Remember that dreary Tuesday morning a few months ago in Foxborough, when the dynasty was proclaimed dead? That seems like a distant memory, but in reality, it was only eight weeks ago. Following the their loss at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs, the New England Patriots have rattled off six straight wins en route to holding the best record in the AFC.
The major reason for this success is, of course, Tom Brady. He has vaulted himself into the top two for MVP considerations, along with Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, and he’s doing it with a cast of no-names and Rob Gronkowski. Brady has thrown for 24 touchdowns this season to just five interceptions. Nine of those 24 touchdowns have been to Gronk, which is a little less than a third of the time. Brady has perhaps the most dangerous weapon in the National Football League in Gronk, which is a big reason why many are penciling the Pats in as Super Bowl favorites.
Aside from Gronk, however, the Patriots don’t have much for Brady to throw to. A supporting cast that includes Brandon Lafell, Danny Amendola, Julian Edelman and Kenbrell Thompkins. While this isn’t the worst receiving core in football, it doesn’t match up to what number 18 has got in mile high; Emmanuel Sanders, Julius and Demaryius Thomas, and Brady’s old running mate Wes Welker. This could be a major problem come January if the Pats were to see the Broncos in the playoffs.
This remains the chink in the armor for the Patriots: Gronkowski. While he is perhaps the most important offensive weapon in football, he is also one of the most injury-prone. Patriots fans cringe every time he gets hit in the knees or takes a shot in the elbow, where he has been injured before. If he was to get injured before the playoffs, it would be difficult for Brady to find receivers to throw to and severely hinder the offense.
The running game has also seemed to emerge for New England, by the name of Jonas Gray. After bursting on to the scene last week in Indianapolis with 37 carries, 201 yards and four touchdowns, the Pats hope they have found the next big thing. On top of that, they still have Shane Vereen who is an experienced back, and they just picked up Legarrette Blount, who scored four touchdowns against the Colts in the playoffs last year for the Pats. If Jonas Grey is to emerge as a legitimate bell cow running back, the running game could be a force to be reckoned with.
But let’s pump the brakes for a minute. Jonas Gray was an undrafted free agent who scored his first four touchdowns of his career last Sunday night. Shane Vereen, while experienced, is a back-up, and Blount was just released from Pittsburgh for quitting on his team. While this running back core could be lethal when the snow starts to come down in January, they could also just as easily fold in the bright lights of the payoffs.
The one thing that separates the Patriots from the rest of the AFC however, is the defense. Darelle Revis has been the biggest offseason acquisition in the NFL, shutting down the likes of Sammy Watkins, Brandon Marshall and Julius Thomas. With him patrolling the secondary, along with Brandon Browner, Vince Wilfork and Chandler Jones up front, the Patriots can seemingly stop anyone in coverage.
The Pats look to be a team that can compete and potentially defeat any team that they come across. But, they will need Gronk to stay healthy and their running game to gain some consistency before we crown them Super Bowl champs.