(Photo by the AP)
by Dakota Antelman
In a season where the defense has been hailed as one of the best of the Belichick era and the offense has been clicking at a rate similar to 2007's, the offensive line has at times been woefully bad. At certain points in the season Tom Brady has appeared to be perpetually under pressure from sometimes sub-par opposing pass rushes.
That has been especially true in recent games where the Patriots line has caved with painful regularity. That combined with the news that Bryan Stork will not play Sunday due to a knee injury has the potential to strike fear into the hearts of Patriots fans the world over.
But before the alarms are completely sounded and the panic button hit, fans could take a look at the trends shown by these teams that have so effectively exploited the Patriots; then they would see that the Indianapolis Colts do not fit that trend.
Of the eight teams that the Patriots have faced since their BYE week, six of them finished the season in the top ten in the league in sacks. Furthermore, of those eight teams, all but two of them had more sacks that the Colts currently do.
The Colts, though possessing a somewhat acceptable blitz, have the weakest pass rush the Patriots have gone up against in weeks. Arguably, Sunday could be the easiest day for the offensive line since Week 14 in San Diego -- even without big bodied Bryan Stork.
So what does this mean for Tom Brady and company?
Not much. This is true simply because even when the pass protection has been bad, Brady has found ways to move the ball down the field.
Through what has been some rough few weeks for the Patriot QB, Brady has not dipped noticeably in his completions.
In Week 16 against the Jets, one of the most definitive flops made by the O-Line, Brady was hit 11 times and sacked four times. He kept mobile though, getting passes off before contact was made, and eventually throwing for 182 passing yards as well as a touchdown.
Last week, against the Ravens, Brady was hit 9 times and dragged down for a pair of sacks. He played lights out football late in the game though, ending the day with 367 yards through the air and three touchdown passes.
2014 has been a year of redefinition for Brady. He has been completing passes at his more regular rate but has suddenly introduced a new style of mobility to his game. He has ran the ball for some of the best gains of his career this season.
He is shaking tackles and throwing on the run. With an unrivaled arsenal of talented receivers, he has been able to complete those throws with great success and consistency.
His mobility is allowing him and the Patriots offence to break away from the traditional pocket-passer approach that has defined their offense for over a decade and a half now.
Needless to say, if the offensive line can pin the Colts down and give Brady a comfortable pocket to throw from Sunday, he will oblige.
Very simply, the AFC Championship Game looks to be one that Brady will dominate. Either through his new found mobility or through his traditional cannon throws from behind the capable backs of his offensive linemen, the Colts secondary could soon be inundated by big gains.
If that turns out to be the case, I would challenge anyone who could think of a scenario where the Colts could turn in a victory.
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