Why do we fall?
If you’re fans of the Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale Batman
movies, you know the answer to that question. And if you aren’t, we should
probably break up right here, right now, and avoid the inevitable screaming
fight over The
Dark Knight Rises. There’s no coming back from that. Just give me back my Tom
Brady jersey and there’s a chance we can still be friends. Seriously, I want
that that Tom Brady jersey back.
We get to learn something about the 2014 version of the New
England Patriots this Sunday. Losing your Week 1 game on the road is about the
lowest level of adversity a team can experience in the NFL. Then again,
sometimes it’s the way you lose. Leading 20-10 at the half; losing 33-20.
That’s a hard way to lose. That’s a slow, agonizing way to lose. Losing the
lead. Falling behind. Falling way behind. Playing worse than anyone thought you
could play. Like really, really bad. Like a broken jaw, a broken rib and a high
ankle sprain bad.
Okay. One game. One bad game. Really a bad half a game.
Still, one game. That’s all. As Bill Belichick says, we’ll see what happens…
Offensively
Offensive
Let’s get this out of the way: I don’t think Logan Mankins
would’ve made a difference last Sunday. Let’s tip our helmets to the Miami
Dolphins, who played their asses off last Sunday. Regardless of the
perspective, it’s clear the offensive line has to play better if the Patriots
are going to win. They need to block better for the running game and they need
to protect Brady. This isn’t merely obvious, it seems likely to become part of
a larger narrative. Is the new line coach – Dave DeGuglielmo – up to the task
of replacing the legendary Dante Scarnecchia? Do the Patriots miss Logan Mankins’
toughness? Has Robert Kraft’s deal
with the devil come due?
The point is, the pigskin bobbleheads calling the game for
network TV (Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts), guys who hardly ever talk about offensive linemen, will go out of
their way to point out how the offensive line for New England is under pressure
to play better this Sunday. It’s a big deal. It will be interesting to see how
these guys perform.
So,
it’s not a Top 5 Defense?
Who didn’t disappoint on defense last Sunday? 33 points.
Yeesh. The stars need to shine this Sunday. Chandler Jones, Vince Wilfork,
Darrelle Revis, Devin McCourty. Somebody. Dominique Easley, Donta Hightower,
Rob Ninkovich. Anybody. Jamie Collins, if he plays. Logan Ryan? Whoever. New
England may lack depth at linebacker and defensive tackle, but they aren’t
lacking for talent in the starting line-up. That talent needs to show up this
week.
The defense got a huge gift when the Vikings announced that
the best running back in the NFL, Adrian Peterson, would be deactivated for
this Sunday’s game because he was going to be arrested, a significant
encumbrance when it comes to participating in NFL football games. Peterson continues
the NFL’s annus
horribilis with his indictment for “reckless
or negligent injury to a child,” which sounds terrible. Peterson deserves his day in
court but in the wake of Greg Hardy and Ray Rice, Minnesota was almost forced
to make this decision, demonstrating that the welfare of children and the legal
rights of their employees trump the concerns of the NFL’s business model.
The Vikings still
have game-breaker Cordarrelle Patterson, who has tried to turn the draft day
trade that cost Minnesota four picks into some kind of grudge
match with Belichick. It won’t be as simple as putting him on Revis Island
(which hardly looks all that simple in and of itself). Patterson will split
wide, line up in the backfield, run reverses, return kicks and whatever else
the Vikings can do to put the ball in his hands. Revis needs to make us all
restart those conversations about a possible contract extension but it will
take a lot more than that to completely shut down Patterson.
Mike
Zimmer has befuddled Josh McDaniels
Before he became HC in Minnesota, Mike Zimmer was the DC for
Cincinnati, the place where Tom Brady’s consecutive games with a TD pass streak
went to die. No doubt Zimmer brought his scheme to the Land of a Thousand Lakes;
the only question would be if he has the personnel on the Vikings roster to
make it work this Sunday.
Since I’ve been reading cautionary tales from pigskin pundits
regarding the Vikings front seven and Tom Brady’s short-term health all week, I’m
guessing the answer to that question is “yes.”
How much of Brady’s struggles in Miami were schematic, how
much of it was forcing the ball to Gronkowski (and let me say if Brady is
forcing the ball to anyone, it should be Gronk), how much of it was poor
offensive line play and the lack of a running game, how much of it was
capricious gridiron gods reminding us of Brady’s pigskin mortality?
Tom Terrific has rarely (ever?) had poor games back-to-back
and I fully expect Brady will be locked in this Sunday. More TD passes than
sacks this week? Let’s hope McDaniels and the New England offense have gotten
some things figured out.
If
it was easy, anyone could do it…
It looked like just about everything was broken last week in
Miami. That’s a lot to fix in just one week. It’s just Week 2 but this looks
like a must win game for the 2014 Patriots and a referendum game for Bill
Belichick’s genius status as an NFL head coach and for Tom Brady’s elite status
as an NFL quarterback. Brady’s narrative was laid out in the preseason with
advanced analytics declaring he was no longer in the conversation with Aaron
Rodgers, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning. His numbers in Miami did little to
counter that point. As for Belichick, pigskin pundits and bobbleheads have been
waiting for years to pick up their shovels and throw some dirt on his face.
Could the Patriots start 0-2-0 and still win the Super Bowl?
Well, sure. Yeah. That could happen…
This is my confident face!
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