Well 11 games into the season and the New England Patriots are now 8-3 and rolling, putting the memories of that nasty two game losing streak behind them. On Sunday in Philadelphia, after a shaky start and a Tom Brady ass kicking on the sideline, the guys corrected the course and went on to crush a Philadelphia Eagles team that needed to play with some more desperation that what they actually mustered.
Once Brady got on the same page with his targets the offense was deadly. It was pure precision as they diced the Eagles up with long passes, short passes, runs, and some good pass protection for the MVP.
While Brady was spreading the ball around the defense was doing its thing. There was a pair of sacks, an INT, a couple nice pass defense plays and of course DeSean Jackson dropping not one but two TD’s surely did help.
The defensive stories the last few weeks were two INT games from Rob Ninkovich and Kyle Arrington and a four sack game from Andre Carter. This week Arrington had 10 tackles and was our defensive player of the game but Julian Edelman, a college quarterback converted to wide receiver, was once again playing the Troy Brown role as a DB. He had 3 tackles, including a wonderful open field shot on Vince Young and he even went on a blitz and crushed Young as he threw. Despite his potential legal issues stemming from a Halloween incident at a Back Bay bar, Edelman has really stepped up played above expectations.
I really like how this team is shaping up. There’s five games left, home games with Indy, Buffalo and Miami and road games with Washington and Denver as they battle for at least one of the top two AFC seeds which will mean a bye week and a home game, with potential for more.
There is definite potential to run the table the rest of the way, as they seem to be clicking on all cylinders after under going a bit of a mid season correction.
Hopefully he next thing they can correct is getting past that first playoff game.
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Head coach Bill Belichick had his weekly day after the game media meeting about the week ahead.
Belichick is 5-1 vs. the Eagles in his career. He is 4-0 against them as the head coach in New England and that includes one Super Bowl (1-0).
His 185 career wins are good for 9th all-time.
After the game Belichick in a reflective mood said, “I’m not an easy guy to play for”.
Even though New England is 2-5 as the road team in the series, the overall series is tied a 6-6 and that includes the Patriots win over the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.
New England has won the last four meeting between the teams, including the Super Bowl.
New England is a NFL best 62-15 in games played on or after Thanksgiving since 2001.
Since Belichick took over in 2000, the Patriots have the best road record in the NFL at 61-33.
Belichick has taken a larger role in the defense and it’s beginning to show.
If the playoffs started today New England would be the 2 seed behind Houston, who right now is down to their 3rd quarterback.
LB Dane Fletcher missed his 5th game with a thumb injury, LB Brandon Spikes (MCL) and S Patrick Chung (foot) both missed their 3rd game in a row. CB Devin McCourty missed his 2nd game in a row with a shoulder injury while WR Chad Ochocinco (hamstring) and C Dan Connolly (groin) missed their first game of the season. QB Ryan Mallett was a healthy scratch for the 10th time this season.
In the game Sunday, S James Ihedigbo suffered a stinger in the first quarter and he did return to action. CB Antwaun Molden suffered an unknown injury in the 4th quarter, he said after the game was banged up but fine and T Sebastian Vollmer turned his ankle in the second quarter and was seen in a walking boot after the game.
This is what Tom Brady had to say about the big win on WEEI AM/FM on Tuesday morning.
Brady’s 119th career win tied him with Johnny Unitas for 6th all-time. Fran Tarkenton is 5th with 124.
Brady’s 3 TD passes give him 28 TD passes on the year and 289 TD passes in his career ranks him 8th all-time. Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas is 7th with 290.
He actually also ran for 27-yards Sunday and at one point had to fix his divot after he pulled it from his knee brace.
Ron Borges calls Brady and Deion Branch an old married couple that completes each other’s sentences.
Brady quieted his critics with an exceptional game.
WR Wes Welker now has catches in 93 consecutive games including playoffs, 76 as a Patriot. The last time Welker did not have a catch in a game was 12/24/05 as a Dolphin.
Welker had 8 catches for 115 yards and 2 TD’s. That ties his career high of 8 TD’s in a season. He also had his 21st 100-yard receiving game as a Patriot.
Welker was the Sox & Dawgs Offensive Player of the Game.
WR Julian Edelman played almost as many snaps as a DB (16) vs. Philadelphia than he did as a wide receiver (23).
WR Deion Branch’s 63-yard catch was the 3rd longest play of the season for the Patriots offense. Branch had 6 grabs in the game for 125-yards, it was his 11th 100-yard game.
Branch explains why he tried to run that last guy over.
The Herald’s Ian Rapoport explains why the Patriots no-huddle offense works.
CB Kyle Arrington had team high 10 tackles during the game yesterday. After not looking so hot the first two Eagles drives he made a nice recovery and for the second week in a row was the Sox & Dawgs Defensive Player of the Game.
The Patriots defense held the Eagles without a 3rd down conversion until the 3rd quarter.
The defense on a whole continues to improve and move up the league rankings.
For the 3rd time this season the Patriots shut down the NFL’s leading rusher. They have shut down Buffalo’s Fred Jackson, Oakland Darren McFadden and Philadelphia’s LeSean McCoy.
S Sergio Brown has taken a leading role on the special teams.
Here’s the breakdown of the defensive snaps and the offensive snaps by Mike Reiss.
Pro Bowl voting is open feel free to cast your votes for deserving players.
New England plays the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro MA. Look for the Sox & Dawgs “In The Red Zone Game Preview” available on Friday.
Follow Steve on Twitter @djstevem
