New England Patriots vs. New York Jets Preview: Pesky Jets look to rain on Patriot parade

(Photo courtesy of Charles Krupa/AP)

by Dakota Antelman

The Patriots roll into the Meadowlands for their Sunday game vs. the Jets riding high following their 41-13 win over the Dolphins that wrapped up the division for them. Furthermore, they enter their second to last game of the season aware of the fact that wins in these two games will guarantee them the number one seed in the AFC.

On paper, their next two opponents, the Jets and Bills, are not the most imposing of foes. However against each of them, especially the Jets, the Patriots have a long history of struggles that beg to make these next two contests more intense than they might seem.

Despite the Jets 3-11 record, the team is a threat to New England.

"I know the records are what they are, but we don't look at it like that," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said. "We lost going into the Meadowlands last year."

The Jets have a way of keeping themselves in games that they could easily have been blown out in. Four of the last five Patriots/Jets games have been decided by three or fewer points. This season alone, which featured 10 New York losses by Week 13, has also featured four games decided by five or fewer points.

The Patriots attribute the Jets ability to keep pace to their defense.

“They've got a real good defense," Brady said. "We're anticipating their best game."

That Jets defense, made up of guys like Muhammad Wilkerson at the line and Marcas Williams in the secondary, like the rest of the team, has a history of elevating its game whenever the Patriots are on the schedule. In the five games since the beginning of the 2012 season, New England has scored 30 points just once.

At the same time however, New England comes to the Meadowlands with a kind of diverse attack comparable only to Patriots teams of the early 2000’s. They have three receivers (Brandon LaFell, Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski) who are within striking distance of 1,000 yard seasons while they also boast a running back core that has them converting on 3^rddowns at one of the highest rates in the NFL.

If the roll over the Jets, which they might very well convincingly do, the result, though expected could lead to an immense turnover within the Jets system next offseason. Of the biggest of those potential changes stands at the coaching position. 

An eccentric Jets coach, Rex Ryan, appears to be on his last legs coaching a team that has averaged 16 points per game this year.

As has been pointed out all week, this game could in turn be his last as part of the Jets/Patriots rivalry. He insists however that he is focused on just this week’s matchup.

"It's not hard for me to do," Ryan said. "I'm a confident person, and I think I'm a decent football coach and I think people who know the game realize that. So, I don't worry about it."

If Ryan was watching the Patriots news feed this week he might have even been given some news to celebrate when a stream of announcements were made Saturday afternoon that neither Julian Edelman, LeGarette Blount or Kyle Arrington had made the trip with the Patriots to New York.

Each with mild to somewhat severe injuries, those three Patriots core players were the subjects of trending topics and worried analysis this week as they were all limited in team practices. The Jets could have predicted that at least one or two of them would have stayed back but to see Arrington, Blount and Edelman all as no shows ought to be somewhat of a surprise.

In their absence, the rest of the Patriots team will need to pick up the slack. Lucky for them, a stacked depth chart gives them the options and freedom to do that. 

Speculations dictate that RB’s who have seen decreased snaps since the signing of Blount could be thrust back into starting roles this week. Guys like Jonas Gray or Shane Vereen have their eyes set on big days.

Danny Ammendola could step in to compensate for the loss of Edelman at wide receiver, while the Patriots could also institute a more varied target distribution over the entire receiving unit including LaFell, Gronkowski and possibly even Aaron Dobson.

In terms of the secondary, where Arrington normally plays, New England will still be able to designate Darelle Revis to a full time coverage of Jets pass catchers Percy Harvin and Eric Decker while CBs, Brandon Browner and Logan Ryan could also see inflated snap counts.

All and all though, New England enters the game aware of their weaknesses but eager to exploit the Jets’. The Jets will try to rain on the Patriot parade but if the past is any indication, a close win could be in the near future for the Patriots as long as they do not get complacent.

"We have to play our best football to win," New England defensive end Chandler Jones said, "and I truly believe that."

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Julian Edelman, Kyle Arrington, Le Garette Blount do not travel to New York, out vs. Jets

(Photo courtesy of Jared Wilkerham/Getty Images)

By Dakota Antelman

According to multiple reports, the Patriots realized the extent of several key players’ injuries Saturday afternoon before they travelled to New York for their game against the Jets. As a result, they elected to leave WR Julian Edelman, RB LeGarette Blount and CB Kyle Arrington home; ruled out for Sunday’s game.

All week, injury trouble has been a common theme and an overtly discussed topic for the Patriots. Julian Edelman had been listed as limited in each of the Patriots practices this week reportedly nursing a concussion. During that time, LeGarette Blount had participated in almost no contact drills as he is said to be dealing with a shoulder injury.

Finally, Kyle Arrington, who pulled up lame during last week’s game with Miami, has been out for much of the week with an injured hamstring.  Even though an MRI conducted Monday morning showed no major damage to Arrington’s hamstring, the CB appears to be still feeling soreness and as a result will not play.

The losses of Blount, Edelman and Arrington stand as big stories going into Sunday’s game. But against a 3-11 Jets team that has the worst passing game in football and is ranked 20th in pass defense, the Patriots ought to be able to compensate.

Without Edelman, who has hawked big target numbers from Brady all season, passes could be distributed to less targeted players like Danny Ammendola or Brian Tyms. Tyms has only been targeted six times this season, catching one ball. Ironically, that catch went for a touchdown in Week Four vs. Buffalo.

In the run game mind you, the Patriots excelled earlier in the year when Blount did not even play for them. Predictions and past trends dictate that rookie running back Jonas Gray could see increased snaps while an appearance from draftee James White has not yet been ruled out.

The New England secondary will likely absorb the loss of Arrington seamlessly as, beyond cornerstone CB Darelle Revis, Brandon Browner has been on the rise in recent weeks, increasing his effectiveness and thereby decreasing the yards his opponents gain off of him. The Jets passing game, which largely consists of just two capable targets (Eric Decker, Jeremy Kerley) could be negated by Revis and Browner alone.

Las Vegas favored the Patriots to win this game on Monday and still does on Saturday night. Though a lack of Blount, Edelman and Arrington stings on paper, a Patriots team that prides itself in positional depth feels they are able to absorb the loss. 

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Thoughts on Julian Edelman Concussion, Patriots Mid-Week Injury report

(Photo courtesy of Matt West/Boston Herald)

By Dakota Antelman

Wednesday’s rain forced the Patriots to hold their practice indoors at their domed Dana Farber Field House. But that did not dampen flames on the midseason hot stove for New England.

While the team ran through their midweek drills and press conferences, a flurry of transactions and announcements  were completed by the team.

The majority of these transactions fixated around the post-practice injury report. Among lesser stories were the listings of long snapper Danny Aiken and Cameron Flemming as being limited in practice. Among greater stories were those surrounding players like Kyle Arrington, Domonique Easley and Julian Edelman.

Arrington was listed as limited on the practice report meaning he participated in some but not all of the drills the team ran Wednesday. His presence no less, was reassuring to Patriots fans who watched him go down with a hamstring injury back on Sunday. It was made so by an MRI that Arrington reportedly underwent on Monday that showed no further injury to his hamstring.

While it remains to be seen whether or not he will practice at full participation in the coming days, his appearance at Wednesday’s practice hinted at him possibly being available for Sunday’s game with the Jets.

One player who will not be playing on Sunday though is rookie defensive tackle, Domonique Easley.

Easley has been suffering from knee pain for much of the season but that did not prevent the first round draft pick from making three starts and appearing in 11 games. He was a mobile addition to the defensive line that was appreciated by coaches of that largely big bodied unit. His 10 tackles in 11 games were among the most of Patriots DT’s while an interception in Week Four had him equal with Vince Wilfork as the only Patriot DT’s with interceptions this season.

Complications from his tearing both his ACL during college however saw the Patriots put him on injured reserve on Wednesday. The transaction officially ended what was a promising rookie season for Easley.

Needless to say, roomers of today’s Easley move have been circulating all week while the results of the Arrington MRI suggested a similar level of participation as was true today. Patriots fans could have predicted those two moves. What came as a bit of a surprise however was the sudden announcement via the practice report that Julian Edelman had been recently diagnosed with a concussion.

All that the team has divulged on the Edelman concussion matter is that said concussion limited his ability to participate in Wednesday practice. No reports have been made about when he suffered the concussion just as no report has been made regarding the severity of the concussion. More so, Edelman’s status for next Sunday’s game vs the Jets has been suddenly made unclear by this reported diagnosis.

The Patriots have made headlines this week trying to stay focused on Sunday’s game and find reason to stay invested in a matchup with New York that figures to be a blow out. They made headlines on Wednesday however when they were suddenly given reason to worry about games beyond this week following their troubling injury report. 

Very simply, any prolonged injury to their offensive anchor, Edelman, could definitely hurt the Patriot going into and in the first games of the postseason.

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