New England Patriots on top of the league
Half way through the season the competition is stiff at the top but one team is edging ahead, the New England Patriots.
The Patriots are on a roll. They stand at a 5 game winning streak and still look very strong. Bill Belichick should be a very happy man right now. He knows what he wants from his team and they have been producing for Belichick. The coach was concerned by
the Patriots second half production and wouldn’t you know it, the Patriots turned it around. Since the third week the Patriots have scored a 100 points against 59 from their opponents in second halves.
Statistically the Patriots are nowhere near the best team. The Patriots rank 19th in terms of offensive yards with 330 yards on average. Their passing and rushing is not spectacular, yet somehow they have become the dominant team in the league.
Eight teams in the league have won 5 games while losing two. The Patriots with 6-1-0 stand at the top. They are the highest scoring team in the league even if they don’t average as many yards.
There are a few things that the Patriots are doing right and those things set them apart. For one the Patriots just don’t let go of the ball. New England has produced 13 turnovers so far in the season and given up just 6. The +7 turnover differential ranks
fourth in the league but the six turnovers they have conceded are the second lowest in the league. Only the Kansas City Chiefs have given fewer turnovers.
The New England Patriots are supported by a congregation of young players making big plays. Under Belichick the young talent has been able to produce for the Patriots. Of note among them is wide receiver Brandon Tate. Tate and quarterback Tom Brady are beginning
to build chemistry together. In 15 receptions, Tate has carried 239 yards. But his greatest moment this season would have to be the 100 yard touchdown against the Miami Dolphins. Tate showed his speed and ability that day and has been repeatedly doing this
ever since. He might not be Randy Moss, but the Patriots have managed to do just as well as they could be asked to do even without the best receiver in the league.
Then there is the 6th round 2009 draft pick Myron Pryor. The young Pryor has begun making game changing plays. When the Patriots faced off against the Minnesota Vikings it was Pryor who beat guard Steve Hutchison to land a hit on Brett Favre that
sent Vikings’ quarterback packing.
Belichick has not forgotten the young talent around New England’s locker room. These contributions from relatively inexperienced players pile up and become a significant asset to the Patriots. Almost half the players on the team have played just one or two
seasons in the National Football league and still Belichick has been able to get these kinds of results from the team. “We've got a lot of young players, but I don't really care about all that,” Belichick said. “What I care about is how the team functions
as a unit.” As a Unit the Patriots have been unstoppable.
The Patriots have in general relied more on the passing than the running but in this season they have cranked up the running game. Lately they have proven that they can move the ball on the ground as efficiently as they can in the air.
The Patriots offense tries to mask the weaknesses in the defence and quarterback Tom Brady has done so quiet well. New England is in the rebuilding phase. All the young names have been acquired for that purpose.
The offense has relied more heavily on the short passes. The percentage of plays that yield four plus yards is the second highest in the league. The short pass has result in 46.4% success rate on third downs, second highest in the league. Of the 28 times
that the Patriots have entered the red zone, they scored 25 times.
That combined with a low turnover rate makes the Patriots the highest scoring team in the league. That is essential for a team whose defence ranks 28th worst in terms of yards allowed and 31st worst against the pass. Their approach
has served them so far and would continue to do so against the Cleveland Browns next week. The real test for the Patriots would be when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts in the coming weeks.
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