Last week, the New England Patriots rested as the NFL calender turned to Week 10 and thus, their bye week. A little over halfway through the season, the defending AFC East champions are once again leading the division with a 7-2 record, despite a lackluster start. Injuries and inexperience have plagued the Pats out of the gate but their best football is still ahead of them.
New England will be challenged right out of the gates as they face the Carolina Panthers, this week, on Monday Night Football and then face the Denver Broncos on a short week, marking the 14th time Tom Brady will square off against Peyton Manning.
As the cold winter air crawls into the New England area, let’s take a look at how the Patriots have managed in the first half of the season.
QB: A
It’s Tom Brady. Granted he is sporting the worst completion percentage of his career, at 57.1%, but he is still leading a raw team to the playoffs and an 11th division title in 13 years.
RB: B-
The ground game got off to a slow start. Lead back Stevan Ridley was expected to have a huge season after breaking out last year for 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns. Through the first four games of this year he totaled only 174 yards and zero touchdowns. After missing Week 5 with an injury, Ridley has bounced back rushing for 340 yards and six scores.
The backups LeGarrette Blount and Brandon Bolden have worked nicely, as they are averaging 4.5 and 5.4 yards-per-carry respectively and have added a combined four touchdowns. Shane Vereen was expected to have a breakout season but broke his wrist in Week 1. Placed on the injured reserve-designated for return list, Vereen should make an impact when he rejoins the team, which could be in time for their Monday Night bout.
WR: C+
Brady entered the 2013 season with Julian Edelman as his most familiar target…and he only had 21 receptions the year before. It’s been a bumpy road to say the least as Brady and receivers have continued to develop comfort between one another. The New England Patriots have the second most drops in the league as a team. However, there is a lot of potential to this unit.
Edelman, ranked in the top 10 in the league for receptions before the bye. Rookies Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins are averaging 14 yards-per-catch and are leading the team with four touchdown receptions each. Free agent addition Danny Ammendola has provided a reliable target when healthy.
TE: A
It’s Gronk. Yes, he was in the middle of a mini-media controversy as to why it was taking so long for him to get back onto the field, but once he came back all was forgiven and forgot. In his three games back, Rob Gronkowski has 19 catches for 284 yards and a touchdown. Backup Michael Hoomanawanui, aka “Hooman”, stepped in admirably in Gronk’s absence and even midseason pickup Matthew Mulligan has contributed a touchdown.
OL: D+
Usually one of the best units in the NFL, this season the typically consistent offensive line has taken a significant step back. Tom Brady has been sacked 26 times this season, tied for fifth most in the league and the line isn’t getting any better.
All-Pro tackle Sebastian Vollmer was lost for the season after suffering a back injury and will be replaced with Marcus Cannon, who has still yet to find his knack as a guard or tackle. Third year left tackle Nate Solder is still struggling to fill the shoes of former blindside protector Matt Light.
Logan Mankins remains the heart and soul of the line and could be headed to his sixth Pro Bowl but center Ryan Wendell and guard Dan Connolly still leave something to be desired.
DL: C+
Heading into the season the Patriots displayed the massive tandem of Vince Wilfork and Tommy Kelly. That colossal combo lasted a total of four games. Wilfork was lost for the season after tearing his Achilles against the Atlanta Falcons and then Kelly went down the next week against Cincinnati with a season ending knee injury.
That forced undrafted rookies Joe Vellano and Chris Jones into the starting lineup. Both have posted over 30 tackles and Jones has racked up five sacks but the team still ranks 30th against the run. In a move to beef up the middle, the Patriots made a trade deadline deal to acquire nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga from the Philadelphia Eagles and shifted from the 4-3 defense they began the season with, to a 3-4 style defense.
As for ends Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones, both have been lighting rods. Ninkovich, with his blue-collar playing style that echoes of Patriots old, has tallied the second most tackles in the league at the position with 45. The player with the most tackles in the league at the position? The man playing opposite of him, Chandler Jones, with 50 and is also third in the league at the position with 8.5 sacks.
LB: B
The defense is once again the heart and soul of the New England Patriots, but the heart broke when captain Jerod Mayo, who has lead the team in tackles the past five seasons, was placed on the season ending IR after tearing a pectoral muscle. In Mayo’s absence, play-calling duties have gone to second year pro Dont’a Hightower.
Hightower, was steady as a rookie posting 60 tackles and four sacks. This season he has already tallied 51, two behind middle linebacker Brandon Spikes. Spikes, an emotional leader on the field, helps round out an incredibly talented all-SEC trio at linebacker. Yet despite their talent and playmaking, all have some liability in pass defense.
CB: B-
The unit ranks 13th in pass defense and a large part of that due to Aqib Talib, who has given the Pats the closest thing to a lockdown corner since Asante Samuel and has helped improve the play of his fellow position mates. Talib leads the New England Patriots with four interceptions on the season.
Fellow starter Alfonzo Dennard has continued to develop his game, but still has a cloud of uncertainty over his head after multiple off field issues and a court date after the season for assaulting an off-duty police officer in an altercation outside a bar. Nickle corner Kyle Arrington has provided steady play as well and rookie Ryan Logan has shown flashes of talent and something to look forward to in the future. The Rutgers alum had a 79-yard pick six against the New York Jets in Week 7.
S: C+
Starter Devin McCourty has settled in nicely at safety. A rangy center fielder, McCourty, a team captain since his rookie season, has racked up 50 tackles and is coming off his first interception of the season in their Week 9 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The other safety position has continued to be a revolving door. Steve Gregory has won the most starting time and is a fantastic open field tackler but has proved to be a liability in coverage on multiple occasions. Gregory broke his thumb against the Steelers but is hopeful not to miss time with the bye this week. Should he not be healthy in time, youngsters Tavon Wilson and rookie Duron Harmon will be in line to start.
ST: B
The grade comes solely from the kicking game. After a rough 2012, kicker Stephen Gostkowski has bounced back superbly missing only one field goal on 23 attempts and has hit both from over 50-yards. Ryan Allen, the two time Ray Guy Award winner for best punter in the nation while at Louisiana Tech, has shown well as a rookie. The move worked out well, as he has an average of 46.4 yards per punt and has pinned teams within the 20-yard line 16 times.
Punt returns have continued to be manned by Edelman, who has the greatest career punt return average in NFL history. On kick returns, whenever they should happen, are under the primary control of Blount. A surprising choice, considering the running back is 250-pound wrecking ball but he has still managed duties respectfully. Special teamer Matthew Slater is still one of the best in the business.
