Last week: 5 (+1)
Record: 4-3
The Patriots certainly aren’t playing like the 4th best team in the league right now, but they still should be able to get one of the 4 first round byes. Baltimore looked way worse than the Patriots did last week and that was really their only competition from the #2 seed because Houston because they’re one of just 3 teams in the whole AFC with more than 3 wins.
Besides, look at the Patriots’ schedule the rest of the way: St. Louis in London, vs. Buffalo, vs. Indianapolis, @ NY Jets, @ Miami, vs. Houston, vs. San Francisco, @ Jacksonville, vs. Miami. In the last 2 years, they’ve started slow before going on a run and ripping off wins (10 straight last year before the Super Bowl and 8 straight in 2011 before the loss to the Jets in the playoffs). That could definitely happen this year for a team that has finished the tough part of their schedule and still feels like they haven’t played their best football.
Studs
QB Tom Brady: 26 of 42 for 259 yards and 2 touchdowns, 5 drops, 2 throw aways, 99.8 adjusted QB rating, pressured on 12 of 43 drop backs (1 sack, 3 of 11, 1 touchdown, 2 throw aways, 2 drops)
LOLB Jerod Mayo: 12 solo tackles, 4 stops, 1 quarterback hurry on 4 blitzes, allowed 4 catches for 36 yards on 5 attempts
MLB Brandon Spikes: 11 solo tackles, 8 stops, 1 penalty, allowed 3 catches for 24 yards on 4 attempts
LE Jermaine Cunningham: 1 sack and 4 quarterback hurries on 30 pass rush snaps, 1 solo tackle, 1 stop
Duds
WR Brandon Lloyd: Caught 1 pass for 7 yards on 6 attempts on 41 pass snaps, 6.0 YAC per catch, 2 drops, 1 penalty
RE Chandler Jones: 2 quarterback hurries on 49 pass rush snaps, 2 solo tackles, 1 assist, 2 stops
DT Vince Wilfork: Did not record a pressure on 38 pass rush snaps, 3 solo tackles, 1 assist, 3 stops
[switch_ad_hub]
[switch_ad_hub]
[switch_ad_hub]
Football Fan Spot 