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Pats Posits: 6-2 at the halfway break

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The Patriots had a strong team win over the Chargers on Sunday. It wasn’t perfect but it was enough to get them to 6-2 as they hit the halfway bye week. The glaring problems and untimely struggles are slowly being eliminated. There’s still work to be done, but the stage for a strong second half is set, if the Pats can just stop losing key players to injury.

The offense moved the ball but stumbled in the red zone, making the game closer than it seemed. The Pats held the ball for 37 minutes on seven drives that lasted seven or more plays but had just one touchdown in four trips inside the Chargers’ 20. They make it look easy sometimes, especially when Dion Lewis is twisting and surging through would-be tacklers, but they’ve needed to rely too much on Stephen Gostkowski who hit four of six field goal attempts. Yes, those misses hurt and it will be a long two weeks for Gost, but SIX FG attempts shouldn’t happen! The offense needs to find their finish.

Aside from a huge blown run defense that allowed an 87-yard touchdown run by Melvin Gordon and a three-play touchdown drive aided by a 30-yard Johnson Bademosi PI penalty, the overall defense was mostly solid.  They forced three punts and grabbed the game-sealing interception in the second half, preserving what was at one point just a five-point game. This is definitely a far cry from the worst defense in football. They’re solidified the last few weeks and should get a few players back who can help make them even better.

The quietest storyline will be how, aside from Gostkowski’s misses, the special teams units were a huge part of the victory. These kinds of hidden points and yardage really add up to a lot in a close game against a good opponent. Belichick is almost too obsessed with special teams players, but there are games like this one every year where they play a huge role in a needed win.

More on it all in the Posits.

— This 2017 team showed a new toughness to me in this win. They haven’t been flawless, but they’ve been resilient and have bounced back from major breakdowns that might’ve broken other teams. The injuries are adding up as Chris Hogan and Marcus Cannon both left the game. The bye week is sorely needed, literally. This was a good gut-check win  but we’re only halfway there and it feels like we’ve lost half our team.

— The offense’s use of the running backs felt perfectly balanced, and as I wrote in my Gameplan, the running game really fueled the offense. The underneath passes and pinball ground game really kept the Chargers’ pass rushers on their heels early. However, they started to find their game later and delivered plenty of disruption to the Pats’ attack. This is what we’ve been waiting for, and the only problem now is that the running game could not get them into the endzone more often.

— Losing Hogan would be another big blow and cast a huge spotlight onto Phillip Dorsett, who’s had some time to get assimilated now. Is he more than just a deep, fast guy? They can’t afford to risk Danny Amendola any more. So it might be time to see what the Pats really got for Jacoby Brissett.

— Impressed by David Harris starting to make some plays, they were much needed and a good sign that the vet still has plenty to contribute. Maybe they were just saving him as long as they could?

— The Pats D got just two QB hits and no sacks, yet they were three-of-ten on third down. The coverage made up for it with four passes defended. I don’t know how it will affect Stephon Gilmore, maybe not at all, but I really like Bademosi. He’s physical, doesn’t seem lost in zone coverage and has fit in well. I really hope Malcolm Butler doesn’t leave but if he does I can see Bademosi being part of a replacement plan. And I definitely think he a top-three corner the rest of this season.

— I starting to believe that Jordan Richards‘ playtime is really just injury protection for Chung in the base down, obvious run situations. He can play the box safety role and it keeps Chung a little fresher. It’s smart to protect Chung, who really does so much for the defense in a variety of roles. It’s nice to keep him out of a few car crashes, especially early in the season.

— I liken Gostkowski to Tuukka. He may be in a bit of slump, but the otherside of the fence isn’t greener. Given the kicker problems around the league I’ll still take Gostkowski over most of them. The only option is to just grin and cross our fingers and hope one of his misses don’t cost us a game or season.

— Yup, I’m back to ‘just hold my breath and enjoy it as long as I can’ attitude with Dion Lewis.

— And how about Rex Burkhead? Seven catches on seven targets for 68 yards. The balance of the running backs was on full display. We know what Mike Gillislee is, the hammer, for short yardage and end of game sealing. The rest can do a little of everything, and while each has their own specialty, they’re all equally deadly. Hopefully the management of snaps can help them all get to the playoffs healthy, but they have the depth to keep the core of their offense if one or even two go down. James White continues to come through in big spots, really emerging as the heir to Kevin Faulk‘s trusted nation status for coming up with big plays in big spots. He’s not an every down back, but he doesn’t have to be to be effective and a big part of what makes the 2017 Patriots’ offense go.

— Kyle Van Noy continues to show up, he led the defense with six tackles. He’ll have his struggles in the ground game, but against the pass he can do a lot of what Hightower does. He looks more and more comfortable in the defense and this bodes well if they’re to get over losing Boomtower.

Now the bye week is here and it’ll be a long two weeks without football, but it’s a much-needed break for the limping Pats. Hopefully Malcom Brown and Marcus Cannon can get over their ankle injuries, and a return by Gilmore along with Shea McClellin coming off IR could give the defense a boost.

Next up are trips to Denver and then against the Raiders in Mexico City. It’s expected the Pats will stay on the road for those, which should provide a good bonding opportunity for the team. Five of the final eight games are all in the division, with two against the Bills lining up to be interesting contests for the AFC East.

I’m not worried about the offense finding their finish nor Gostkowksi. Even the defense has me feeling pretty good right now. The team isn’t without weaknesses, but they aren’t regressing and are playing mostly solid football every week now and that’s what we’re used to with the Pats. They’ll be right there at the end and then we’ll see if those flaws cost them the season or not.