Patriots have really made it no secret that they are searching for a top of the line receiver. AJ Brown has made it no secret he wants to be a Patriot. AJ could be this year’s most complete receiver, and he would provide an interesting and exciting twist to the slot position. A bigger slot receiver makes a lot of sense after Belichick recently eluded to bigger receivers becoming more valuable in this league. Cornerbacks are starting to get smaller. Playing AJ Brown in the slot position would create some mismatches in man coverage. A receiving group of AJ Brown, Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon, Philip Dorsett and Demaryius Thomas would be a very solid one.
31 (Cowboys) *Originally LAR
Johnathan Abram S Mississippi State
Trade details: Cowboys trade 58th, 165th and next year’s second round pick for Rams 31st
Rams want draft picks. They don’t have many. Cowboys do not have a first round pick and although rumors are not swirling that they want to trade up, it makes sense. Jerry Jones loves first round draft picks. In fact, tell me what sounds more Jerry Jones than making a huge splash by trading into the first round, to grab a player that could be the best at his position, in which the Cowboys have a need for. Abram would immediately start for the Cowboys, serving as a linebacker at the safety position. Abram’s coverage skills may have it’s questions but he can hit hard, make tackles real well, and use his ball skills to get Dak Prescott and the offense on the field as much as possible. Abram to Dallas makes perfect sense.
30 (Packers)
Noah Fant TE Iowa
Packers miss out on T.J Hockenson but they still land Noah Fant. This news will make Aaron Rodgers happy. Fant is probably the best receiver out of the trio of Hockenson, Smith, and himself. Fant could learn a few things from Jimmy Graham and pair up with him to make Rodger’s life a whole lot easier. If the Packers pick Fant, Rodger’s fantasy value gets a huge boost.
29 (Chiefs)
Amani Oruwariye CB Penn State
Amani Oruwariye. This guy will be hated by three groups of people. He will be hated by quarterbacks for his ability, offensive coordinators for the same reason, and commentators for being forced to pronounce that name of his. Chiefs will love him though. Chiefs need corners. Patriot fans know how bad the Chiefs secondary was last year. Amani Oruwariye will help change that. Amani has no problem helping in run support and can cover some of the bigger receivers in the NFL. Look for him to cover Josh Gordon or Demayrius Thomas in the AFC Championship.
28 (Patriots) *Originally LAC
T.J. Hockenson TE Iowa
Trade details: Patriots trade 56th, 73rd and next year’s 3rd round pick to Chargers for 28th
SPLASH! Hockenson will fall farther than most people think. Primarily due to the Packers decision to wait, he slides all the way to #28 where the Patriots leapfrog the Packers second pick to get him. Hockenson is a unique talent that does not come around to often at the tight end position. Forget Irv Smith, forget Noah Fant, forget everyone else. Do this thing right, go get the tight end of the future Bill! Go ahead and call me crazy, Hockenson will be a surprise faller in the draft, much like Derwin James and Tremaine Edmunds last year.
27 (Raiders)
Joshua Jacobs RB Alabama
This remodeled Raiders team still misses a three-down runningback. This extremely weak runningback class might have just one great back in it. Joshua Jacobs might not be available come the Raiders second round pick. It might be safer to grab the guy now and sure up that backfield.
26 (Colts)
Christian Wilkins IDL Clemson
By disregarding the tight end position, Christian Wilkins is the best remaining player on the board. Wilkins can be the leader of this defensive line and defense all together. One year removed from landing both Quentin Nelson and Darius Leonard, these drafts would be considered back to back bangs for the Colts by now picking Christian Wilkins. Wilkins, a Massachusetts native would provide not just leadership but also versatility and a very high motor.
25 (Eagles)
Nasir Adderley S Delaware
Nasir or Abram could both easily go here. Adderley might be a better fit in the City of Love. Nasir gets knocked for playing in a small-school program. Small-school programs are not a problem in Philly. Just ask their part-time quarterback Carson Wentz. Jim Schwartz likes his defensive backs with cornerback experience, which Adderley has a lot. In fact, Philly makes the most sense for this talented, small-school prospect.
24 (Raiders)
DeAndre Baker CB Georgia
Raiders fill another position of need here, taking DeAndre Baker. A very solid player with a starting grade on him. Baker will fit in well and be an anchor at one of the corner spots in Oakland.
23 (Texans)
Andre Dillard OT Washington State
Texans have no compliments about this pick here. Some scouts like Dillard better than they like Ford or Williams, primarily because he will be a pure tackle in the NFL. Texans need to protect DeShaun Watson badly. Dillard can be plugged right in to the starting lineup and alleviate some of the issues with this offensive line.
22 (Ravens)
Marquise Brown WR Oklahoma
When making this pick, the Ravens have to be conscious of Lamar Jackson’s less than mediocre throwing ability. None the less, Marquise Brown has the potential to be a Pro Bowl receiver. He frequently draws comparisons to DeSean Jackson. A better comp might be someone who just left Baltimore, John Brown. Marquise Brown, Antonio Brown’s cousin (too many Browns here), will thrive in a role much like John Brown’s was. Pencil in Marquise Brown, Antonio Brown’s cousin, to fill the absence of John Brown and make teams like the Browns have headaches.
21 (Browns) *Originally SEA
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson S Florida
Trade details: Browns trade 49th, 119th and next year’s second round pick to Seattle for 21st and next year’s sixth round pick
Browns are rumored to be actively looking to trade back into the first round. The Seahawks are looking to trade down. Browns have both needs at cornerback and safety. Gardner-Johnson can play both. While he will probably play safety at the next level, the flexibility really helps his case to go to Cleveland. Gardner-Johnson will bode well in Cleveland’s secondary that has been famished for good safeties.
20 (Steelers)
Devin Bush Jr. LB Michigan
NO BRAINER. The Steelers and Devin Bush have been linked to each other ever since this whole evaluation process started. Devin Bush at 20 would be a steal for anyone but for a team so desperate for linebackers like the Steelers, it would be an act of god. The tackle machine would bring a big boost to a team that has been crippled by the unfortunate long term injury of Ryan Shazier.
19 (Titans)
D.K. Metcalf WR Mississippi
Oh boy! How can someone pass up a talent like DK Metcalf at 19? Even more, think of how happy Marcus Mariota would be to have Metcalf and Corey Davis paired together. For those who don’t know DK Metcalf, he is 6’3, 230 pounds. He has 34 7/8” arms and 9 7/8” hands. He ran a 4.33 40 yard dash, had 27 reps of 225 pounds, and had a 40.5″ vertical leap. He is an absolute freakish human who could probably even play tight end. He may not be the most complete, true receiver, but he will make good as the Titans’ number two receiver and make Marcus Mariota very happy.
18 (Vikings)
Garrett Bradbury IOL NC State
This pick makes a lot of sense. Bradbury stands as the clear top inside lineman prospect. He can play both center and guard in the NFL. With Pat Elflein struggling at center last year, all signs would point to shifting him to guard and moving Bradbury inside. This would bode well for Dalvin Cook and the Vikings zone run scheme. The Bradbury pick would give the Vikings a lot of options and flexibility on that terrible offensive line.
17 (Giants)
Dwayne Haskins QB Ohio State
Dwayne Haskins makes a lot of sense here at 17. He may not be the most talented in the group but he will hold down the fort in New York. The best comparison around for Haskins has to be Drew Bledsoe. In the right offense, Haskins will thrive and serve as a fabulous game-manager. The Giants’ offense would run through Saqoun Barkley. Haskins would manage the passing game with success and compliment Saqoun nicely.
So, it is true that the Jets could have picked Cody Ford, but the need at corner and the talent of Byron Murphy is a lot to pass up. Instead, the Panthers have an absolute no brainer pick here and take Cody Ford. Panthers desperately need some help on that line. Cam Newton and Christian McCaffery need some help here. Newton needs time to wait for Chris Hogan to get open. Cody Ford will be the guy in Carolina. Ford like Williams might slip inside to guard in the NFL but as of late, that theory has kind of been squashed. Pencil in Ford as a starting tackle for the Carolina Panthers.
15 (Jets) *Originally WAS
Byron Murphy CB Washington
So after trading down, the Jets hoped to draft an edge rusher or offensive tackle. The prospects that they would have hoped to land at this spot are gone however there is no reason to cry about it. Byron Murphy has a lot of scouts really excited. Put Byron Murphy in the same secondary as Jamal Adams and Tramaine Johnson, a hard defense to throw against there.
14 (Falcons)
Jerry Tillery IDL Notre Dame
Another more surprising pick, Jerry Tillery to Atlanta. The frequently underrated defensive line prospect out of Notre Dame continues to be overlooked in this draft process. A combo of Jerry Tillery and Grady Garrett will make opposing offensive coordinators wish their mother never had them. It will be the “Nightmare on Peachtree Street”. Clogging inside holes, stopping the run, and getting to the quarterback. Missing out on Ed Oliver will quickly become not so big of a deal for Atlanta.
13 (Dolphins)
Jonah Williams OT Alabama
The Dolphins have needs all over the offensive line. For a team headed for a rebuilding year, the smart move would be to build up the line and draft a quarterback next year. That class will be a whole lot stronger and the Dolphins draft choice will probably be a whole lot closer to number one. Pick Jonah Williams. This guy will be an absolute stud at the next level. His future will probably be at guard with his footwork and arms indicating so. However, don’t rule out Williams playing tackle. He played tackle in college and played really well. The Dolphins and Williams are perfect for each other because of the flexibility he possesses.
12 (Packers)
Clelin Ferrell EDGE Clemson
Well, this would raise a lot of eyebrows. There are always eyebrow-raisers in the draft. First round last year, Rashaad Penny, Baker Mayfield first overall, the Saints trading for Marcus Davenport, Derwin James and Tremaine Edmunds falling. Point being, the draft is an unpredictable animal. A lot of people think the Packers will go tight end here. Well, they have two first round picks and literally no defensive ends. Defensive ends are now limited and the last remaining one with no big question marks is Clelin Ferrell. They will be able to pick from at least two of the top three tight ends in this draft at #30. They will have much less selection if they wait on pass rusher. The Packers are clamping down on defense this year, focusing on improving that side of the ball. Clelin Ferrell will be the pick here at #12.
11 (Bengals)
Jawaan Taylor OT Florida
Jawaan Taylor just met with the Bengals yesterday. This pick would make a lot of sense. Some of the players who the Bengals could have picked are off the board. This guy here might just be the best tackle in the draft. Bengals have a huge hole at the tackle spot, waiting to be filled. Taylor would at least help the running game. Not quite sure Andy Dalton can possibly be helped at this point. Andy Dalton needs a lot more than help to succeed. Expect Bengals to at least look at quarterback in round two.
10 (Broncos)
Ed Oliver IDL Houston
Half of this pick would be because of Ed Oliver and the other half would be that the Broncos do not appear sold on this quarterback class. This QB class truly is a bad one. The Broncos have Joe Flacco, who can still preform to an okay level. They wait a year, take a player at a position they have a need for, and put Ed Oliver on a line with Von Miller and Bradley Chubb. Very, very dangerous alignment there.
9 (Bills)
Montez Sweat EDGE Mississippi State
Bills draft an edge defender for the same reason the 49ers do. How do you attack quarterbacks like Sam Darnold, Tom Brady, and … Ryan Fitzpatrick (eew gross)? You rush the passer. Montez Sweat can do that real quickly. Sweat set a record in Indianapolis for the fastest defense lineman in combine history. Running a 4.41 at 6’6, 260 pounds is insane. Sweat reminds many of Dee Ford. He would wreak havoc on the AFC East.
8 (Lions)
Greedy Williams CB LSU
A lot of people think the Lions will go tight end here. Cornerback makes the most sense. A combo of Darius Slay and Greedy Williams will be a hard one to throw against. Going tight end would not be smart for a team that for some reason appears to be shaping up for a championship instead of rebuilding. After spending big money on Jesse James, drafting a tight end would put their tight end spending near the top of the league. If they want any shot at a championship, draft a corner to help defend against a pass-happy league.
7 (Jaguars)
Brian Burns EDGE Florida State
Just like the Giants, former Giants coach and current GM of the Jaguars, Tom Coughlin values pass-rushers as well. Brian Burns will be a special talent at the next level. The speed, smarts, and effort are top notch. Burns is a dominant pass-rusher and tremendous athlete. The only drawback, his weight. A few fast food trips will help.
6 (Giants)
Rashan Gary EDGE Michigan
Gary undoubtedly presents some risk at six for the Giants, however, the talent might be too much to pass up. Gary is a talented, elite athlete and plays a position that the Giants have always valued. This move makes sense for New York.
5 (Buccaneers)
Devin White LB LSU
Undoubtedly the best linebacker in this draft provides the most value here at five for the Buccaneers. With Kwon Alexander leaving for San Fran and Kendell Beckwith’s health concerns, it makes sense to draft a linebacker. Not to mention, LaVonte David will be 30 years old soon and could use a very capable, young blood that can be his tackle machine buddy while his career does nothing but wind down. Plus, once White and Bush are gone in round one, the position sees a steep drop off. Better to address that issue now.
4 (Raiders)
Josh Allen EDGE Kentucky
This guy aspires to be Khalil Mack. The Raiders did not pay Khalil Mack top dollar. This guy would not need top dollar money until roughly his fourth year in the league. Raiders take a poor man’s Khalil Mack, or a Mack lite, and find a long-term solution to such a big problem last year. Maybe this guy can become a monster and they can trade him away too.
3 (Redskins) *Originally NYJ
Kyler Murray QB Oklahoma
Trade details: Jets trade 3rd overall, 68th overall, 196th overall, 217th overall and next year’s sixth round pick to Washington for 15th overall, 46th overall, 227th overall and next year’s first round pick.
Rumor on the block is that the Jets want desperately to trade back. Redskins desperately need a quarterback and to make a splash. Redskins give up a lot of capital to make this move, but get the guy who could be the best quarterback in the draft. A move like this would be eerily similar to the trade up to get Robert Griffin III a few years back, but would most likely be more successful. The Redskins could do some of the same things they did with RG3 with Kyler. A quarterback of Kyler’s ability would work out a lot better in this system than RG3 did.
2 (49ers)
Nick Bosa EDGE Ohio State
How do you shutdown quarterbacks like Jared Goff? Josh Rosen? And how do you disrupt Russell Wilson’s rhythm? You rush the passer. How better to attack your division rivals than add Dee Ford and Nick Bosa to your team? Those three teams also have spectacular run games. 49ers bulk up their defensive line to assemble one of the more deadly pass-rushing cores in the league.
1 (Cardinals)
Quinnen Williams IDL Alabama
So, a lot of thought went into this pick. Here is what it boils down to, Cardinals have a quarterback, his name is Josh Rosen. Cardinals pass on their absurd idea to put him up on the auction block for chump change and decide to build a stronger defense. Quinnen is a prospect teams cannot afford to pass up. Cardinals take a position they need to improve on and insert the best player in this draft class into that spot.
Let’s take a look at the latest some Patriots moves and rumors that were surfacing this week. Belichick and the Patriots have been pretty quiet this offseason. However, a few stories this week could help shape this team for next year and years beyond.
Move: The Stephon Gilmore Contract
Thursday, the Patriots reworked Stephon Gilmore’s contract for 2019.
Gilmore, who was originally scheduled to have a cap hit of $14,837,500, saw $8.5 million dollars worth of his contract get converted into a signing bonus.
Doing this frees up $5.67 million dollars for the Patriots in cap space. The current cap for the Pats is now $8,332,763.
This move should not be the only one for the Patriots as more money will need to come their way. The Patriots still have key free agents like Stephen Gostkowski and Chris Hogan, who remain unsigned.
The Patriots also must compensate for the projected $8,970,997 dollars it will take to sign all their draft picks.
With their cap as it is, expect the Patriots to move some money around with players like Devin McCourty, Tom Brady, and maybe even Rob Gronkowski, D’onta Hightower, and Lawerence Guy.
Many expect Gostkowski to be back and Hogan looks more likely to return by the day. The Patriots will need at least 6 million in cap for those two signings alone.
Expect them to restructure some contracts, resign some players, and trade a couple of draft picks.
Rumor: Patriots Schedule Meeting With WVU Quarterback Will Grier
The Patriots lack of attention to the quarterback position in this year’s draft might hint what they have planned for next year’s.
Although, one quarterback prospect who they have scheduled a meeting with is former West Virginia quarterback Will Grier.
Grier, who was in the Heisman conversation for a brief time last year, seems to be moving up draft boards each day.
In fact his pro day was so impressive that he has potentially moved up into late first-round consideration.
Grier makes sense as a potential fit in the Patriots system. In addition, some other quarterbacks that scouts think could come to New England are Daniel Jones of Duke, Brett Rypien of Boise State, and Ryan Finley of North Carolina State.
Rumor: Stephen Gostkowski Resigning Reports
It seems inevitable that the Patriots and veteran kicker Stephen Gostkowski will reach an agreement to reunite.
Now it appears that after the readjustment of Stephon Gilmore’s contract that the Patriots now have the money to resign their long-tenured kicker.
Tom Curran reported on Thursday that the Patriots and Gostkowski are making progress and are actively talking about a return.
Curran also reported that other teams are interested in Gostkowski. Almost any team would kill for a kicker like Stephen. Although, Gostkowksi’s interest in other teams seem very small and he obviously holds the Patriots as his top destination.
Gostkowski will be entering his fourteenth year in the NFL and will not consider retirement at this time.
Most expect Gostkowski’s contract number to be in the $3mil to $4mil range.
Losing a kicker like Gostkowski would obviously be bad news for New England. Replacing his production would certainly not be an easy task.
The more film watched on TJ Hockenson, the more it seems he will be long gone before the Patriots pick 32nd. However, one never knows these days as players get injured in practice (like Jeffery Simmons), poor combines or pro days hurt their value, and sometimes guys just slide due to demand.
Although historically the Patriots never really trade up in the draft, this Iowa tight end might be worth breaking the trend for. That is of course assuming he doesn’t miraculously fall into their hands at the end of the first round.
Here is what makes Hockenson so good:
Good jump off ball, quickly gets out of three point stance
Gets hands inside and doesn’t overextend, dominant blocking technique
Lowers pads
Keeps ball high and tight, protects the football
Nice awareness
Can outrun Big Ten linebackers and corners, making him hard to one on one with good RAC (run after catch)
Always gets lower than his man when blocking, gets good leverage on his guy
Really nice hands
Extremely athletic and agile for a man of his size
Fundamentally sound
Polished
Disciplined route runner
Physical
Good balance and control
Can adjust to the ball very nicely
Phenomenal focus and ability to get his feet down in bounds, great awareness of his surroundings
Hockenson is a future Pro Bowler. One of the easiest prospects to evaluate in this class. Good at pretty much everything. The only weaknesses I can come up with are that he doesn’t always high-point the ball and he can sometimes be too aggressive as a blocker at the 2nd level.
-Evan Lazar, CLNS Media
Hockenson just continues to demonstrate that he is the complete package in film review. His potential really is something to marvel over.
Cons:
There is very little to complain about in his game. The aggressive blocking and high-pointing, as mentioned in the quote by Evan Lazar, were somewhat of a concern, but not enough to not draft him for it. He seemed to always improvise during some minor mistakes.
Another con to mention was his hands when catching the football were sometimes spread too far apart, but like the other problems, he improvised and did not let it become an issue.
On this play versus Indiana, Hockenson high points the ball, adjusts his body and makes a leaping grab. Scoring the touchdown in the back of the endzone, with a defender draped on him, showing excellent awareness to get both feet down in bounds.
His teammate Noah Fant gets more coverage for his more flashy ability. Although, Hockenson will be a far better NFL player and it may not even be close.
TJ might just be the best tight end to come out of the NFL Draft since Hunter Henry or George Kittle.
Player Comparisons:
Hockenson has drawn comparisons to former Iowa tight end George Kittle before. Kittle just came off a phenomenal stat clinic of a season. Hockenson has also been compared to Dennis Pitta and a mini Gronk (A stretch but I have heard it). The one that suits him best would be Dennis Pitta, who when healthy was a very good tight end for Baltimore.
If the Patriots could get their hands on this guy, not only would a combo of Gronk and Hockenson be hard to stop in 2019, but Hockenson himself would be a deadly force for years to come.
There was no way a 33 year old rookie coach was going to outcoach the greatest of all time. Sean McKay admitted after the game that he was outcoached. This was Bill Belichick’s second best defensive performance in a Super Bowl since the first one. Belichick’s defensive strategy to pressure Goff and make him throw passes into coverage was outstanding. I haven’t seen this good of a defensive performance since the early 2000 Super Bowls.
Early saying goes defense wins championships. The defense played a huge part in those early Super Bowl wins, from Teddy Bruschi to newly elected Hall Of Famer Ty Law. In 2014 the defense came up big with a Malcolm Butler interception to win Super Bowl 49. When Belichick benched Butler before last year’s Super Bowl he took so much heat for it. Now this year he put a plan together to give them the best chance to win.
Bill Belichick made up for last year’s loss
Belichick made a defensive plan that Sean McVay wasn’t expecting. Jared Goff and the offense couldn’t get anything going. Goff threw to Cooks a few times but other than that the Patriots were shutting everything down. Hightower had a great game, and so did Kyle Van Knoy. After Chung got hurt Jason McCourty was all over the field. Gilmore had that great interception to end the game as the Rams were driving. They only allowed three points against the second-ranked offense in the league.
The Patriots will be back next year
Again Belichick made up from last year’s bad Super Bowl defensive performance. People saying the game was boring don’t realize that it was a defensive battle with one team having the greatest quarterback of all time. After those back to back losses in December, they needed to find an identity. Well, they found it at the right time. They demolished the Chargers, put up a fight against Kansas City, and played a great defensive game with the Rams.
Watching Sean McVay call plays on offense is like watching someone paint. True art, beautiful design, Sean McVay is a true innovator. All someone needs to be a head coach these days is have a cup of coffee with him. Let’s take a look into what McVay does best and how Flores and Belichick can stop him.
McVay and his misdirections
To start, McVay makes a living off of misdirections and different offensive line shifts. This freezes the second and third levels of the defense. Against the Saints, he called play actions and pulled his guards to one side of the field, then had Goff throw to the opposite side. This froze the linebackers and forced them to go up and play the run, while his receivers quickly got open. This will be hard for the Patriots to defend against as they will be looking to stop the rushing attack early. Expect these tricky play action passes early in the game to try and create uncertainty for that Patriots defense.
Stop the run
One key for the Patriots will be stopping the Rams in 11 personnel (one runningback and one tight end). The Rams run out of that personnel at the highest rate in the NFL, and will look to find success out of that formation early. The goal is to unleash their play action pass, which is their forte, and a weakness of the Patriots. The Eagles early establishment of their run game last year was extremely detrimental to the Patriots defense, and ended up deciding the game. That defense could not stop a nosebleed. Hopefully history does not repeat itself. Expect the Patriots to take the ball to start the game if they can. They want to dictate the game and make the Rams play catch up with them. Both teams will want to start fast, put points on the board, and expose the other team’s defense early.
Belichick’s starting alignment
Belichick will likely start the defense by lining up one defensive tackle in the A-gap and then another in the B-gap. Look for the defensive starters to look something like Flowers, Butler, Guy, and then the surprising Adrian Clayborn. Belichick will likely line up both ends in a seven or nine technique off the very edge of the tackles to establish the edge. This will force Gurley and Anderson inside. This will also keep Goff in the pocket and give him struggles, as he has struggled identifying edge pressure before.
Fighting against the misdirections and nifty play action McVay calls will not be easy. Although the Bears and Lions had success with the strategy of straight up ignoring it earlier this season.
Will McVay be enough?
The key will be stopping the run early to prevent Los Angeles from really digging into their playbook in that first half. Winning the first half will be key for the Patriots to win as getting into a shootout with this Rams team is not something anyone wants to do. The good news is the gameplan has been similar for the Patriots in both playoff games. If the Patriots can stick to the gameplan on defense and start hot, McVay and his genius mind will not be enough to finish on top.
At almost every turn this regular season, the Patriots found themselves doubted. Constantly counted out and disregarded, teams went to play them with a higher level of confidence than years prior. Now, they head to Atlanta where they are currently three point favorites against the Los Angeles Rams.
Gameplan
Yesterday was a marvelous performance and featured phenomenal execution. The gameplan on offense was really no secret. The plan going in was to establish the run game, create unpredictability in the playcall, and most of all dominate the time of possession to keep the ball out of the hands of Mahomes.
Coaching
The coaching was stupendous however not flawless. Some questionable playcalls and decisions almost cost them the game on both sides of the ball, but that happens in the NFL. On the flip side, the coaching staff for Kansas City appeared blatantly unprepared for this game. The Patriots game plan came as no surprise to even some of the most casual fans, yet Kansas City struggled to stop the run on almost every try early in the game. Virtually every run in the first and second quarter broke for nice gains into the second and third levels of the defense.
Defensive Line
The Chiefs failures to stop the run early on killed their chances to get anything going in the first half. Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs might want to look at the tape from this game and look at how one dimensional their offense became. The depleted running attack forced Mahomes to throw. Andy Reid and the staff did him no favors by calling almost exclusively medium to long ball plays. This only made the job easier for Patriots pass rush, who was steamrolling an offensive line, going after a quarterback holding onto the ball for too long. Trey Flowers and the crew had big games attacking a offensive line that was pretty solid this season.
Long Drives
The long, sustained drives that the Patriots put together early in the game were just pure football art. The mix of run and pass had the defense guessing wrong almost every time in the first and second quarter and allowed for the Patriots to hold the Chiefs offense to zero points in the first half. Complementary football at it’s finest.
Tommy Boy
Also, of course, how can anyone forget? Tom Brady. How does Brady continue to put together these wins late in the game, seemingly by himself. Sure the offensive line was spectacular and Edelman and Gronk played big roles in the final two drives, but Brady put on a clinic by marching down the field twice to go ahead on both occasions. Name another quarterback who deserves to even be mentioned in the same sentence as him. It might take a while.
Chris Amendola
It was encouraging to see Chris Hogan make some of the plays he did late in the game, which only inspires hope for Patriots fans that he can take on the Patriots’ Playoff Amendola role.
Offensive Line and Running Game
The offensive line as mentioned before was marvelous. They did a great job, paving the way for Michel, White, and Burkhead to run where they wanted at will. The question remains to be asked of where this offensive line and team would be without re-hiring Dante Scarnecchia back in 2016.
Roberts and Kyle Van Noy
The last real encouraging performance was the performance of Kyle Van Noy and Elandon Roberts. Two frequently unappreciated linebackers went and put together some nice plays and tackles to make things difficult for Mahomes and company. Van Noy’s performance was especially impressive and very encouraging going into the Super Bowl against a very good running game.
Stage set in Atlanta
Now, Brady and company will head off to Super Bowl 53 in a highly anticipated matchup versus the Los Angeles Rams. Hopefully, the Patriots can follow the pattern of the Red Sox and themselves, who both beat LA teams earlier this year (Dodgers and Chargers). Regardless of the outcome of this Super Bowl bout, it is hard to see the Patriots going down without a fight.
Alas, the matchup previews are back! The 5-2 New England Patriots will take on the 2-5 Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football in Buffalo. Boston Sports Extra brings you three marquee matchups to look out for while watching the game.
Tom Brady has won his most games versus the Bills. Photo Courtesy of Getty Images.
Derek Anderson versus Patriots’ Pass Defense
The Patriots have been on a win streak in the past month, but their pass defense has given up a lot of yards. Though they have played decent quarterbacks, there is no reason the scores should have been as close as they have been. Stephon Gilmore has been playing out of his mind, but the rest of the players needs to step up. One of the biggest keys is that they need to pick up players quicker and be more aggressive. This night has to be a statement for the secondary to not let up. The defense should not let up over 300 yards passing to a player who started off the year in as a third-stringer. Another thing to note is that the Bills have only had three passing touchdowns all year. Let’s keep it that way.
James White versus Tremaine Edmunds
James White has been a key player for the Patriots. Photo Courtesy of Sporting News.
White has been a key player for Brady coming out of the backfield and catching the ball. If White isn’t lined up on the line of scrimmage, then expect Edmunds to defend him out of the backfield. Edmunds has had his ups and downs in his NFL career, and White should take advantage of his inexperience.
LeSean McCoy versus Patriots Linebackers
The status of McCoy for Sunday is unsure. If he does play, he will be the biggest test for our linebackers and really all of our defense. Our linebackers need to plug up holes quickly and limit him in the passing game. Their offense runs through McCoy. Stopping him will mean stopping their offense.
Brady and Belichick don’t play golf together, but they share the same goals about winning
Cue the ‘fake news’ from people after they read reports of Brady wanting to leave the Patriots in March. It’s all based on a new book about “Belichick: The Making of The Greatest Football Coach of All Time.” This was written by Ian O’Connor after the 2017 season. All the drama surrounding these two is really old news at this point. Also, Brady said he wants to play until 45; however, he never said he’d finish his career in New England. If it was up to owner Robert Kraft, Brady would retire as a Patriot. I still believe Belichick walks at the end of the season, and Josh McDaniels will take over. If that happens, Brady will be a Patriots until the age of 45.
Belichick will probably retire at the end of the season
As for this new book on Belichick, a few quotes really stuck out from people with knowledge of the Brady and Belichick relationship. They told Ian O’Connor that Brady would divorce Belichick. “If you’re married 18 years to a grouchy person who gets under your skin and never compliments you, after a while, you want to divorce him. Tom knows Bill is the best coach in the league, but he’s had enough of him. If Tom could, I think he would divorce him.” Belichick himself did not do an interview for the book.
Brady was uncertain if he wanted to be a Patriot as of late March. However, he couldn’t ask for a trade because the fans of New England would be irate and also Kraft. They just had traded Jimmy Garoppolo and if Brady then asked to be traded, he would never live it down. All the talk about Brady and Belichick is really starting to sound like a broken record. By now we get it, they hate each other but share the same goals. Now Belichick stripped the receiving core this year to make it harder for Brady. Now the Patriots got Josh Gordon, who is a headache off the field, but hopefully, he’s productive on the field.
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Bill Belichick is by far the best coach in the NFL, and it’s not even close. The reason for that is simple it’s because he drafted a quarterback in 2000 who has brought him five championships since. Most of Belichick’s assistants have gone onto becoming head coaches themselves. That question is why? My answer is because they either can’t draft a quarterback, or they try to act like Belichick when they haven’t won anything as a head coach.
There’s Nobody Close
The debacle on Monday Night Football between the Lions and the Jets was a disaster waiting to happen. Matt Patricia lost that game before it even started. All these reports coming out that he’s being too tough are prime examples of him trying to be like Belichick. Also, he has a quarterback in Matthew Stafford who isn’t a Tom Brady quarterback. Let’s go to Josh McDaniels, who is also failed as a head coach because he was trying to be like Belichick and drafted Tim Tebow, who isn’t even close to Tom Brady.
The advice to coaches around the league should be don’t be like Belichick because you don’t have a quarterback good as Brady is. Belichick has earned the right to be tough because he has the championships to back it up. Also a big huge thank you to the greatest quarterback of all time. Jon Gruden is now coaching the Raiders and because he doesn’t have a Tom Brady quarterback in Derek Carr, expect the Raiders to not be good this season. Now Jimmy Garoppolo might be a different story. No, he’s not Tom Brady, but he could be a decent quarterback and win championships. But overall it’s Belichick, Brady and the Patriots, and then everybody else until Brady and Belichick are out of New England.
