New England Patriots (2-2):
Despite the New England Patriots being .500 on the season, their running game has not even hit its full potential. The carousel of running backs has not been at full strength yet with Sony Michel being added to the IR and James White just returning after the awful tragedy with his father. Rex Burkhead, who is normally the injury-plagued back, has taken a bulk of the carries with the others down has been a surprise to most. Damien Harris and undrafted rookie J.J. Taylor has been a menace when given the opportunity. The one thing every Patriots player can agree on is that general manager Bill Belichick needs to make a move for a wide receiver. After last year’s failure and trading for Mohamed Sanu for a second round pick and cutting the receiver earlier this season the Patriots have no real threat. Julian Edelman, will always be Mr. Clutch, but you cannot count on him all the time when he will be double-teamed with a safety helping the cornerback over the top. That means free agent signing Damiere Byrd and former first round pick N’Keal Harry will have to step up and fulfill their potential. With Cam Newton healthy and the offense firing on all cylinders, they seem virtually unstoppable.
The Patriots defense is not the big bad and scary defense it was last year with a slew of big named players opting out for the fear of Covid-19 affecting their family members. That being said this defense did everything they could against the defending champs in Kansas City. Despite losing 26-10, the score does not tell the full story. With Cam Newton out with Covid, backup quarterback Brian Hoyer stepped in and made mistake after mistake. With the chance to go into halftime tied 6-6, Hoyer took a sack thinking he had a timeout left which he did not. The defense could only do so much to help the offense but nothing prevailed. Holding the Chiefs to just 26 points at their home field, with fans, and a quarterback that should never take another snap for this team again they were close. This team proved earlier in the season against the Seahawks that they had it in them and now against the Chiefs they did it once again. Will the Patriots fall apart and try to tank to get a quarterback in a stacked draft class? I doubt it, that is not how Belichick rolls. Will they win the Super Bowl and make the whole country continue their deep seeded hatred for the Patriots? Do not sleep on that.
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