5 non-PSI related Patriots thoughts

by Dakota Antelman

As roomers, comments and opinions regarding the "Deflategate" controversy in Foxboro seem to dominate football headlines this week, here is a look at a few non-deflation related Patriots thoughts and story lines...

Patriots practicing indoors

The Patriots held their first practice of the week inside the climate controlled Dana Farber Field House. With temperatures outside perched right around 35 degrees, the move could be one made in an effort to reacclimate the team to what indoor football is like. 

Next week's Super Bowl will of course be held in Glendale Arizona's University of Phoenix Stadium, a domed venue. 

Bryan Stork practicing again 

Rookie center Bryan Stork hit the field for practice on Thursday for the first time since he injured his knee during the Divisional Playoff round vs. Baltimore. According to multiple observations by members of the Patriots media present at the indoor practice, Stork wore a brace and a medical wrap around his left knee. 

Stork was still slightly hobbled by the injury but was surely well enough to be written in as being a "full participant" in the practice.

Still with over a week to go before the Super Bowl and with "Deflategate" dominating press conference topics, no comment has been made by the team about Stork's status for the big game. His participation Thursday remains a good sign nonetheless and at first glance works to remind fans of the sizable chance that he will be ready to go on February 1.

Richard Sherman commenting on Darelle Revis

Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman spoke to media personnel this week about Patriot, Darelle Revis, one of the few CBs in football who seem to challenge Sherman's self-proclaimed title of "best corner in the NFL."

While Revis openly said that he would not answer questions regarding any comparison to Sherman, Sherman responded to a comparison question Thursday saying, "I haven’t thought about that honestly, but he’s had a great year. He’s been doing his job effectively and I’ve liked what I’ve seen from his game. I’m sure people make comparisons, they always do. But I think we play the game two different ways."

He elaborated.

"He plays it more conventional is what people would say, and mine's a little more unorthodox, which means it’s just more difficult to replicate what I do on the football field. So everyone is going to make comparisons but it’s just two different styles to compare. I play my way, he plays his way, and both of them are effective."

As many have pointed out Sherman and Revis have an intense personal rivalry which predated a highly publicized Twitter feud back in 2013 over who was a superior CB. Sherman has been cordial so far in addressing the topic of Revis though while Revis has taken the absolute vow of silence.

HOWEVER...

Richard Sherman taking shots at Tom Brady

Patriot QB Tom Brady has a long list of players who hate him. Sherman apparently is one of them. 

The two famously engaged in an on field verbal scuffle after the Patriots last played the Seahawks in 2012. Sherman and Brady exchanged trash talk before Sherman ultimately took to Twitter to post the now famous taunt "U MAD BRO?" 

This week, Sherman shed light on the moment. He in fact blamed Brady for instigating the clash.

"He was pretty much saying that we were nobodies, and that we should come up to him after they get the win. So we should take that pretty well. ‘Cool, can I get your autograph too?’"He said.

Sherman then more blatantly undercut what he believes to be a facade of professionalism that Brady has created.

"Like I said before, I think people some time get a skewed view of Tom Brady," Sherman explained. "That he’s just a clean-cut [guy], does everything right, and never says a bad word to anyone, and we know him to be otherwise. But in that moment of him being himself, he said some things and we returned the favor. Unfortunately he apparently didn’t remember what he said."

Date for Super Bowl sendoff rally set 

Earlier this week, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and the City of Boston announced that a date had been set for the Patriots Super Bowl sendoff rally. 

The rally will take place next Monday at 11AM in City Hall Plaza. Walsh will be hosting the rally while Patriot owner Robert Kraft, coach Bill Belichick and players Tom Brady, Vince Wilfork, Dan Connolly, Devin McCourty and Matthew Slater are all slated to speak. 

The Patriots will depart for Glendale following the conclusion of the rally.

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Very early look at Patriots vs. Seahawks Super Bowl storylines

(Photo by Elaine Thompson/Associated Press)

by Dakota Antelman

The combatants who will battle in Super Bowl XLIX were decided Sunday afternoon when the Seattle Seahawks toppled the Green Bay Packers by a score of 28-22 and the New England Patriots routed the Colts 45-7.

As their February 1 date at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale Arizona nears, the Patriots and Seahawks prep for each other's scheme riddled play calling and power heavy offences.

Below are some initial observations and storylines made at the very beginning of these team's Super Bowl preparations...

Comeback king Seahawks vs. dominant Patriots

The Patriots and Sehawks are alike in the sense that they both finished the season with the best record in their conference and proceeded to win their conference championship. Aside from that, they are two teams with vastly different paths to this season's Super Bowl.

Seattle started the year with a record of four and three and took much longer to find its identity in 2014 than the Patriots did. Furthermore, once they did start winning games, they were only doing so by 7 to 10 points. The Patriots on the other hand scored 40 or more points on five different occasions during a stretch where they won 10 of 11 games between Week 5 and Week 16.

Lastly, in the AFC Championship game, they blew the Colts away with ease while the Seahawks needed a last second drive from Russell Wilson and a stunning overtime hail mary to advance to the Super Bowl.

Pete Caroll faces his old team

Before Tom Brady was in New England and before Bill Belichick left the Jets to coach the Patriots, Pete Caroll spent three seasons as the Patriot bench boss.

He inherited the job from hall of fame bound Bill Parcels before the 1997 season and promptly led the team on a mediocre 27-21 three year run. Caroll was fired after the 1999 season and was replaced by Belichick.

As Belichick earned national recognition as one of the greatest coaches in the history of football, Caroll trundled around the college football ranks before breaking back into the NFL in 2010 as coach of the Seahawks.

He enters this rare meeting with the team that fired him looking to win his second Super Bowl as a head coach.

Brady and Belichick get yet another shot at 4th title

Over the course of 15 seasons, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have now been to six Super Bowls. Their last two appearances have not gone exactly to plan though with losses being handed to them by the Giants in 2007 and 2011.

In 2015, the Brady/Belichick duo are desperate to avoid having the same number of Super Bowl losses as wins.

As for their chances, this year's Super Bowl, according to Las Vegas is the closest in history. When betting opened on Monday, multiple lines offered a pick-em while still others favored either the Patriots or Seahawks by only one or two points.

If Brady can swing those odds in his favor on February 1st, he will win the Super Bowl and tie Joe Montana for the most Super Bowl rings in NFL history.

Doing that, for many, would erase much of the pain felt by those painful losses to the Giants.

Major injuries on both sides could effect game

The last time the Patriots got to the Super Bowl they did so with depleted forces.

In 2015, injuries will once again be a major storyline going into Super Bowl Sunday. This time though, the bug has bitten both teams.

Notably, eccentric Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman was limited in the NFC Championship game with a sprained elbow. Beyond him, teammate Earl Thomas was in a "dire situation" Sunday according to coach Pete Carrol after he dislocated his shoulder in the first half.

While both Sherman and Thomas had MRI's Monday and are expected to play in the Super Bowl, their injuries could have lingering effects two weeks from now and lead to an amended approach for the Patriots offence and secondary.

On the Patriots side of the ball, rookie center Bryan Stork was the biggest Patriots injury story going into the AFC Championship and will likely remain so for the next two weeks. He sprained his knee in the Divisional Playoff Game against Baltimore and missed Sunday's game vs. the Colts. The Patriots are yet to comment on his status for the Super Bowl.

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Patriot run game carries team past Colts to 8th Super Bowl

(Photo by Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

by Dakota Antelman

The New England Patriots were dominant in their dispatching the Colts from the AFC Championship Game.

After jumping out to an early lead which they held onto until halftime, the Patriots scored 21 points on Andrew Luck’s Indianapolis Colts in just the 3rd quarter alone. They fought through a heavy rainstorm with sometimes debilitating wind gusts to finish the night nearly perfect in their numerous redzone drives.

Tom Brady was crucial in ensuring that perfection, completing 23 of 35 attempted passes for 220 passing yards and three touchdown passes. His success in his record ninth AFC Championship game moved him into sole possession of the postseason touchdown passes record.

Though the game, like the season was not a perfect one for Brady, it was enough to get the Patriots to Glendale in convincing fashion.

"I know we've had some ups and downs this year," Brady said, "but right now we're up, baby, and we're going to try to stay up for one more game."

Brady had plenty of help in getting past the Colts though. As the Indianapolis secondary seemed to negate the efforts of Rob Gronkowski for much of the game, and a hip injury took wide receiver Julien Edelman off the field for some time, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDanials repeatedly called upon seasoned running back LeGarette Blount.

Blount, who ran for 166 yards and four touchdowns in last year’s Divisional Playoff game against the Colts, put up three touchdowns and 148 rushing yards Sunday.

“He ran his [butt] off, ran hard for four quarters” teammate, Shane Vereen said of Blount. "Coming into the game, we didn't know what the game plan was going to be, because we didn't know really what to expect from the Colts' defense. We were expecting some wrinkles but we were able to run the ball."

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Blount had 68 rushing yards AFTER contact. On one notable play midway through the third quarter, Blount earned a first down by continuing to push forward after the Colts defenders assumed he was down and let go of him.

"He made some great cuts in not good conditions," Belichick said of Blount, citing still other carries where Blount simply shook defenders off him without any need for his power running game. "He's a tough guy to tackle."

The Patriots made themselves hard to tackle both in a literal and metaphorical sense in the AFC Title Game. Through Blount’s dominant day, Julien Edelman’s nine catch effort as well as a shutdown showing by the Patriots secondary, the Patriots gained separation from the Colts early and never relented in their scoring assault.

As they revel in their AFC Title Game blowout, New England keenly turns its collective head towards Glendale Arizona where in two weeks, the Patriots will face the Seahawks in hot pursuit of their fourth Super Bowl title.

As Bill Belichick said with a smug hint of a smile following Sunday’s win, “Were on to Seattle.”

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Analysis: Patriot pocket protection throughout season

Please note, Week 10 is omitted so as to not cause confusion. The Patriots did not play in Week 10 as it was their BYE. As a result, the figure jumps from 9 to 11 along the "Weeks" axis for the sake of accuracy.

 The Patriots will play the Indianapolis Colts Sunday with an offensive line, shuffled by a recent knee injury to center Bryan Stork. That storyline has reopened the season-long conversation about the effectiveness of the offensive line at keeping pressure off quarterback Tom Brady. 

The above figure is an analytic representation of the sacks and QB hits allowed by the Patriot offensive line (Week 10 BYE week omitted). Those two statistics prove telling in the judging of a offensive line. Very simply, when the quarterback is not getting hit and/or sacked, the line is keeping control of defenders pressing their way. When the QB is getting knocked down, that means the defenders are beating them. 

A quick glance at the Patriots OL numbers this season shows rather sporadic work at different points in the year. 

The first four games of the season, which were marred with inconsistencies within most every part of the team, involved six sacks by New England opponents. Tom Brady was hit 18 times in those games and, consequentially finished Week Four's loss to the Chiefs with a season completion percentage of  61.1 and a four game passer rating of 80.95. 

Following the abysmal start though, the OL locked down and allowed just 9 sacks over the next 10 games. With less pressure, Brady himself turned his season around. He threw for two or more touchdowns in all ten of those games and successfully lead his team on a seven game win streak that toppled many of the NFL's best teams. 

After the Patriots clenched the AFC East and soon after, the number one spot in the conference, the offensive line ran into trouble once again. 

They allowed four sacks in back to back games against the Jets and Bills. Tom Brady was hit 17 times in just those two games alone and was forced to run far more than he would have liked. In the finale against Buffalo, the offence was rendered stagnant partially because of the Bills pass rush. Brady threw for just 80 yards before being pulled from the game in the third quarter. 

Things ended up slightly better two weeks later in the Divisional Playoff game vs Baltimore. Allowing just two sacks, the offensive linemen managed to keep the Ravens off Brady long enough to let him make his throws.  He was still hit nine times, far too many for an offensive line as physically powerful as the Patriots'. 

The Patriots will go up against the Colts without Bryan Stork and yet they cannot feel bad for themselves. Stork was not the entire OL and at times this season, the unit as a whole played a shutdown game for the team. 

If they can get the same results that they did between Week 4 and Week 15 Sunday in the AFC Title Game, all will be well. If they choose to keep with the trend set in the first four games of the year as well as the last three, than look to the running backs to bail Brady and company out of this one. 

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Why even without Stork, Brady and Co. should be able to deal with Colts pass rush

(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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Perfect plays by imperfect Patriots help beat Ravens

(Photo by Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

by Dakota Antelman

As has been a common theme in the last few playoff Patriots meetings with the Ravens, Tom Brady and the Patriots offence overcame a partially sluggish outing to squeak out a nail biting 4^th quarter win.

On the back of a slew of trick plays and one head scratching manipulation of the NFL rule book, the Patriots overcame two 14 point deficits to advance to the AFC Championship game for a fourth straight season.  

Needless to say, the game was a rough one to watch. For many Patriots fans, the alarm was sounded in the first quarter as the Patriots fell behind by two scores and then sounded again when the Ravens pulled away once again to start the second half.

Patriot quarterback Tom Brady did not deny the unfavorable position that the early game struggles put the team in.

"Behind twice by 14 wasn't necessarily in the plan," Brady said. "It took a lot of execution to overcome it."

Stumbling and struggling through the early minutes of this Divisional Playoff game, Bill Belichick and his coordinators eventually recognized the need to rework their entire approach to the game.  “Trick play” soon became the defining phrase of the affair.

Brady clocked a four yard touchdown run early. Soon after that, the Patriots put into motion an unheard of call that involved playing ineligible receivers and setting up with too few offensive linemen. That specific play had the Ravens defense scrambling and their coach John Harbaugh furious.

Following the game, Harbaugh stuck to his argument that that play was one that employed an illegal formation. So loud in fact was the back and forth chatter between Patriot and Raven camps that the NFL had to jump in and insist that the play was legal.

All that nonetheless, occurred after the Patriots continued to pile on with sly play calling. Rob Gronkowski was seen lining up on defense. College quarterback turned wide receiver, Julian Edelman, threw a touchdown pass to WR Danny Ammendola. And in the game’s final seconds, the Patriots lined up with a 3 defensive linemen set and stifled a desperate hail mary attempt by Joe Flacco.

Trick plays saved the day for the Patriots. It was not pretty and at times it even made this team appear to the league as more of a lucky team than a skillful one. But amidst it all, they got out of the Divisional Playoffs alive.

"It was a wild game," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said, "but I'm just thankful our players hung in there and made the plays they needed to make."

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Early look at Baltimore Ravens: Kicking game, Ravens TE's, Pats O-Line lead the conversation

(Photo by Yahoo Sports)

by Dakota Antelman

Steve Smith set to draw big coverage from secondary

Baltimore tight end Steve Smith caught five passes for 101 yards against the Steelers. In a game dominated by a focus on diversifying the Ravens offense, Smith excelled, making the most of the few passes QB Joe Flacco tossed his way.

Smith as a player has a long engraved history of making teams pay with big plays. He is a big bodied tight end, similar in playing style to the likes of former Ravens great Dennis Pitta and similar in attitude to Patriot anchor Rob Grokowski.

He adds an interesting facet to the impending Patriots/Ravens meeting as his being a slightly slower player would make it hard for New England to assign him to any of their shut down corner backs. At the same time though, leaving Smith to the linebackers could spell disaster for the Patriots.

Stage set for battle of the kickers

Two kickers who have been near perennial Pro-Bowl contenders for multiple years now will be facing off in the Patriots/Ravens divisional game.

Stephan Gotskowski of New England kicks against Justin Tucker of Baltimore. The two had similar numbers even in a somewhat down year for Tucker.

Tucker made 29 of 34 field goal attempts this season leading the team in points scored and nailing long distance kicks in several clutch situations for the team. Gostkowski was slightly better hitting 35 of 37 field goals.

Tucker and Gostkowski figure to be big factors in Saturday's game with both teams relying heavily on the presence of a consistent kicker when their offence stalls.

Dan Connolly, Nate Solder and O-Line tested again by Baltimore pass rush

After allowing four or more sacks in back-to-back games, the Patriots offensive line appears to be one of the team's weakest units going into the postseason opener.

Despite a stock of fundamentally strong offensive tackles, the pocket has been consistently collapsing on Tom Brady. If they do not turn things around, the future hall of famer could be suffering the same claustrophobic fate by halftime on Saturday. This is because the Baltimore Ravens sacked opponents a league best, 49 times in the regular season, utilizing one of the best pass rushes in football with brutal effectiveness.

The one story line running in their favor as Saturday approaches does feature Nate Solder returning to the team after leaving the Week 17 finale against Buffalo. Solder could solidify the offensive line which, notably, played its worst after Solder was injured.

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Patriots aware of Raven strengths at first practice of game week

(Photo by Matt West/Boston Herald)

by Dakota Antelman

The Patriots knew on Saturday, as the Baltimore Ravens dispatched the Stealers in the Wild Card Playoffs, the identity of the team that will be playing them in the Divisional Playoffs. On Monday, they got to work preparing for what could be a rough and/or close game.

The Patriots have a history with Baltimore facing them in back-to-back AFC Championship games back in 2011 and 2012. Those games went in two different directions for the Patriots with the 2011 affair punching New England’s ticket to the Super Bowl and the 2012 game ending in a disappointing, injury filled loss.

Though it is obvious that the Patriots would love to tap into that vein of victory circa 2011 when they play next Saturday, they are not buying into that mindset of hindsight; they are not looking at Baltimore’s unassuming six loss regular season either.

"They're well coached, they're physical, they do a good job on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Monday. "They have explosive skill players on offense, in the return game and on defense.”

Belichick went on to say  “I think Coach [John] Harbaugh has, as always, put those type of teams out there with [general manager] Ozzie [Newsome] and their respective staffs. I think that's what they have again. That's what they are. They're tough; physically and mentally tough. They can play in tough situations and they're talented. They keep coming at you."

Baltimore kept coming at the Stealers in Wild Card Week. Their play dispelled an equally physical team with apparent ease. The running game dominated the Stealers defensive line while a set of blocking tight ends seemed to regularly clear space for the receivers; Steve Smith and Owen Daniels particularly.

Smith caught five passes for 101 yards while Daniels accounted for 78 yards.

Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco tossed a pair of touchdowns and completed passes to nine different receivers in the win, drawing praise and cautious envy from Patriots coaches and players.

“I think it’s really a great system fit for him from his ability to get the ball downfield," Patriot defensive coordinator Matt Patricia said of Flacco and the Baltimore receivers. "Obviously Joe Flacco has an extremely strong arm. [He] can really make those hard throws downfield, the deep throws downfield. Along with his mobility, this guy is a very athletic quarterback.”  

Aware of Baltimore’s strength, the Patriots went to work Monday with a traditional practice. The coaches split off with their respective portions of the team, working to either solve Baltimore’s no-nonsense defense or crack the will of their offence.

Practice was heavy on Patriot linemen like Dan Connelly and featured intense coverage drills for members of the secondary like Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner. On offense, offensive coordinator Josh McDanials stressed the need to work on having a varied attack vs the Ravens in post-practice interviews. Belichick seemed to agree. He had Tom Brady consistently spread the ball across his receivers.

The Patriots have a full week of practice ahead of them. There is no joking around in Foxboro because Brady, Belichick and company know all too well how the Ravens have had their number in the past. As we near Saturday kickoff, the Patriots are working hard to do the things they need to do to prevent 2012 from repeating itself.

Tom Brady summarized those sentiments best on Facebook, Monday morning. He posted a picture of the end zone militia looking up at a flock of birds above Gillette Stadium and captioned it, “all eyes on Ravens this week #OurHouse.”

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Patriots say, do the right things in BYE week practices, given Thursday off

(Photo by Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

by Dakota Antelman

A simple observer of this week’s Patriots proceedings might easily conclude that Coach Bill Belichick has been wholly satisfied with the effort and progress made by his team in this playoff BYE week.

Even in the wake of a low scoring loss to the Bills in the regular season finale last Sunday, the Patriot skipper has kept a loose hold on his team. At the beginning of the week he scheduled just three practices (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday).

After Tuesday practice, he decided to take the team to the movies to see Christmas debuting blockbuster “American Sniper” on Thursday morning. The next day, on Wednesday, he broke free the traditional practice format and moved the team inside Gillette Stadium to play a team scrimmage.

The Patriots were somewhat surprised by the week’s bonus team time but were happy nonetheless about it.

“It was fun to have a competitive day," said quarterback Tom Brady of Wednesday’s scrimmage. "There were a lot of situations we covered. Just a great competitive spirit out there. It was a great day.”

Practice this week was self-focused and keen on keeping/building momentum largely because of the uncertainty surrounding the Patriots playoff fate in this time before the wild card games are decided. It was not the traditional week simply because the Patriots had nobody to prepare for.

Still though, Belichick seemed almost surprised with his team’s confidence and mental poise during their BYE week work. As a result he cancelled the previously scheduled Thursday practice letting players go home immediately following team meetings and the movie screening.  

Because of their regular season dominance and in part also because of the confidence coaches have instilled in players this week, the Patriots are excited and driven as the playoffs approach.

“We always do feel like it’s our year. I think you work pretty hard in the offseason to get yourself to this point. It’s tough to do,” Brady said following on of this week’s practices. “I’ve been fortunate to be part of teams that have done it. We have a great football team. We’ll see. We have to go out there and earn it. No one is going to give it to us. You have to play your biggest at the biggest moments against the best teams in the toughest conditions [and] see what you’re made of.”

Brady was grabbing headlines a lot during the week of unorthodox practice. Of the biggest of those headlines resonated with an Adam Schefter mid-week report detailed a selfless restructuring of Brady’s contract that the veteran QB signed off on. Basically, the deal let the Patriots strip millions worth of incentives off Brady’s contract all in order to free up money to sign Darelle Revis and others this offseason.

Brady was celebrated by fans and teammates alike after the gesture, proving that he is “doing it right”, loving the team and sacrificing for the good of it.

Speaking on the subject of the restructure Wednesday, Brady said, “It’s been a privilege to play here. I love playing here. It’s just been a great experience in my life. Hopefully I’m here for the rest of my career, and hopefully I go out and play really well for this team. That matters more than anything. I’m going to try to be the best I can be. I play with a lot of great teammates, and I’ve played with a lot of great teammates over the years. I don’t take those things for granted.”

Brady and company were rolling this week. According to many reporters and players alike, practices were competitive and fast paced. The Patriots were in the right mindset with the right put-the-team-needs-first mentality ringing in their heads.

Bill Belichick, who is often cold and unwelcoming to media and fans but is never irrational, rewarded his players with a week of team excursions and deviations from the “plan” as well a day off to cap the week.

The practices were positive. The meetings had players thinking the right way and the team’s interactions with media suggested the presence of a bout of confidence swelling underneath them that could carry them to February glory.

“I think it was beneficial because it was very competitive,” Patriot corner Darelle Revis said of the practice week. “I think you’ve got to give credit to the coaches for seeing that, especially on the BYE week. It’s really an off week where we’re not playing, so I think we did a great job of just being competitive and having that competitive spirit and just trying to work on the things that we’ve talked about that we need to work on in the past.”

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New England Patriots vs Buffalo Bills Preview: Patriots with choices on how to manage roster

(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

by Dakota Antelman

The New England Patriots roll into their season finale against Buffalo with their postseason seeding already locked in. 

Following their win last Sunday and a corresponding Broncos loss on Monday, a lot of talk has been made of the team resting its starters in this game. Patriots coach Bill Belichick wants none of that talk however, insisting all week the perceived importance of this game.

The Patriots have been hard at work this week, taking only Christmas day off as they prepare to host the 8-7 Buffalo Bills Sunday at 4:25. Tom Brady has been taking first team snaps all week and appears to be slated to at least start Sunday’s game. Beyond the quarterback position, even injury prone tight end Rob Gronkowski has been saying that he hopes to play “the entire game.”

"With the (first-round bye), you realize we're going to have a little time to rest up," Brady said this week. "We just want to go out and play well and see if we can string together as many good plays as possible.”

If the Patriots go all out Sunday it will be in pursuit of a win that would give them morale and momentum going into the post-season. A convincing win could in fact be immensely helpful especially after the Patriots just barely scraped past the Jets last week.

Their offence got fewer yards than they had all season in the 17-16 victory over their rivals. Their defense struggled to lock down the middle of the field and the Patriots offensive line allowed the Jets to have Brady under pressure for much of the game, sacking him four times.

Many questions were raised by the weak play calling that allowed the Jets to solve New England. Unless the Patriots can prove Week Sixteen to be an anomaly, the game film from that game could become welcomed required reading for upcoming playoff opponents.

But all that of course is riding on the assumption that Brady starts and finishes the game and Gronkowski’s wish to play every snap is granted. If the whispers of backup Jimmy Garappolo playing the second half are in fact true than all those game film projections and momentum building strategies go down the drain.

If Garappolo makes an appearance it will be his first extended stint with the offence since the fourth quarter of the Patriots Week Four loss to the Chiefs. Save for the few who have attended Patriots practices since that game, Garappolo has been invisible to the Patriot fan’s eye. During that time though, Belichick says he has improved fundamentally, learning about the NFL and its teams in a deeper sense.

“I think Jimmy’s worked hard,” Belichick said Friday. “I’d say similar to (rookie center Bryan) Stork, he’s been consistent, he’s improved every week. He’s running different offenses for the scout team and having to keep up with what we’re doing in our installation and our game planning on a weekly basis, but he’s, again, been durable, been healthy, been out there every day, keeps getting better.”

The Patriots could go one of two ways Sunday vs the Bills. They could trot Tom Brady and company out as if this was a Week Seven game with playoff implications or they could pull him after a quarter and throw in the rookies and second team players to finish Week Seventeen like Week Four of the preseason.

Whatever direction the Patriots decide to go in though, they will remain professional and search for the win with whoever Belichick calls to action.

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2014 in 8 Days: Top Patriots Moments

(Photo by Getty Images)

by Dakota Antelman

After beginning 2014 with a loss to the Broncos that ended a vastly understaffed season for the Patriots, fans were treated to an off season roster shakeup as well as a roller coaster start to the 2014-2015 season. 

This season has featured the return of Rob Gronkowski, the departure and ensuing return of LeGarrette Blount as well as the signing of Darelle Revis. This year has at once featured some of the highest and lowest times in the career of Tom Brady and ends with Brady on top.

As we enter 2015, Patriots fans look back on what was a generally decent calendar year for their team...

1) Patriots fall 41-14 to Chiefs in Week Four  AND "We're on to Cincinnati"

There was a time in 2014 where once loyal fans were calling for Tom Brady to be traded. Those calls were never louder than they were in Week Four following a stunning Patriots collapse against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Brady was flat in the game getting pulled due to performance issues for one of the first times in his career. Though absurd in hindsight, the general consensus was that Brady was done with the NFL.

"Trade Brady, start Garapolo!" Sounded the calls of fans.

But Bill Belichick and his team kept true. Belichick addressed his team following the loss and then turned to the media with his signature cold faced demeanor.

"Were on to Cincinnati," he said. And so they were. New England beat up on the Bengals the next week and proceeded to rattle off seven straight wins following the loss to the Chiefs.

As 2014 fades into the history books, that four word quote from Belichick will stand as a defining moment, a memoir of devotion and direction following a chaotic loss.

2) Patriots fall to Broncos in AFC Championship

Many months before the Patriots even started the 2014-2015 season they were in Denver playing in their third consecutive AFC Championship game. 

Things did not go so well for them though as a team, devoid of receiving targets, struggled to put up points against the Broncos. Without Rob Grokowski and with Wes Welker playing for the Broncos instead of the Patriots, they were beaten by a score of 26-16.

As a result, the off season began two weeks too early for Brady and company.

3) Darelle Revis comes to New England, excels

In the wake of the loss to Denver that was as much punctuated by inept tackling and defense in the secondary as it was offensive deficiencies, the Patriots went out and bought themselves a franchise cornerback. They signed former Jets and Buccaneers conerback Darelle Revis to a one year $12M contract. He came to the team mere hours after they lost former star Aqib Talib via free agency.

The Patriots definitely took a chance on Revis but the decision paid off in the end. Revis has played every game of this season. He has made two interceptions and effectively shadowed a range of receivers from Wes Welker to Calvin Johnson.

***

Agree with the Go Titletown rankings? Be sure to chime in down in the comment section or mention us on Twitter (@GoTitletown) with your own "Top Patriots Moments of 2014". 

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Darelle Revis, Patriots, not focused on Pro Bowl nomination

(Photo by Charles Krupa/AP)

by Dakota Antelman

Patriot cornerback Darelle Revis was named to the 2015 Pro Bowl Tuesday night. The nomination was the sixth of his career and the first in his first season with the Patriots.

He, Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Stephan Gostkowski and Matthew Slater were all named following stand out seasons for all of them. The team treats their Pro Bowl plans as highly tentative though as, in the event that New England makes the Super Bowl, held the week after the Pro Bowl, no-one will be partaking in the game.

As a result of that, Revis thoroughly downplayed the honor in a midweek conversation with reporters Wednesday.

"We got team goals that we want to accomplish, and the Pro Bowl is definitely not one of them," he said abruptly.

Though appreciative, there has been no second thought among the Patriots about the game since its rosters were announced.

“We all appreciate getting honored, but at the same time, collectively as a whole group, as a team, we can just throw that under the bus, because we're focused more on the team."

Revis confessed to reporters that he does not even know the logistical details about the game (i.e. date and time).

He however is grateful for the support he has been given since being signed by the Patriots in the offseason as well as the success that has resulted from that. He has made 47 tackles and two interceptions this season, shadowing many of the league’s best receivers from week one right through next week’s finale. 

"It all works together, the pass rush, the schemes that we do that the coaches draw up. I thank the coaches, as well, and my teammates for making my job easier."

As for those players, four of whom made the Pro Bowl with Revis, none commented on the Pro Bowl following Wednesday's practice.

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Pro Bowl rosters announced, 5 Patriots included

Photo courtosy of Bob Breidenbach / The Providence Journal)

by Dakota Antelman

Late Tuesday night, the NFL announced via its independent television network, "NFL Network", the 2015 Pro Bowl rosters. Included on this year's rosters were five New England Patriots players.

Quarterback Tom Brady, place-kicker Stephan Gostkowski, tight end Rob Gronkowski, cornerback Darelle Revis and wide receiver Matthew Slater were all selected. This marks the second year of the revamped Pro Bowl which features a draft like selection process and the first in decades not held at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii.

The Patriots have a long history to sending players to the game just as their players have a history of taking it very seriously. Though they had little representation last season, with just one player making the trip, 2015 is a return to a normal state.

Such has been a common theme this season as across the board, the Patriots have been playing to the best of their abilities and living up to the lofty expectations many had for them in the preseason.

Brady has put up some of his best numbers since 2011. He has his second highest completion percentage since 2007, getting back into the area of 30+ touchdowns per season after a sub-par 2013. All around, Brady has arguably been one of the best quarterbacks in football since Week Four. His accuracy has him with a better touchdown/interception ratio (3.67/1) than even the dynastic Peyton Manning (2.6/1).

As far as receivers go, Gronkowski has been above the rest of the Patriots this year. He has caught 82 passes for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns this year.

Among the other Patriots delegates to Glendale, Gostkowski, Revis and Slater, all of them have put of numbers and fundamental chances to their games that have rightly earned them spots in the Pro Bowl. 

Gostkowski recently took over the franchise record for points-scored while Revis’ 14 passes defended and 47 tackles have negated the efforts of most every receiver who tries to go against him. Lastly, Slater has been a force to be reckoned with on the special teams unit making a case for a long term place within the Patriots in his 7^th NFL season.

If the Patriots do not make it to the Super Bowl they will have five players going to Glendale Arizona anyway the week before it. 

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Patriots even keeled following Denver loss that grants them number-one seed

(Photo courtesy of USA Today)

by Dakota Antelman

The Patriots held practice Tuesday just a few hours after learning that, by virtue of a Denver Broncos loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, they had clinched the number one seed in the AFC.

Week 16’s edition of Monday Night Football was packed with tension and local focus. The Patriots, having won their game with the Jets on Sunday, needed either a Broncos loss before the end of the year or a win for them against Buffalo next week to mathematically clinch the AFC and guarantee themselves homefield advantage through the AFC Championship.

They got the former when the Bengals defeated the Broncos by a score of 37-28. Peyton Manning fell flat in the game throwing four interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Following the game, the interceptions seemed to sting a normally accurate Manning the most.

"Four interceptions, you're not going to beat many good football teams," he said.

He took the brunt of the blame and in turn, the ensuing mockery from Patriots fans watching from afar following the loss. Those fans were thrilled Tuesday following the win and celebrated the no mathematically meaningless finale the Patriots will take part in next week vs Buffalo.

The Patriots themselves however did not suggest any sense of pride or mental easement provided by the Denver loss.

“That was really out of our control [Monday] night,” Patriots QB Tom Brady said. “I think we did our best to do our part on Sunday, which was good, but still the season is not over for us. There is plenty of time to think about things down the road down the road. This isn’t the time for it. We’ve got to go play well this week. That is the attitude and that is what all the leaders of the team have to make sure everyone is on the same page.”

The Patriots understand the need to be on the same page. They picked which page that was years ago when faced with similar situations to this and acted similarly as they convened at their Tuesday practice. Simply, they would be no taking the foot off the gas.

 "It's my fifth year. I knew not much was going to change when we came in here today. It's always business as usual, focused on the next game," Patriot safety, Devin McCourty said. "We've been in games where we've lost by a lot and the next week we had to focus on the next game. We've been in games where we've won by a lot and Bill [Belichick] has come in the same way. We're on to whatever team is next and this week it's Buffalo."

The Patriots host the 8-7, Buffalo Bills next week. The game carries no mathematical weight in terms of playoff seeding but arguably has immense influence on the momentum that the team carries into the postseason. Needless to say, there remains the possibility that the Patriots could treat the game as the washout it is and rest some of its starters when they get the chance. 

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Vince Wilfork, Danny Ammendola carry Patriots to 17-16 victory over Jets

(Photo courtesy of Barry Chin/Boston Globe/Getty Images)

by Dakota Antelman

The Patriots survived their closest finish of the season, grinding out a 17-16 win over their rival New York Jets.

The game featured gritty but at times lacking defense by the Patriots and a flat offense that somehow managed to come through late in the game. All was well in the end though as, through their deficiencies, Brady and his offence ended the afternoon in victory formation having won the game and clenched a first round BYE in next month’s playoffs.

"We made plenty of good (plays) in the fourth quarter to come from behind, so that was great," Patriot QB Tom Brady said. "I'm glad it came out the way it did -- makes for a better Christmas. It's always tough to get a win here."

Brady threw for just 182 yards and one touchdown in this game amounting to just 52 yards in the first half. His offence sputtered with regularity going three and out for  much of the first quarter. Many of his favorite receivers dropped passes they should have caught and made cases against his throwing to them.

Tight end Rob Gronkowski caught for just 31 yards on the day with four passes thrown to him going for incompletions. Wide receiver Brandon LaFell, who has been seeing more and more targets each week from Brady, caught 7 passes for 64 yards but tipped a 3^rd quarter pass that was picked off by the Jets.

One receiver who excelled vs the Jets though turned in a somewhat unexpected performance. Danny Ammendola caught 8 passes for 63 yards and several key 3rd down conversions. He was only in the game by a twist of fate as well, being inserted Friday after the announcement was made that Julian Edelman had stayed home with a concussion. 

Seizing the opportunity though, Ammendola doubled his catches and yardage totals for the season and served as the backbone of the Patriots few positive gains vs. the Jets.

The real all stars in this Week 16 win however, were the players on the Patriots special teams unit.  

In one of the plays of the game, Vince Wilfork got up and tipped a late Nick Folk field goal attempt. The tip pushed the ball short of the score and preserved the Patriots one point lead late in the game.

“I just felt a soft A-gap,” Wilfork said. “[I was] making sure I was legal, not covering up the center, but at the same time getting vertical. I felt that I had a good shot of getting some penetration. It worked out well.”

A 365 pound Wilfork got nearly 8 feet above the line of scrimmage to get a fingertip on the ball. His tip also gave the Patriots the ball with decent field position late, eventually helping them secure the win with a long drive into the redzone.

“It came down to one play really to win this ballgame,” Wilfork said of the magnitude of the play. “And that one play happened to be a block and the offense taking over and just getting one first down to seal it for us.”

It was not in any way pretty but the Patriots found a way to beat the Jets Sunday afternoon. With Danny Ammendola afoot, Vince Wilfork nudged the Jets out of the playoffs and the Patriots into a first round BYE. Tom Brady hit receivers when needed and the secondary came up with interceptions and broken up passes as well.

Hopefully with some sort of retention of momentum from the sheer reality of this being a victory, the Patriots will close out the regular season next week at home against the Buffalo Bills. 

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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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Patriots Topple Dolphins, Claim AFC East Title with 41-13 Win

(Photo courtesy of Matt West)

by Dakota Antelman

In what progressively turned into more and more of a blow out of a game for the Patriots, the long tenured kings of the AFC East claimed another division title with a 41-13 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Tom Brady, despite completing fewer passes than he had in four weeks, was accurate when he had to be while his receivers were clutch across the board. Though the New England running game stalled at times, it too gained yardage in situations that demanded their services while the secondary and defensive lines all stood tall against their Dolphin assignments.

The Patriots put up a solid effort Sunday that was recognized by coaching immediately following the win.

“We were able to get some points on the board get some turnovers,” said Patriots coach Bill Belichick. “I think we had a good day, good punt return, a lot of good field position. We were able to make some good plays.”

However, the majority of those positives from this game all occurred after a first half that admittedly, did not go so well for New England. They got off just 25 snaps in the first half and were forced to punt on three of five offensive drives.

Things got better though as one Brady play in particular seemed to reignite the competitive spirit within the Patriots. Just five minutes into the second half, Brady tucked the ball on 3^rd down and sprinted for a stunning gain of 17 yards. He took a hit at the end of the play but popped right up motivated and angry.

“I was goanna slide but I was pretty pissed off at that time so I figured I wouldn't slide,” Brady said of the play. “Wish I didn't get knocked down but that's the way it goes.”

The long gain set the Patriots up on the three yard line from which they would score on a LeGarret Blount run one play later.

After the game, Brady insisted that it was in fact Blount’s run, not his, that gave the Patriots their newfound strength.

“Blount with a great run! But you know it’s just whatever it takes,” Brady said. “That’s what matters and I think all our guys responded the way we wanted to good to go in there and finish them off like we did.”

Across the board, the second half was a vast improvement on the first half. Rob Gronkowski hauled in three huge catches for a total of 96 yards on the day while Brady threw several pinpoint passes to wide receiver Brandon LaFell. The defense came alive as well shutting out the Dolphins offence and forcing a trio of turnovers, a fact celebrated immensely by the entire team.

 “It’s a good feeling knowing that if you have to punt you have defense that is not goanna give up points to easily.”

The defense limited the chances that the Dolphins got while also playing a hard-nosed style of football that involved omnipresent pressure on opposing running backs and passers. They sacked Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill four times in the second half and forced a pair of fumbles (both of which were recovered by Miami).

Though they did not play the way they wanted to at times, the Patriots managed to grind out a gritty win, finding points in obscure ways (like a first quarter blocked field goal) and playing a kind of mental game that broke down the Dolphins relentlessly and meticulously.

They played like the good team they have been for nearly two decades now. As with the slew of dominant teams before them, they backed that statement of superiority up with a division title won with time to spare.

“Every year is a different year for us. Every year we have a different opportunity to try to accomplish something. It doesn’t start this morning, it started back in march. It’s a lot of hard work that goes into it and I don't think you ever take winning for granted, I certainly don’t because I know how hard it is to win,” Brady said.

He then, in true “Patriot-Way” fashion, described the accomplishment as being part of a greater plan for the team.

“I think we appreciate it but I also know that we have big goals for our team this is the first one we wanted to get,” he said.

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Patriots vs Dolphins Preview: Team Not Giving Week One Loss Excessive Weight

(Photo courtesy of Lynne Sladky of the AP)

by Dakota Antelman

The Patriots will be looking to wrap up the AFC East Sunday vs the Dolphins. A win for New England will clench the division for the 12^thtime in 14 seasons while a loss for the Dolphins will potentially eliminate them from the playoffs once again.

Needless to say, the near annual nature of their winning the division, does not make the accomplishment any less appealing as it often predates postseason success.

“It means a lot but obviously not focusing on that, it's more about winning and seeing what happens after that,” Patriots linemen Sebastian Vollmer said to ESPN’s Mike Reiss earlier this week.

One theme that rings loudly in the minds of Patriots fans going into this game is the Week One loss the Dolphins handed the Patriots back in September. The game did not go well for the Patriots as a weak running game and a mediocre start to the season for Brady immediately created much of the worry and questioning that was present for the first four weeks of the year.

However, since these two teams met in Week One, the Patriots have climbed to a sustained position where they have rained touchdowns and stunning losses down upon opponents, effectively erasing the pain of that rough Week One loss. For New England the result of that game is not as much a cause of worry but rather a reason to work even harder in practice.

“Obviously [we have] moved on from that, but there is some stuff that we're goanna try to do better, you know stuff that didn't go well, we'll work on that. Overall, we'll have to play better than we did. Loosing is not acceptable.”

Among the units that have been called upon to improve considerably on their effort last time they faced Miami is the offence as a whole. The Miami defense has given the Patriots trouble in the past. Their run game is prepared while Tom Brady is focused on dumping short passes and not tempting the secondary with deep balls.

In general though, Bilichick has been preaching about giving full effort on all sides of the ball all week.

"We need to talk about how to play offense, defense and special teams against the Dolphins a lot better than we did the last time we played them, which wouldn't take much," he said. "That's what we'll be talking about this week: what to do and how to do it.”

The Patriots defense will have to contend with a mobile quarterback in Miami’s Ryan Tannihill and a varied run game that has hit it off this year with wide receiver Mike Wallace.

Good news for New England though is that Wallace in particular has struggled to catch passes when matched up against physical corners like Brandon Browner or Darelle Revis so far this season. Also, as with almost every matchup between New England and Miami, interceptions could be favored to decide the game.

Many comparisons have been drawn this week between the Week One incarnation of the Patriots that lost to Miami and the Week 15 version that will try to beat them. But according to the team, those comparisons are meaningless. 

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Multi-dimensional Packers offense baffles Patriots: Patriots loose 26-21

by Dakota Antelman

The Patriots suffered a stinging loss to the Packers Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field. Embedded within the 26-21 final score were a whole host of takeaways, the most notable of which being the struggles that the Patriots had in their secondary.

Just one week after cornerstone CB, Darelle Revis deemed the Patriots secondary “the best in the league”, it gave up 26 points to the Packers and allowed 368 passing yards to their quarterback Aaron Rogers.

"When you play great teams, it comes down to you have to win one-on-one matchups," Patriot defensive back McCourty said. "They just won more matchups than we did."

For much of the first half in particular, the Packers were finding ways to beat the Patriots down-feild.

Though double coverage on Jordy Nelson effectively neutralized the Packers' hottest receiver, the Packers located a diamond in the rough in rookie receiver, Davante Adams. Adams caught six passes for a whopping 121 receiving yards and, for the first two quarters, was the Packers’ go-to guy in the passing game.

The Packers adapted perfectly to the Patriots’ work against Nelson and Cobb.

"They're a matchup defense so if they want to try to take away Jordy and Randall – it was basically Revis one-on-one with Randall and Browner with a little bit of help on Jordy -- so we tried to get Davante involved," Rodgers said. "And he made some big plays for us."

Of Adams’ 11 targets on the night, 7 came in the first half. His somewhat stark drop-off in the back half of the game directly correlated to the Patriots briefly taking control in the final minutes of the first half.

They came out and rattled off a blazing fast 80 yard drive that ultimately culminated in Patriots quarterback Tom Brady tossing a 15 yard touchdown pass to receiver Brandon LaFell. The score gave New England new life and greatly diminished the Packers’ then 14-16 lead.

Though, Green Bay turned right back around and scored a touchdown of its own in less than 45 seconds, New England managed to shut out the Packers in the third quarter. Furthermore, it was New England who drew first blood in the fourth quarter with yet another LaFell touchdown.

In the end though, the Packers managed to hold off a comeback hungry Patriots offence.

Most notably, they stifled the Patriots red-zone offence late in the fourth quarter, when a New England touchdown would have given them the lead, and ultimately punched down Brady for a 15 yard sack on third down.

“I just go back to our philosophy of winning. First, you have to find ways to win. Learn how to win, No. 1, but then you've got to find ways to win and you have to do it as many different ways as possible," Packer coach Mike McCarthy said generally about the win.

The Packers had to get creative to stop the dominant Patriots; four field goals, just one punt and a sudden dependency in a fourth level receiver in Adams dictate that much. But in the end, their creativity paid off. Their seemingly easy toppling of one of the NFL’s hottest teams proved to the league that they might very well be the favorite to win the whole NFC this January.

As for the Patriots, they will swallow the loss and turn their focus to next week’s meeting with San Diego where, if the past is any indication, an angry Tom Brady will be a dominant Tom Brady.

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Patriots vs Packers preview: New England, Green Bay poised for painfully close game

by Dakota Antelman

The Patriots and Packers, perhaps the NFL’s two hottest teams, will clash in what could be a rather brilliant display of quarterback power and defensive execution.

New England, fresh off an offensive dismantling of the Lions will head to Lambeau Field in Green Bay with the understanding that their romp of the NFL may very soon come to an end. 

 "It's not realistic for us to expect to continue to blow teams out like that, or, I don't want to say blow out, but win by a large margin," coach Bill Belichick said. "I can't really put my finger on what it is. I think it's a culmination of things and preparation, I think, is at the forefront of that."

The Packers are one of the closest teams to the Patriots in terms of statistical ranking that New England has and will face for the remainder of the year. They have a top 10 passing game, average over 100 yards in the run game per game and their quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, is looking confident as ever in the pocket. Their starting running back, Eddie Lacey, has been running over defenses all season while prime receivers Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson are both on pace for 80+ catch seasons.

The Packers, an 8-3 team that is a more impressive 7-1 since week three, pose a threat to the soaring Patriots. Needless to say however, the threat is recognized.  

"We're playing Green Bay in Green Bay," Belichick said. "That's where they've been very dominant, really, in terms of getting ahead and playing from ahead, first quarter. The numbers are staggering."

The Packers are scoring nearly 33 points per game with Rogers throwing two or more touchdowns on six different occasions this season. But at the same time there have been moments this season where the Packers defense has struggled.

They rank 12^th in the league in pass defense and 30^th in run defense. In some of the same games that Rodgers has dominated, so have the Packer’s opponents.

As New England has prepared for this marquee meeting, finding and isolating the weaknesses in the Packers secondary and defensive line has been a focal point.

The Packers in turn understand this and know they will have to step their game up if they want to stem the flow of big Patriots players; especially streaky tight end Rob Gronkowski.

“I don't know that a lot of people have had great success covering him," Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers said Friday. "He can go vertical. He's a big guy. He's got a big wing span. You've seen him catch a ball thrown behind him and pull it in. He likes the physical part of the game. He's going to challenge you in terms of tackling. If you go up on his upper body, the guy's big and strong. Tacklers bounce off of him.”

Beyond Gronkowski, tight end Tim Wright is coming off a two touchdown performance last week vs. Detroit while wide receiver Brandon LaFell has added an extra passing target for New England along the sidelines.

Tom Brady’s distribution of the ball to his varied list of receivers has the Packers unsure of how to neutralize his abilities.

As of Friday, they still seemed unsure of who would be covering who. There was even talk of 225 pound linebacker, Clay Matthews, being matched up on Gronkowski.

There is indecision in regards to how either team will combat the other. Such becomes commonplace when two teams of immeasurable greatness like the Patriots and Packers meet.

Needless to say, after weeks of games decided in the first quarter, the Patriots and Packers game could very well have Patriots fans watching a kind of game they have not seen in months; a close one. 

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