Rob Gronkowski will be out of the lineup
for the fifth week in a row. Can the Patriots keep winning without him? Not
easily.
Not without Stevan Ridley. Not with
Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson nicked up; maybe even a little worse than
nicked up. Why else sign Austin Collie? Danny Amendola may be back. (But for
how long? How long?) Still troubled by that whole “muscle ripped from the bone”
thing. Big Vince is gone for the season, of course. Matthew Slater is still
out. Shane Vereen is still out. Leon Washington has been out forever.
Like every other team in the league, New
England will be dealing with injuries. Cincinnati has problems of its own with
both their starting cornerbacks (Leon Hall and Dre Kirkpatrick) a little worse
than nicked up and they don’t have Tom Brady at QB. Nobody is feeling sorry for
the Patriots nor will an asterisk be affixed to their record should they lose
today.
So, what will it take to win?
Defense
Belichick and Matt Patricia must come up
with a game plan that shuts down the Bengals on offense. There is the obvious
need to replace Vince Wilfork. The Patriots should expect the Bengals and every
other team they face the rest of the year to emphasize the run (except for the
Broncos, of course). Joe Vellano has been good in small doses and as much as I
like what I’ve seen so far it’s a lot to ask of an undrafted rookie. Will we
see more of a 3-4 look today? Will Brandon Spikes be a difference maker in run
defense? When the Bengals put the ball in ginger QB Andy
Dalton’s hands, will Aqib Talib be able to take away A.J. Green? Will rookie LB
Jamie Collins do a better job with TE Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert than he
did with Tony Gonzalez? Will they hold up long enough for Chandler Jones and
Rob Ninkovich to get to Dalton?
Enough questions!
Spikes, Dont’a Hightower and Jerod Mayo
will pursue, tackle and stop the Bengals’ running game. Tommy Kelly will
channel a decade’s worth of rage and frustration from playing for the Raiders and
play his best, most dominant game of the season.
I’ll be looking for Jones, Ninkovich,
Vellano and Michael Buchanan on the line of scrimmage in passing downs and they
will get to Dalton who has a big arm but a small brain. Collins will be a
factor in coverage but the key will be Steve Gregory making plays in the middle
of the field while Devin McCourty is helping Talib over the top with Green.
What else will it take to win?
Tom
Brady
Body language aside, statistics aside (old
school and advanced); Tom Brady is playing what might be the signature season
of his legendary career. Has any QB in the NFL done more with less? I mean, who
the hell is Matthew
Mulligan? He has yet to throw a pass to Rob Gronkowski. He hasn’t had his
shiny new #1 receiver, Danny Amendola, since Week 1. He hasn’t had 3rd
down back Shane Vereen – so important to the Patriots’ offense – also since Week
1. Thompkins and Dobson were listed as questionable and if Amendola is a late
scratch, New England could start Julian Edelman and Austin Collie at WR. Even
if that’s the case, who’s betting against Tom Brady finding a way to make that
work?
Unlikely
Heroes
Someone else will step up today. Maybe
LeGarrette Blount will have his best day as a pro. Perhaps Kyle Arrington will
pick Andy Dalton and make an appearance on Red
Zone. Perchance young Joe Vellano will spend his afternoon in the Bengals’
backfield. It may be a big play on special teams; a blocked kick or a forced
fumble. I don’t know who, what or when (hence, unlikely) but I know it will
happen.
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