Pats Posits: Injury Attrition and Wins Continue

The Patriots rolled over the Miami Dolphins as most expected, but it wasn’t quite as enjoyable as it should’ve been with some sloppy play and worse, injuries marring the contest. It’s a constant refrain here on the blog — all that really matter at this point are injuries and Sunday’s game against Miami had a significant number of casualties. Nate Ebner, Trey Flowers, LaAdrian Waddle and Kyle Van Noy were among those to leave and not return.

So yes, a win is a win, but at this point the injury scoreboard is almost more important and there the Pats got beat pretty good.

Still, the beat rolls on as Dion Lewis and Brandin Cooks continue their sensational seasons sparking the new-look Patriots offense despite the litany of injuries. The defense continued their hot streak of not giving up many points, giving up just 10 themselves while the botched snap by Ted Karras gave the Dolphins their other touchdown. The defense has now moved into 11th place allowing 20 points-per-game, just a shade above the 18.6 that the Patriots have averaged under Bill Belichick.

With the Steelers needing a last-second field goal to knock off the struggling Packers, the Patriots remain atop the AFC favorites. While initial reports on Trey Flowers and Kyle Van Noy sound like these weren’t season-enders, the bumps and bruises continue to add up. Will they be enough to alter the destiny of this Pats team? We’ll see a pretty good test next weekend in Buffalo as the Bills look like they’ve gotten back on track with a win over the fading Chiefs.

Here are all the Posits on the Dolphins win.

 

— The Pats offense were set to go three-and-out on their first possession until Nate Ebner gained a first down on a direct snap punt fake that looked like he called himself. Unfortunately it sounds like Ebner’s season ended with the knee injury he suffered on the play, but it was just the spark the Pats needed to get things going. Special Teams never gets the love it deserves and between Matthew Slater being out and now Ebner, these are significant injuries that affect a huge part of how the Patriots win games.

— Dion Lewis is awesome. It’s just pure joy to watch him on every carry once again, just like it was in 2015. I won’t stop holding my breath until the regular season ends and Lewis is still upright. Yes, the Pats had him for the playoffs last year, but it wasn’t quite this Dion Lewis, the explosive, untackle-able version who makes something out of nothing every single time. It’s just amazing how he transforms the whole dynamic of the offense. He set a career high in rushing yards against the Dolphins with 112, which is pretty remarkable considering how effective he is even when he gets half that yardage.

— The DPR (Designated Pass Rusher) Role continues to be extremely fluid with newcomer Eric Lee getting a look on Sunday. He picked up his first sack. I just pray Trey Flowers bounces back quick because he’s so vital. The Pats exploded for seven sacks against the Dolphins which was a good sign. Yes, the game set those up and Matt Moore is pretty bad, but it’s still a nice number to build off of. Someone just has to emerge to compliment the Flowers-Butler-Wise rush front.

— Just a vintage game out of Rob Gronkowski who finished with five catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns. It’s amazing that a guy coming off his umpteenth back surgery was getting criticized earlier in the year for not being as effective. Well those days are gone now as Gronk continues to build steam each week. It’s little surprise that the Pats went 5-for-5 in the red zone while getting Gronk fully involved. Gronk and Brady are now 5th in receptions together.

— Even Rex Burkhead had a sneaky bounceback game which was overshadowed by Lewis/Cooks/Gronk. Burkhead is the perfect insurance player right now should anything happen to Lewis. He can really do just about everything Lewis does, with a slightly better pass catching skillset. His presence should help protect Lewis in a way they couldn’t do in 2015. And I’d be fine using Mike Gillislee down the stretch to protect both of them. Maybe Gillislee gets a chance to get back into the lineup against the Bills this weekend? Between sitting the last couple games and seeing his old team he should run like a maniac right?

— Not the cleanest game, with Brady’s interception before the half being one play we’d like to have back. I can’t say I’m all that surprised they were a little flat in this one, and really, in the big picture it’s probably best because there’s plenty for BB to yell at them about. Really the division will basically be decided this weekend and the Pats should be looking forward to bouncing back on the road where

— The Pats have been using Malcolm Butler to blitz out of nowhere this season. Not sure I ever saw him sent in his first few seasons but now they’re blitzing him at least once per game and he’s been really effective. It’s one of those things where they’re actually giving him even more value for the market this offseason. I hate when fans accuse the Pats of screwing players with strategy and playing time to hurt their chances of bigger money elsewhere. Clearly they’re not doing that here with Butler.

— I love Butler, but he’s been so up ad down this season. Doug Kyed floated that Jonathan Jones has had the best Pats CB season and I think might be right. His fourth-down pass defense against Landry was a great example of his solid play. Jones has really done well in the slot and looks a lot like Butler did in a limited role as a rookie, with tight coverage and always being around the ball. Despite Butler’s inconsistency this year I still think he’s the tone setter of the secondary and the thought of losing him this year really haunts me.

— The Stephon Gilmore INT to end the first half, then the Duron Harmon interception that Gilmore was right there for as well, were two really nice plays for a maligned player who seems to really be coming around. It wasn’t smooth sailing right out of the gate but as Gilmore has gotten more comfortable and the coaches have gotten more comfortable with his strengths, he’s really starting to come on. The matchups against the Steelers’ wide outs looms large in a few weeks.

— It’s so strange to see a Patriots team with their best running back group in two decades struggle so hard to execute the screen game. It’s one of the few areas they can’t seem to get on track for whatever reason.

— No question about it now, Brandin Cooks has been everything we hoped. With 869 receiving yards he needs just 305 more to break his previous season high from last season. He’s such an explosive game changer in a way the Pats really haven’t had since Randy Moss, and it’s far more than being a “deep threat”. His speed kills and it’s not over the top that he’s most scary, it’s when he gets the ball in space and finds any kind of seam in the defense.

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The Pats now travel to Buffalo for the first meeting of the year with the Bills. With Tyrod Taylor back under center I think the Bills are going to put up a good fight in this one and if the Pats have to go without Flowers and Van Noy, the defense will be tested like never before this season. Those two guys are absolutely critical to the front seven and I am not sure where to start when thinking about replacing them.

We can’t complain about 9-2. So far this season the Pats have absorbed major injuries better than ever. While I still have my questions about them when they’re not playing a game on their terms, i.e. with an early significant lead, we know this Patriots team is like all those before them and will be ready for any fight no matter who’s dressing or not. I do worry that they’re close to the edge on the injury front. As always the health of the team through this final month will determine just how thin the line will be in the playoffs.

But right now, despite it all, you sure have to like their chances.