Earlier this week on PatsProp, both Sam and Adam set the table for the “real” season. Go read their articles if you’ve missed them, they’re great. With the table set, let’s pass some hors d’oeuvres:
We’ve been here before. It’s week 13. The Patriots are 10-2, and in the drivers seat for homefield advantage throughout the playoffs as long as they take care of their own business (ICYMI: The Chiefs beat the Raiders Thursday night). Tom Brady is putting up MVP calibur numbers. Bill Belichick made a trade several weeks before that made everyone’s head spin. and the Patriots offense is loaded with guys that have played together for years, make the same reads, think the same thoughts, and answer questions ambiguously.
Wait a minute…who is on the offense?
Or, more accurately, who played a major role in this offense exactly one year ago, and what has changed?
In week 13 of the 2015 season, the Patriots had precisely 3 guys that are currently active for this weekend play more than 25 snaps on offense. 3! I’ll save you the trivia: Tom Brady, Marcus Cannon, Shaq Mason.
Nate Solder was on IR, Edelman was recovering from foot surgery. Now, Danny Amendola is currently out. Gronk is out for the season. Sebastian Vollmer hasn’t suited up all year, same with Tre Jackson. James Develin never played a snap last year. Dion Lewis is here! James White has blossomed into a solid and reliable piece for the offense (he played exactly 25 snaps last year in week 13, which makes my arbitrary snaps cutoff above really convenient). LeGarrette Blount started the game last year and didn’t finish it. Bryan Stork is delivering babies or some other poor excuse for a joke on my part. A lot has changed.
What are we looking at? New guys in a playoff push, working together for the first time in this capacity! Let’s take a look at who is here, and what their closest approximations are to Patriots past. Feel free to correct me if you think I’m wrong in the comments.
Julian Edelman, in the trusty old safety valve role, the same role he’s had for the past 3 years, and cast in the mold of Troy Brown, Deion Branch, and Wes Welker before him. 5’9″-5’10”, nearly uncoverable on short routes, and very reliable hands. Makes first downs out of nothing through sheer will. I think Edelman is the most exciting of all of them, and certainly brings the most attitude to the table. Wes was the best at the role, but Edelman has a swagger and edge to his play that none of the other guys ever had.
Chris Hogan, looking like a top shelf version of Jabar Gaffney. He can stretch the field, wins one on ones, and has reliable hands in big spots. His downfield and screen blocking has been suspect since he tweaked his back a few weeks ago, but hopefully that’ll come back.
Martellus Bennett, looking like Daniel Graham…or Ben Watson. Depends on the week…I guess if you average those guys out, you get a Ben Coates. Martellus Bennett, looking like Ben Coates. Makes tough catches. BLOCKS. Boy, does he block. Very tough to bring down with the ball in his hands. Martellus is no Gronk, nobody ever has been or ever will be Gronk, but Ben Coates feels like a very fair comparison.
Nate Solder, looking like Matt Light with long arms. Nothing exciting with this comparison. Dude is just good.
Joe Thuney, looking like Logan Mankins. He makes everyone pay for daring to line up against him. Hopefully he’s here for a long time.
David Andews, looking like Dan Koppen. You never hear his name, and that’s a good thing.
James White, looking a lot like Kevin Faulk. Converting third and fourth downs with the game on the line. Doing a great job moving to help set up his blocks. Occasionally making a play that makes you scratch your head (Faulk was fantastic after the 04/05 season. Before that, he had his ups and downs…and James White running out of bounds on that two point conversion against the Jets would have been a major talking point on Boston dummy radio if Chris Long didn’t force a fumble).
Malcolm Mitchell, looking like somebody named David. Patten or Givens. Take your pick. It’s also possible that he could be a non-bonehead Terry Glenn. I think that’s the best case scenario for this stretch of 4-7 games. We’ll know a lot more about him after this Monday.
LeGarrette Blount, looking like Antowain Smith…if Antowain Smith hung out a lot with Edwin Moses. Smash, smash, smash, hurdle, breakaway.
James Develin, looking like Marc Edwards. Legarrette Blount is a different player when Develin is on the field. He absolutely hammers defenders and deserves dinner on Blount’s tab twice a week.
Dion Lewis, looking like a Brandon or Danny or something. Ask Jeff Fisher. Seriously, though, I cannot find a real comparison for Dion Lewis in Patriots past. His lateral quickness is unmatched by any Patriots runningback. His hands are excellent. Even though he’s small, he can take contact and keep things moving. He makes the sorts of plays that get both the offense and defense fired up and gets things rolling, similar to those Gronk seam plays that seem to say “it’s on.”. He is such an X factor for this offense going forward.
Now, it’s up to all of these current Patriots to band together for their stretch run as a unit, and hopefully make some history. Everyone wants TFB to get that ring for his thumb, so let’s see it come together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlmsrXoGRlA
