Why the New England Patriots Have Sunk So Low
By Erik Lambert
Sep 29, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and wide receiver Matthew Slater (18) watch the game on the sidelines during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 41-14. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
People everywhere are wondering what in the world has happened to the New England Patriots. Here are the key reasons for their sinking to new lows.
No Running Games
The simplest way to generate offense of any kind in the NFL is to have a running game. It’s not always pretty or effective, but it at least eases the pressure on the rest of the team. In this department the Patriots are failing miserably. In four games they have managed over 100 yards rushing once and that was only during a blowout when they were free to run the ball as they wish. Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley have not cut the mustard as feature backs or a tandem and it’s putt all the pressure on the passing game.
No Arsenal or Protection For Tom Brady
Typically this wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. The Patriots have leaned on the right arm of Tom Brady before and found tremendous success but things are different now. The once loaded passing attack of New England is drastically depleted. Their offensive line has surrendered 10 sacks on Brady this season, tied for 6th most in the league. Worse still their arsenal of weaponry is all but gone. The days of Wes Welker and Randy Moss are far in the past. Brady is left with the likes of Brandon LaFell and Danny Amendola. Rob Gronkowski has not looked like the same player he was at tight end either.
Soft Defense
Bill Belichick has always said he wants smart players on his defense. That’s all fine and good, but intelligence doesn’t matter much if those players don’t have a certain toughness about them. Through the first four games the New England Patriots defense has had an aura of softness about them. They rank 1st in the NFL against the pass but teams have found it quite easy to run on them as Kansas City found out in week 4, piling up over 200 yards on the ground. For the season they are allowing 123 yards per game.
The Patriots have always been a team that likes to outsmart and intimidate their opponents. With these latest developments, it’s clear times have changed. Can they recover? Given that division, it’s possible but any hopes of a Super Bowl run have to stop.