Pete Smith

Kyle Van Noy is another Protypical Patriot

November 13, 2016 by Pete Smith

New Linebacker Kyle Van Noy will be part of the triumvirate effort in replacing Jamie Collins role in the Patriots defense. While Elandon Roberts and Barkevious Mingo have both played for the Patriots, barring an inactive designation, tonight will mark Van Noy’s first time on the field in New England.

It is unclear how the Patriots will choose to use Van Noy, who after being acquired via trade state he was, “happy to be wanted” in New England, and that the his former team, “didn’t know where to put [him].” Could this be another classic Belichick steal? Honestly, he might be.

Malcolm Butler is Playing at a Pro-Bowl Level… Again

October 27, 2016 by Pete Smith

Patriots Cornerbacks

Darrelle Revis’ departure from the Patriots after their 2014 Super Bowl victory, at least for a moment, appeared to leave a gaping hole in the New England secondary. Thankfully, Malcolm Butler quickly asserted himself as the team’s top corner during the 2015 training camp. Butler never looked back and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2015, an accomplishment he’s on pace to duplicate with his stellar start to 2016.

While he’s not the biggest guy, Butler is more than capable in run support, but it’s his elite ball skills and speed that put him in the upper echelon of NFL corners. This season Malcolm Butler has eleven passes defensed and one interception, putting him on pace to exceed his 2015 total of 15 and two, respectively.

Below is a week-by-week look back at Butler’s performance thus far in 2016. H/T to Doug Kyed from NESN for the passing stats from his weekly takeaways column.

The Patriots Should be Fine Against the Texans: Here’s Why

September 22, 2016 by Pete Smith

Legarrette Blount

With Jimmy Garoppolo listed as doubtful, all signs point to rookie Jacoby Brisset making his first professional start for the Patriots tonight against the Houston Texans. While that isn’t ideal for Patriots fans it also presents an intriguing underdog situation for Bill Belichick and the Patriots, and I’m surprisingly confident that the Patriots will end the night 3-0. Here’s why:

The running game has been a highlight of the offense this year, and the Patriots have had a running back on the field almost every offensive snap this season. Through two games the Patriots have somewhat returned to form in the running game averaging 130+ rushing yards per game, and averaging almost 4 yards per carry. That’s good enough to get the job done in this league for most teams.

Breaking Down What Eric Rowe Brings to Patriots

September 7, 2016 by Pete Smith

Matt Patricia and the Patriots defense have a shiny new toy to play with in second year corner Eric Rowe. Mike already gave a great breakdown on Rowe’s acquisition, but I’m addicted to making GIFs and wanted to take a closer look at New England’s newest player.

When watching tape on Rowe, one thing that immediately stands out is his size. Listed at six-foot-one, Rowe has at least two inches on every corner currently on the roster. As Mike noted, Rowe should provide the Patriots an option in match-ups with larger receivers and maybe even tight ends. Additionally, I think Rowe’s size makes him a better option in run support than any of the current corners on the roster.

Against the Lions, Rowe was forced into action in the second quarter after an injury, and was given the tough assignment of matching-up with Calvin Johnson on the outside. A tall task for any NFL corner, let alone a rookie. Yet, if I dare say so, Rowe looked pretty damn good against Megatron. Take a look for yourself.

Bishop Sankey’s Potential Patriots Fit

September 4, 2016 by Pete Smith

The Patriots’ newest running back, Bishop Sankey is an exciting addition to a position group with a short-term job opening.

Sankey has played two seasons in Tennessee rushing 199 times for 762 yards and three TDs, while adding 32 receptions for 272 yards and one TD.

Sankey, a 2014 second round pick, will compete for a job as the Patriots 3^rd-down back in Dion Lewis‘ immediate absence. James White, a 2014 fourth round pick, is the incumbent at the position. Rookie DJ Foster is hoping to compete for playing time, while Brandon Bolden could also see some reps although his primary role is on special teams.

Chris Long Still Has Plenty of Gas in the Tank

September 1, 2016 by Pete Smith

One of the more intriguing free agents that the Patriots brought to town this year was veteran DE, Chris Long. There have never been questions about Long’s work ethic, attitude or abilities during his time in the NFL. As a second overall pick, he represents one of the higher caliber players in the league from a pure talent perspective.

However, nagging injuries have plagued Long for the last two seasons to the point where there are now questions about “how much does he have left in the tank?” Well, rest easy Patriots fans, because it appears Chris Long has plenty of fuel left to burn.

Long Brothers Reunite on Field in Foxboro

August 18, 2016 by Pete Smith

It will be a family affair at Foxboro on Thursday when first-year Patriots defensive end, Chris Long, squares off against his brother, and three-time Pro-Bowl guard for the Bears, Kyle Long.

Their only previous meeting, in week 12 of the 2013 season, was certainly one to remember. Back when Chris was with the Rams and Kyle was a rookie with the Bears, the two were involved in a wild fracas which resulted in Chris leaving his team’s bench to pull his brother out of a scuffle. Kyle was fined just under $8,000 for his role in the incident.

This week, in a case of history repeating itself, Kyle, 27, was weary of his 31-year-old brother during another skirmish on the football field. After a dust-up in joint practices on Monday, Kyle was quoted as saying, “I was just making sure [he] wasn’t coming to dropkick me. I turned around and, of course, he was making a beeline for me.” Note to readers who can’t detect sarcasm, he was joking. Regardless, it will be interesting to see if there is any sibling rivalry on the field in Foxboro come Thursday.

Neither is expected to see considerable playing time as both project as starters for their respective teams, but hopefully we’ll see some reps where the two square off directly. I went back and watched the tape from the last two times these guys played each other and a couple of things stood out to me:

Chris Long looked freakishly athletic at times. Long absolutely decapitated McCown on this play. Long was a problem and drew double-teams all game. Was really fun to watch him work. He is obviously older now and has had to deal with some injuries in his career, but watching this tape you understand why he was drafted second overall.

Got a brief look at Martellus Bennett’s blocking ability in this game. Saw him take Chris Long to the ground on this play. If he can consistently do this for the Patriots they will be in very good shape in 2016.

I was hoping to see if Chris would rush to the inside on Kyle in these games, however, Chris lined up almost exclusively over the Bears tackles in this game. I only saw one play where they went head-to-head, and Chris worked off a stunt. To be fair, it totally fooled his brother, although he couldn’t finish with the sack. Long shot (see what I did there?), but maybe BB will draw something like this up in the game today.

Chris and Kyle’s father, NFL Hall of Fame member, Howie Long, was born and raised in Charlestown, MA and attended high school in Milford, MA. It should be a fun night for the Long family tonight, and certainly a match-up on the field that warrants Patriots fans’ attention.