First off, I'm glad the Patriots won this game, 38-30. However, I was disappointed that the defense once again played awful and made one of the worst offenses look like offensive juggernauts. I understand we have one of the youngest defensive units in the league but I'm starting to question how much of a "defensive genius" Belichick really is with the lack of production he is getting out of that side of the ball for the past several years. Anyways, on to my analysis...
Offense
Losing Faulk to injury last week was a blow to this team but I honestly think the team is more dynamic without him. Faulk is a solid 3rd-down back and he is skilled at keeping the chains moving. However, he is not explosive and cannot get large chunks of yardage and make those game-changing plays. So without him in the game, Brady had to utilize his other weapons and I thought he did a good job of mixing things up. Hernandez appeared to benefit the most with Faulk's absence. Once again, he had a pretty solid outing. If he can stay clean off of the field, he would be the biggest steal in the 2010 NFL draft.
The running game was very good with over 200 yards of rushing. It was probably the quietest 200 yards I have ever seen. It was effective and blended well with the passing game. BJGE definitely made the most of his opportunities and reminded us why Maroney was replaceable. Fred Taylor saw very limited action as it appears his toe injury was continuing to bother him. This situation is definitely something to be concerned about.
The passing attack was also very good. The ball was spread around more and it looked like vintage Brady hitting open receivers. When it comes to Moss, less is definitely more. He was only targeted a few times and still finished with 2 TDs. Welker had a relatively quiet game and I wonder if he is still trying to recover some of his quickness to get more separation.
Once again the offensive line did its job with keeping Brady relatively untouched. Brady seemed to have plenty of time in the pocket to make his reads and when given time, he can absolutely shred a defense. It was masterful the way he drove his team down the field to kick a FG with only with 40 seconds left in the first half.
Defense
There's no other way to describe the defense other than they absolutely stink right now. For the second week in a row, they have made a below average QB and make them look like Pro Bowlers. Fitzpatrick had all day to throw and there was very little pressure on the passer. There was no containment and when plays broke down, he was able to tuck the ball and easily rush up the middle.
The Patriots played too soft and gave up way too many yards on first down. They couldn't stop the short throws underneath. When they got into their sub packages, they couldn't stop the run. When they were in position to make plays, horrible tackling allowed for additional yards.
Darius Butler took my advice about tweeting less but apparently missed the part about watching more film. He lost his starting spot to Arrington who performed adequately in his place. Butler finally saw the field later in the game. He promptly gave up a reception, took a bad angle on a run to his side which allowed for a long gain, and was immediately benched again. Not a good sign for the youngster.
Speaking of benchings, Banta-Cain and Meriweather also did not start. I think Banta-Cain has been cheating too much on snap counts and has been too eager to get after the QBs and forgetting to set the edge in the run game. And I think Meriweather's problem is he thinks he's better than he really is. He can be a dynamic player but he is overly aggressive sometimes and freelances a bit too much. He ran underneath a block instead of staying to the outside which allowed for a really easy TD.
The INTs late in the game were gifts for Chung and Meriweather. But to their credit, they made the most of their opportunities and held onto the ball.
Special Teams
Mesko struggled badly in this game. He shanked most of his punts and he left a relatively short field for the other team. He has such a powerful leg so I hope he can just boom it next week.
The special teams also played poorly by allowing a 97-yard kickoff TD. Once again, Meriweather took a bad angle on Spiller and basically took out his own man.
Other Thoughts
Overall I give the offense and A and the defense a F. The game was way closer than it needed to be. Belichick-coached teams tend to get better as the year goes on so hopefully he can make the appropriate adjustments on defense. Otherwise, it looks like we're in for a long season.
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