You love to see it. Fast forward, past that Panthers’ first drive where they sliced through the defense like a knife through butter, followed by the Patriots’ fizzled 3-and-out, and Pats fans were able to enjoy a high-five filled afternoon. The major turnover and fundamentals problems that plagued New England early in the season were […]
You love to see it. Fast forward, past that Panthers’ first drive where they sliced through the defense like a knife through butter, followed by the Patriots’ fizzled 3-and-out, and Pats fans were able to enjoy a high-five filled afternoon. The major turnover and fundamentals problems that plagued New England early in the season were nowhere in sight. Kudos to the coaching staff for making the fixing of these issues a point of emphasis at practice. The result was a New England scoring eruption of 42 points, 0 turnovers, and the defense limiting Carolina to just 13 points. What’s not to love?
As fun as that was, the glaring question becomes, “Was this a fluke against a middling Panthers squad (now 1-3), or the dawn of a resurgence?” I’m voting resurgence. Not to say the team has suddenly vaulted to true contender status, but I believe they will beat the teams they should beat and give the upper crust a run for their money. Top teams will ignore the Pats at their peril. I’ve said it before, if these Patriots can play turnover-free football, tackle well and limit bad penalties/sloppy play, it will take them pretty far with the roster as it stands.
Next up are the 4-0 Bills in Buffalo. This will be a primetime matchup, putting Mike Vrabel and his team in the spotlight. The early odds favor the Bills by 7.5 points. Can’t frankly say I would put my retirement money on the Patriots to win straight up just yet, but I do believe this team is on the rise for real. Another mistake-free game and anything’s possible.
GO PATS!!
*********************************************************************************************
Around the AFC East:
New England Patriots (2-2) at Buffalo Bills (4-0)
Miami Dolphins (1-3) at Carolina Panthers (1-3)
New York Jets (0-4) vs. Dallas Cowboys (1-2-1)
AFC Matchups:
Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) – BYE
Indianapolis Colts (3-1) vs. Las Vegas Raiders (1-3)
Los Angeles Chargers (3-1) vs. Washington Commanders (2-2)
Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (2-2)
Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) vs. Detroit Lions (3-1)
Denver Broncos (2-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (4-0)
Baltimore Ravens (1-3) vs. Houston Texans (1-3)
Cleveland Browns (1-3) vs. Minnesota Vikings (2-2)
Tennessee Titans (0-4) at Arizona Cardinals (2-2)
*********************************************************************************************
18th –Pete Prisco (CBS Sports):At 2-2, they face a big division game at Buffalo on Sunday night. It will be a big step up in competition from what they’ve seen so far. [+2]
21st –NFL Nation (ESPN):Biggest issue on offense: RB ball security. The Patriots took a significant step to correct it in Week 4, turning to a more even snap distribution between Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson and Antonio Gibson. This came after a Week 3 loss to Pittsburgh in which Stevenson lost two fumbles and Gibson coughed up one. The team had a new blaster at practice after that game, which is a gauntlet players run through as they experience high-intensity contact from a series of blocking pads. There were no RB fumbles against Carolina. — Mike Reiss. [+4]
21st –Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports):The one team that can make the Bills sweat this season might be the Patriots. That probably requires a win Sunday night in Buffalo, which is a big ask. The good news for the Patriots is Drake Maye continues to show improvement. [+2]
21st –Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News):The Patriots need to love what they’re seeing from Drake Maye with a variety of weapons with the offense starting to hum in the Josh McDaniels way. The Mike Vrabel way is also being seen more on defense and special teams. [+4]
22nd –Diante Lee (The Ringer):This is the best we’ve seen from someone named Drake since “Hotline Bling”. QB Drake Maye has taken some fair criticism because of his habit of committing turnovers in key situations, but he’s quietly been one of the league’s 10 best QBs on a down-to-down basis this season. Maye’s always been an impressive athlete, but he’s underrated as a pocket passer–and that’s where he’s been at his best this season. Josh McDaniels has steadily put more on Maye’s plate and the young QB has delivered with excellent accuracy in tight windows and throws in the middle of the field. Next week brings a prime-time duel with Buffalo’s star QB Josh Allen. I can’t wait to see how Maye performs on the biggest stage of his career thus far. [+2]
22nd –Nate Davis (USA Today):Marcus’ Jones team-record 167 punt return yards Sunday included an 87-yard TD and a 61-yarder when, per Next Gen Stats, his route took him nearly twice as far. [+3]
23rd –Eric Edholm (NFL.com):The Patriots seemed to sleepwalk early before waking up in a big way and dominating the final 50 or so minutes en route to a blowout win. Marcus Jones gave the Pats a necessary spark with the punt-return TD, and he was a shoestring tackle away from housing a second one later. That’s all Drake Maye and the offense needed. They came in griping about the lack of explosive plays, but authored seven gains of 21 yards or longer against a Carolina defense that looked like it tapped out in the third quarter. The offense scored TDs on five of seven mid-game possessions, and New England’s defense rallied nicely after an ugly first series. Maye vs. Josh Allen on Sunday night could be more fun than some anticipate. [+4]
23rd –Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk):They have a chance to make a big jump, with their annual trip to Buffalo up next. [+3]
24th –Ralph Vacchiano (FOX Sports):The Patriots took advantage of every opportunity the Panthers gave them on Sunday in a remarkably efficient blowout. Even better: After a trip to Buffalo on Sunday, New England has a very favorable schedule ahead (@ Saints, @Titans, then home vs. Browns and Falcons). [+2]
24th –Conor Orr (SI):Our thoughts are with Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams as he battles prostate cancer. Cancer sucks. [-3] /Nice sentiment but… down 3?
AVG RANK: 21.9 [+2.1]
Category: General Sports
