensive linemen started dropping like Redskins receivers. We’re down to one healthy tackle and we’re only halfway to the playoffs.

Here are the somber Posits…

Where else to start but Dion Lewis
 and Sebastian Vollmer
? 

We’ll all be holding our breath on both early this week, hoping that somehow Lewis only has an MCL sprain and Vollmer is at practice Wednesday. Lewis had an almost “too good to be true” feel to him and unfortunately I think the odds are against us seeing him again this year.

You have to feel for a guy who was finally just coming out of the woods on the injuries that hurt him early in his career. He was electric and putting him into an offense that won the Super Bowl last year was almost unfair.

Regardless of this season, hopefully Lewis can get back to the level he played at. He seems like a truly special playmaker. If there’s just a chance to get him for the playoffs it’d be a win at this point.

As for replacing him, I think James White is next in line despite Bolden’s appearance on Sunday. White isn’t as elusive as Lewis, but he’s shown some flash here and there in limited spots this season.

Some are already speculating Travaris Cadet could make a return and that makes a lot of sense. The Pats aren’t dead in the water without Lewis, but there will be a bit of dropoff that’s for sure.

– Yes, it’s the year of the Tackle Apocalypse with Sebastian Vollmer being the latest victim to go down with what is likely a concussion. But in comes Bryan Stork to save the day, playing tackle for the first time in his career and doing a pretty good job.

I don’t know how things can get much worse at the tackle spot. Praying the Cannon re-appears this week, Vollmer’s okay and then we’ll okay if we can just keep them healthy til the end. I’m definitely not convinced we can.

– Gotta love the balls of the onside kick early in the game. That’s the kind of “take control” performance you want against an inferior team at home and I thought it sent a strong message.

– We were all worried about losing the legend Vince Wilfork, but what a job Alan Branch and Malcom Brown are doing inside. Branch forced a fumble and blew up a couple runs by himself. Brown gets better each week and plays with excellent pad level and strength. Along with solid edge play from Ninkovich (who did lose the edge a couple times on the Redskins only drive) and Chandler Jones, the Pats run defense has been as good as it’s been since 2012, when they were the 6th best run defense by Football Outsider’s DVOA metric.

– I think I’ve finally figured LeGarrette Blount out. If it’s a tough front that likes to stop the run, he’s not very good. But against a run defense that’s middle of the pack or worse, or especially poor tacklers? He gonna eat.

– The Pats put Ryan on Garcon and Butler on Jackson. He was just coming back from injury, but Jackson was eliminated by Butler. Might be an area to examine in A22 Review, but Jackson had six targets, three catches, 15 yards with a long of nine yards. After getting torched in training camp last summer as a rookie, Butler showed some progress against the speedy deeeeeep threat.

– Predictable breakout game for LaFell as he looks to be back in sync with Brady. Nine targets, five catches for 102 yards for the physical receiver. It sucks to probably lose Lewis but it’s nice to have LaFell back to bring his outside presence.

– You the sign of a good pass defense? When they play action then check back down to the running back they didn’t hand off to. Seeing it more and more the last couple years and it’s a nice sign no one is open.

– The defense still really needs Sheard back. Chandler and Ninkovich are going to wear out playing every snap again. Initial reports were Sheard’s ankle was minor, but here we are a month later and he still hasn’t been seen on the field. Off it he looks fine, no limp, cast or otherwise. So the wait continues…

– Duron Harmon went down too but walked off and seemed okay after the game. Losing him would really limit what McCourty could be used for, so hopefully he just took one in the jewels or something. But after Sheard/Cannon’s “minor” injuries who knows.

– I can’t even get through an entire Posits and not mention those we sometimes take for granted like Edelman and Gronk, but both were clutch per usual. Getting to the playoffs with them healthy matters above all else. I’m not sure there’s a tougher receiver in the NFL than Julian Edelman. Fierce, quick, he’s a nightmare to cover and play against no matter what you want to label him.

– And then, there’s Tom Brady who finally threw his first shitty interception of the year. I’m glad that’s out of the way! 

– Always nice to see the Broncos lose, even if it was to the Colts. That’s a good tie breaker, the Pats could be a win in Denver away from a solid two-game lead for homefield advantage.

– Guess what? The Patriots haven’t beat Eli Manning since the 2007 16-0 game! This includes SB42, 2011′s regular season matchup, and SB46, all of which featured Eli making a late drive to pull out the win. I’d love to put a couple demons to rest this Sunday!

Pats Posits: We’re not even halfway yet

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Despite getting thrown off my usual schedule by the Patriots’ Thursday night game, I don’t mind a full Sunday of the Red Zone Channel and no stress. Lots of great games yesterday, capped off by the Broncos knocking the Packers off in a game that I think most everyone believed would result in Denver getting smacked.

So now the Pats’ game in Denver certainly looks a bit more intriguing, but I think it’s worth reminding everyone out there thinking about 16-0 and making reservations in San Fran for early February that the season is not even halfway over yet. So many things can still change. Even I’m guilty of imagining what might be possible if the Pats can avoid the injury bug for the next two months. They got off to a great start and then got whacked with the Brown/Solder/Cannon/Sheard hits in weeks 5 and 6.

As I’m sure you’ve heard the trade deadline is tomorrow. I would never rule anything out but I just can’t play the trade speculation game. Everyone has a certain player that makes sense, but when it comes down to it I think the Patriots are a Super Bowl contender as currently constituted. Again, it’s just a matter of staying healthy. But making a trade for a starting corner or tackle seems like a longshot to me at this point.

One thing I noticed this morning was that Brandon Browner is once again leading the league in penalties and I don’t think this is something we can dismiss when considering the Pats letting him walk.

Truth be told, I was more annoyed at letting Browner walk than Revis at the time last spring, because that sparked everyone to say the Pats were going back to a more zone based defense. That was unthinkable to me because quarterbacks are just too good against zone defense now to make that your bread and butter. I was ecstatic when the Pats continued to stick primarily with man defense even if the personnel didn’t totally scream man-to-man. And really I think it’s paid off, in good part because the front seven has been fresher and better for 60 minutes overall than they have been in a long time.

Lot of love out there for Patrick Chung, Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon this week, with Harmon and Chung both begin chosen as PFF’s top safeties this week. Belichick mentioned that in his first stint with the Pats, they used Chung more in Cover-2, whereas now he’s basically playing linebacker 90% of the time. His coverage of tight ends has certainly improved over the last two years, and he certainly had his struggles facing more wide receivers from 2009-2012.

The guy I’m most curious about though is Jordan Richards, who continues to impress me each week as his role continues to grow a bit each time he takes the field. Richards will replace Chung at some point, and my early impression is that his ceiling will be even higher.

Despite Chris Ivory’s injury, the Pats’ run defense has been as good as we’ve seen it the last two weeks against two very tough running teams. The inside defensive tackle rotation is really working well and I wonder if not having Wilfork to rely on has helped the front deliver a more consistent performance.

What I’d like to see most is for the defense to show their full potential against the Broncos. How would the defense look once Sheard and Easley hit their stride alongside Collins, Hightower, Chandler and Nikovich? That’s when things might get scary good and hopefully that’s what we’re building to in Jan/Feb.

Stop me if I get annoying but I can’t get enough of Dion Lewis. The offense was already a bunch of impossible choices when it was mainly Gronk and Edelman leading the way while LaFell and Amendola filled in with timely clutch catches. Now the third dynamic that Lewis brings is what is truly making this new version of the offense unique and potentially as unstoppable as we’ve ever seen. Lewis doesn’t just make something out of nothing, he makes amazing out of nothing. And when there is something there he has yet to fall short. I’m not sure there’s a defense out there that can match up with Gronk/Edelman/Lewis.

After this lackluster Redskins game there are four interesting games in a row – @NYG, BUF, @DEN and PHI. These will be the best, and likely only remaining tests on the schedule, unless the Jets find a way to bounce back after losing to the suddenly dangerous Raiders.

It’s hard not to just think about the playoffs this year with the light schedule and overall dominance so far, but I still believe there will be more adversity to define this team. I just hope it’s not a critical injury because it still looks like that might be the only thing that can stop the Patriots from getting back to the Super Bowl.

Pats Posits: Fins Down, Way Down

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The Patriots are leaving no doubt this season as they steamrolled the Dolphins, proving completely capable of rushing the passer and shutting down an offense that looked very sharp (in the first half) in last week’s game.

Some want to label 2015 as a revenge year for Brady and the Pats, but to me it seems like the pressure if finally off for Belichick and Brady to get that elusive number four. Brady seems more relaxed and poised than we’ve seen him since 2010, and maybe even all the way back to 2007.

The Dolphins stopped the Patriots offense quite a few times, but Brady and his offense were patient and relentless.

Then there’s the defense who finally flashed a ferocity we’ve been waiting for. There are five 1st rounders playing prominent roles and all are coming into their prime.

2014 1st Dominique Easley and 2015 1st Malcom Brown are both getting better each week and it they’ve filled some weaknesses nicely.

But it’s Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins that are the key pieces and when Chandler Jones plays like he did against the Dolphins his contract size after 2016 next gets a little higher.

The Patriots defense has shown they can stop the run, with Alan Branch being a big key, and when their pass rush is clicking they can cause havoc. That’s the kind of defense that wins Super Bowls, no matter who’s in your secondary.

Exciting.

Now the Pats get a short extra break to rest and refuel. 

Here are the Posits:

Dion Lewis. Dion Lewis. Dion Lewis. I don’t know what else to say anymore. This guy blows my mind every single game and once again he was playing with his hair on fire. What a new element Lewis has added to this team. He is a nightmare, and so so hard to tackle in space. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. I can’t get enough!

I don’t want to sell Brady, Gronk or Edelman short. Those guys were all once again clutch throughout the game and unstoppable as always. They’ve been doing it so long now it’s almost expected and we’re spoiled for that.

Nice to see LaFell getting some catches as we knew he would.The back shoulder fade is his bread and butter with BRady. I’m not so sure about those screens unless he’s on a smaller DB, but he’s getting into a groove.

Now we will see the power of a fully operational Patriots offense, assuming that…

The offensive line wasn’t great. Brady still could get the job done, but it was a little scary a few times and he took a couple good shots. Hopefully Jackson is not gone for long. Luckily Stork and Wendell are coming back at the right rime.

But I’d really, really, really like to get Marcus Cannon back and I can’t believe I just typed that.

Anytime Ninkovich and Chandler Jones combined for three sacks and five QB hits the Patriots defense will be okay.

I really don’t know who I like better – Collins or Hightower, and I’m not going to make myself choose, I can just love both of them the same and by the same I mean a lot.

I think Butler, Ryan and Coleman did a pretty good job. It wasn’t perfect but it was better and that’s all you can ask for. Coleman has been breaking up passes every game, and tough ones too. Butler is aggressive and always on his man. Ryan has found some consistency.

Around now is when you know what you’ve got and I think this defense is absolutely one that can win a Super Bowl. The secondary, or more specifically cornerbacks, are not a fatal flaw. If they’re defense is going to break it will be because Chandler Jones, Ninkovich, Sheard and Hightower have a quiet game.

Pats Posits: 30,000 Feet Edition

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Greetings from somewhere over America! It was quite the whirlwind weekend for me, but a hard-fought Patriots win (and time with family) made it all worth it. 

Our seats were in the low 300s and I was reminded how much I enjoy watching football from up above. I was also reminded how much easier it is to track personnel when you’re at the game and can see who comes on and who comes off. 

The Jets are rightly getting a lot of respect out there and they deserve it. They did almost everything you need to do to beat New England at home. Just one turnover that resulted in only three points. Clutch third down plays. They were just a few plays away.

The pressure here was on the Patriots to hold serve at home. They did. Now the Jets need to build off this loss and stay on the Pats heels. That second-to-last game of the season in New York might mean something.

But enough about the Jets, ON TO THE POSITS!

The headline on defense is third down with a sub-heading about the red zone. It’s not complicated. They executed exactly what they had to on early downs – they shut down Chris Ivory (17c, 41yds). But on the third-and-longs Fitzpatrick wasn’t throwing picks, he was throwing to open receivers.

For the offense it’s all about the drops. Like all sane Patriots fans, I give LaFell a pass. I might’ve starting going to Dobson around drop number four, but we all LaFell in love with him for a reason – he’s good. He just needs to get up to game speed.

This is what the NFL has decided they wanted and the Patriots are giving it to them –  the ability to completely ignore the running game. It’s not just the “mobile” quarterbacks that are leading their teams in rushing! Handing off just five times in the game was a sign of respect for the Jets’ run defense. Belichick won’t run into a brick wall.

I’m sure there were some hiccups but gotta tip the cap to the offensive line, especially Cameron Fleming who is hanging in there strong. That was no easy feat against the Jets.

It seemed to me like the Patriots defense were playing mostly the Cover-1 Robber they played with Revis and Browner last year. I for one am glad they stuck with this aggressive coverage. You have to in today’s NFL.

Rookie cornerback Justin Coleman is another player who has hung in tough after being thrust into action. He really fits the mold and seems to be making progress each week.

They really missed Jabaal Sheard’s presence on third down. After what we saw out of Miami yesterday it would be good to have him back on Thursday.

Gotta give Tom Brady his due. Never want to take that guy for granted. But such a tough, gritty performance by 12. This game felt a lot like last Super Bowl, with Brady suddenly clicking on fire in fourth quarter.

The Seahawks SB comparison sticks with the third-and-17 the Pats converted on the drive to take the lead. The game was in the balance right there and once again Brady-to-Edelman came through.

Didn’t even realize that Gronk caught that many balls – 11/108/1. Lot of them felt like dumpoffs that only went 3-4 yards.Pryor was doing a good job on Gronk before he got hurt. Then things opened up.

James White left me wanting a little more but had a bit of elusiveness like Lewis. But clearly Lewis is better and now I wonder how things would look if we never found him.

One of my big keys was having Dont’a Hightower
 for this one and he showed why he was needed. I can’t wait to watch him a little closer on the re-watch. Him and Collins are in their third year playing together and are just a lethal pairing that covers the physicality-athleticism spectrum.

Danny Amendola
, I’m ready to extend him right now. His cap hit next year at $6.8 million is too big, and it would only be a $2.7 hit to cut. But what an amazing cog he has become. Over and over again he’s come up with clutch catches in big spots. Acrobatic catches. If there’s a way to tack on a couple years, spread his cap hit out a bit I say keep him around!

Quick turn around on the Dolphins, will get into the immediately. But from the sounds of it there won’t be much time to geel good about beating the Jets, this Miami team is coming in confident.