What a return it was for the greatest quarterback to ever live. Having to watch Jacoby Brissett for two and a half games really makes one appreciate the greatness of Tom Brady even more, and it seemed to elevate and motivate the entire team as a whole. Special teams had another solid week, with the lone hiccup being Stephen Gostkowski’s third miss on the season.
Gostkowski started the season off on the right foot, nailing all three field goals (at distances of 47, 53, and 32 yards) against Arizona in Week 1, and was named the AFC Specialist of the Week. However, it’s been all downhill from there for the highest-paid kicker in the NFL since: Gostkowski has missed three of his next seven kicks in the past four games (keep in mind, he missed three total last season).
He missed a 39-yarder wide right against Miami, pushed a 48-yarder to the right of the goalposts against Buffalo, and most recently hit one too far to the right on a 50-yarder on Sunday. Notice a trend on his misses? All wide right. All of his misses have had plenty of distance, but each time his kicks have sailed too far to the right. Seeing as Gostkowski is the fourth-most accurate kicker in NFL history, Patriot Nation should be confident that he will correct whatever flaw is ailing him at the moment. Be sure to watch how Gostkowski does in the coming weeks, even on the ones he makes.
One notable change on special teams on Sunday was Julian Edelman returning to his role as the Patriots punt returner Sunday after seeing Cyrus Jones and Danny Amendola fill the role in the first four games. Fielding punts cleanly has been a big issue for the Patriots without Edelman back to receive, and both Jones and Amendola have muffed multiple punts so far this season. Despite these struggles, it is interesting to consider the risk-reward of having Edelman return punts. Edelman, who ranks 8th all-time in average return yards per punt, averages 11.9 return yards per punt, just 0.1 yard behind arguably the greatest overall returner of all time, Devin Hester. While Amendola is no slouch himself as a returner (10.3 yards per return), he has struggled to field punts cleanly with the Patriots, whereas Edelman is as sure-handed as they come.
However, these positives may be outweighed by the injury risk associated with the position, especially for a player like Edelman, who tends to fight for every last yard with little to no regard for his personal safety. We all know the impact Edelman has on this offense, and how stagnant it can become without him, so the risk of losing him (even for just a game or two) is a risk that should make Patriot fans hesitant to see him returning punts.
Edelman is the Patriot all-time leader in punt return for touchdowns, and has game-breaking ability every time he gets his hands on a punt, but the risk of injury that comes with the position is something I would feel relatively uneasy about if I were Belichick and Joe Judge, the Patriots special teams coach. Be sure to look out for who the Patriots send out to return punts this Sunday against the Bengals, and as the season progresses, and whether or not Edelman’s breakaway ability is able to exceed his risk of injury when he returns punts.
On another note, one Patriot who has stood out on special teams throughout the young season is Barkevious Mingo. Most of Patriot Nation expected the former first-round pick to come in and produce on a defense already loaded with talent on the edge, but Mingo has seen only a handful of limited sub-rusher snaps on defensive side of the ball. His performance in the final preseason game against the Giants, in which he recorded six tackles, two quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles only raised the already lofty expectations for him, but his only role in the first five games of the year has been as on special teams, playing in five of the six units every game thus far (Mingo is one of just two players that are able to make this claim, joining Nate Ebner).
At this point in the season, with six weeks in New England under his belt and not one defensive snap, it is far to say that the coaches see him strictly as a special teams player. However, Mingo still possesses exceptional athletic ability that allows him to stand out, no matter his role. This freakish athleticism was on display Sunday on an incredible tackle on the kickoff following the Patriots second touchdown late in the first quarter. Mingo comes from the far side of the play, yet is able to track down the returner for a return of only 11 yards, forcing Cleveland to start from it’s own 12 yard line. Mingo is a rare blend of speed and agility for someone of his size (eerily similar to Jamie Collins), and has found his role in New England as a special teams ace, taking advantage of every snap he’s received thus far.
