The New England Patriots are fresh off a bye and hope that the week off will lead to some corrections on both sides of the ball.
New England heads to the Meadowlands to face off against the divisional foe in the New York Jets after being embarrassed by the Tennessee Titans on the road two weeks ago. All three of the Patriots’ losses have come on the road this season (Detroit, Jacksonville, Tennessee) and even some of their victories weren’t that impressive (Buffalo, Chicago).
If New England wants to make another trip to the Super Bowl, they have to be able to play better in hostile environments, especially considering that they may have to go up against Pittsburgh and/or Kansas City on the road in the playoffs. Every game is crucial this time of year, as the Patriots are just one game back from Kansas City and Pittsburgh in the standings for the AFC’s number one overall seed.
Even with the Patriots slated to travel to Pittsburgh in a couple weeks in what will be a huge contest to determine the standings of the conference, they cannot afford to look ahead in the schedule. No matter what the record is, every divisional team seems to always play tough against each other.
Rookie quarterback Sam Darnold will be unable to go for New York, which ironically may be better for the hosts. While veteran signal caller Josh McCown is no spring chicken, he was able to move the ball down the field against the Patriots last season in a 24-17 loss by throwing for 354 yards and two touchdowns, albeit with two interceptions. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has always had success of drawing up multiple defensive schemes that confuse rookie quarterbacks, but with the 15-year McCown at the helm, odds are he has seen more than his fair share of alignments.
Tight end Rob Gronkowski is scheduled to return to action today after missing the last two games with a back injury. It will be interesting to see if Gronkowski is able to get any separation out of his breaks at the line of scrimmage, which has been a cause for concern for the All-Pro this season. Tom Brady was on the injury report for the first time this season with a knee injury, which was sustained during a trick play against the Titans in which he caught the ball but fell awkwardly trying to move the chains, but will be able to suit up today.
Brady’s favorite weapon on offense has always been the receiver who is open, but if applicable, he should try and not only get Gronk involved, but wide receiver Chris Hogan as well. Hogan and Brady have not seemed to be on the same page up to this point in the season, and a rapport between the two could lead things to defenses once again having to pay some attention to him, which takes the pressure off of Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon and James White.
Many reporters and fans alike have always said that the one team you do not want to play after it loses is the New England Patriots due to its ability to flip the switch and correct mistakes in a hurry. That notion was put to rest early this season when it lost two straight games to the Jaguars and Lions respectively.
After a loss to the Titans, it’s time to see how this team responds on the road.
