New England Patriots Are NFL’s Best Team Heading Into Stretch Run
By Paul Jackiewicz
@Paul_Jackiewicz
Getty Images
Despite the fact that the New England Patriots and future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Tom Brady looked bad early in the season, they’ve since turned things around after their blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4, and have won six straight games by knocking off teams like the Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts.
With only six weeks remaining in the regular season, the Patriots suddenly look like the best team in the NFL.
It’s really hard to argue that there’s a better team right now than New England. As much as people might hate head coach Bill Belichick, he’s a master at having his team adapt to their strengths and that’s exactly what they’ve done. The Patriots’ offense was able to gel together once they settled on who their starters would. This enabled Brady to have more time in the pocket and not have to worry about getting killed when he drops back to throw the football.
It has also paid off for their running game. That was evident this past Sunday night when Jonas Gray rushed for four touchdowns.
Another big difference from earlier in the season to now is the fact that tight end Rob Gronkowski is clearly 100 percent healthy after rehabbing from ACL surgery. He’s once again dominating opposing defenders and making big plays for his team. Gronk can once again be considered the NFL’s top tight end.
While losing Stevan Ridley was a big blow, you can argue that Gray has been a bit of an upgrade. Shane Vereen has been great running the ball and catching passes out of the backfield, but Gray knows how to deliver the hammer and make opposing defenders pay while he runs the ball. He showed everyone this past week that he belongs in the NFL.
There’s no doubt that the AFC is loaded with a lot of good teams, but the Patriots have set themselves apart.
Paul Jackiewicz is an NFL writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Paul_Jackiewicz, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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