Patriots Grumble Thread Week 7

by
Steve MacDonald
Gronk takes Girlcrist for a ride
Oct 25, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) carries the ball against New York Jets free safety Marcus Gilchrist (21) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Three quarters worth of dropped balls can make for a close game and that was what the Patriots had yesterday against the New York Jets. You could call it an amplification of last weeks dropsies in Indianapolis as Patriot receivers let at least a dozen catches they should have made slip through their fingers. Missed first down caches killed rhythm and momentum. Missed Touchdowns kept the came closer than it needed to be and often left the Jets ahead.

The Jets, for their part, had their own missed opportunities but on the whole did a better job than most Patriot opponents this year. They kept the ball away from Brady, got points, made it a game. Turnovers were limited. But the punting was awful, they had some key missed receptions, and the Jets wicked-awesome defense was not monolithic. The Patriots found ways to score despite all the help the jets D got from fumble-fingered Patriot receivers because in the end they were not fumble-fingered enough.

New England has plenty of receiving weapons so when one or two or three are not cutting it or taken out by coverage there are other places to turn. This Sunday while Edleman was struggling (though he did have some key catches) and Brandon LaFell’s return (after a foot injury) fell flat (he dropped a pile of passes) Gronkowski and Amendola got separation when it mattered, as did TE Scott Chandler, and they held on to the ball when the team needed it for a 30-23 win at home.

The Jets fall to 4-2, the Pats improve to 6-0, with New England’s lone threat to their dominance atop the division sent packing with a tough loss in a game they could easily have won. (These teams play again the last week of the regular season. The Jets should play better at home. A wildcard or division win could be in play.)

Thirty is the magic number. Teams have to score thirty points or more, while keeping the Patriots offense from putting up thirty, if they want a shot at beating them.

With the win New England remains one of five NFL teams that remain undefeated.

The Dolphins come to Foxboro Thursday night after putting a beating on the hapless Texans.

On Friday morning Pats fans expect their team to be 7-0.

We’ll know soon enough.

 

Author

  • Steve MacDonald

    Steve is a long-time New Hampshire resident, blogger, and a member of the Board of directors of The 603 Alliance. He is the owner of Grok Media LLC and the Managing Editor of GraniteGrok.com, a former board member of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, and a past contributor to the Franklin Center for Public Policy.

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