"All of last year's Patriots who want back in, step forward!...

I think we can all agree the defense has been fixed. So nice to smash the Broncos @ Denver!

Turns out Gilmore is pretty good if he just has to follow one guy around the field.

I'm shocked the Broncos didn't try to get him in the bunch formations/pick routes that gave him fits earlier in the season. Well, not really shocked because lol Osweiler, but yeah.

1 Hollister recovers a muffed punt

2 Brady to Burkhead 14yd TD

3 Lewis 103yd TD

4 Brady to Bennett 27yd

5 Burkhead converts on 4th and inches

6 Gronk says yes I do have a first down

7 Flowers with a nice tackle on CJA

8 Brock with a critical hit on the sideline guy

9 Burkhead blocks a punt

10 Contested Gronk catch

10b Lewis forgets to kneel on a touchback

11 Lewis 9yd rush

12 Brady to Gronk over the middle

13 Brady to Allen TD

14 Trevor Reilly blasts this PR

15 Tackle at the line by DMac

16 Brady to Gronk 25yd

17 Brady to Cooks 25yd

18 Lewis is ready for his closeup TD

19 Harris great in coverage on this pass play

20 Great tackle by J. Jones on 3rd down

21 Ref injury

22 Dola picks up a 1st

23 Gronk converts on 3rd and 9

24 this 4th and 5 became a 1st after a Broncos penalty

25 Sweet Feet TD

26 Butler with the pressure on Brock

27 Chung intercepts Brock

28 Hoyer’s first completion of the year to Cooks

I *love* the Pats -6.5 next week vs OAK in Mexico. OAK's 3rd straight game away from home; Pats living in Colorado Springs all week to prepare for the 7k+ altitude; and oh yeah, we're playing pretty well lately, and OAK sucks.

wasnt the same story as revis?

Raiders had a bye last week?

Denver game was another example of the opposing coach leveling himself trying to trick Belichick.

On at least 3 plays. Von Miller dropped into coverage (one was the Dwayne Allen TD).

Good job Broncos! Let's trick the Pats by taking the best edge rusher on the planet and drop him back into coverage on pass plays.

On that I saw one report saying on average Miller drops into coverage 4.5% of passing snaps and on Sunday dropped into coverage 40% of the passing snaps. Such a huge difference that Patriots must have a read on how to line up/motion to get him to drop back.

https://www.all22.com/denver-broncos...hot-at-himself

My dudes, let us be thankful for some animated highlights. Let's go.

1 Danny picks up the Patriots 1st 1st down

2 Burkhead gets a 1st down

3 Dwayne Allen with a great catch on the 1st drive

4 Brady to Lil Dirty TD

4b XP is good

5 Flowers with nice pressure on Carr

6 Harmon nabs an interception off a tipped ball

7 Lewis twists his way to a 1st

8 Nice tackle by Butler on 3rd and 19

9 Brady hits Cooks for 52 yards

10 Gronk picks up a 1st down

11 Gronk collects a red zone 1st down

12 Brady to Amendola TD

13 One raider runs into another

14 Chung fumble recovery

15 Dion Lewis picks up a 1st and more

16 Amendola grabs another 1st

17 Gronk grabs a 1st to get Gost into FG range

18 Gost drills in a 62yd FG

19 Brady to Cooks 64yd TD

20 Nice tackle by RJF

21 Elandon Roberts with that elite helmet awareness

22 Oakland attempts a shoe fumble recovery

23 Cooks picks up another 1st

24 Breakup by DMac

25 Pats stuff on 4th and 1 after Raiders decide to go for it

26 Lewis 12yd rush

27 Holton takes a swing at Jones

28 Allen with a big gain on 2nd down

29 Mack roughing the passer call

30 Van Noy sacks Carr

Dwayne Allen lol

i did bet it based on your post. who you like this week?

My twitter picks are about 8 games below .500, so I may not be the guy to ask.

(I've never been any good against the spread. Last year was the only time. I later read the books had their worst season ever, so I wasn't the only one beating them. they're dealing tougher lines this year, I guess.

Cassius Marsh released.

GIFs

1 Ebner converts on a fake punt

2 Lewis 13yd rush

3 Brady to Dorsett 39yd

4 Burkhead punches it in for a TD

5 Lewis 22yd rush

6 Brady to Amendola 15yd

7 Gronk picks up a 1st

8 Gronk picks up another 1st

9 Gronk finishes the drive with a TD

9b Flowers early whistle strip play

9c same play replay angle

10 Butler breaks up this 3rd down pass

11 Cooks picks up a 1st down

12 Brady to Cooks 38yd

13 Burkhead 22yd rush

14 Josh McD is determined to get Burkhead a TD on this drive

14b Brady gets his coat put on

15 Nice tackle by Van Noy

16 Good pressure by Adam Butler on 3rd down

17 Brady to Gronk 21yd

18 Flowers sacks Moore for -5

19 Gilmore picks off Moore in the end zone

20 Reilly Perry kickoff

21 Lewis 25yd rush

22 McCain punch replay hopefully

23 Missed facemask on Lewis

24 Brady to Gronk spike TD

25 More Gronk Spike Action

26 Gronk is relieved this TD stood

27 Chung fumble recovery

28 Roberts sacks Moore

29 Flowers sacks Moore

30 Brady to Cooks on 2nd and 24

31 Butler punches out this ball on a Stills catch

32 Roberts sacks Moore

33 Van Noy sacks Moore

34 Lewis takes it to the 5 on 3rd and 1

35 Brady to Cooks Jet Sweep TD

36 Cooks gets a Gronkyback ride

37 Nice second effort by Burkhead

38 Lee sacks Moore

39 Harmon intercepts this interception from Gilmore

anyone miss him?

Miami O is bad, but holding them to 10 points is another great result for the defense.

I'm very excited that Dion Lewis is back, he is so effing good. I don't think he's a great blocker, but with the ball he is the best RB we've ever had in the BB/Brady era (ducks).

bye looks all but clinched.

here is hoping that Hogan and Mitchell can play @ Pitt in a few weeks, bc we'll need all the firepower we have for that game. and it's likely for all the (regular season) marbles.

hard to imagine the loser of that game getting the #1

Agreed. That game puts the winner up 2 games on the loser. 7 of the remaining 8 games for NE/PIT are against opponents with losing records (Baltimore is 5-5 but plays tonight). With the winner having 1 loss to give, it's highly unlikely.

I'll also say, this is a year where getting the #1 isn't as critical as some other years.

having to play @ PIT is about as good as a road scenario as the Pats could face. another cold, outdoor, northeast stadium, against a team they have played well against.

it's not like playing @ Indy in the old days (team built for an indoor track meet), or a ridic loud place like KC or SEA, or even a place like might have warm weather you're not used to. or thin air, etc.

of course I'd rather play at home, but getting a bye and having a worst case scenario of having to go to Pitt is a nice scenario (with decent equity of hosting Jax or Tenn or the Chargers at home for the AFCCG)

why did Pats waste that fake punt play in that situation? save that for the playoffs.

I read that was the first fake punt in like 14 years for the Pats. in general, I think they feel if they want to go for it on 4th down, it's best to put the ball in Brady's hands.

Prob because it wouldn't work against a well-coached playoff team, but they saw something in the Miami films that made them certain it would work (you don't try it in that spot unless you're certain!).

Have we officially memory-holed Pat Chung's run against the Jets in the playoffs? Awesome.

(actually think it would have worked had he fielded the snap cleanly)

Brady really ahead of the pack now for MVP. Amazing!