New England Patriots Need To Fix Offensive Struggles Heading Into Playoffs
By Peter Rogers
@petahrahgas
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Despite all the differences between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets, mainly that the Patriots are good and the Jets are bad year in and year out, this AFC East rivalry always leads to great games and close battles. Sunday’s game was no different with the 3-11 Jets giving the 11-3 Patriots a run for their money, barely losing 16-17 at home.
I give credit where credit is due, so I will tip my Red Sox cap to Rex Ryan and the Jets’ defense, which was able to confuse Brady all game long and gave New York plenty of opportunities to put this game away. They were also able to get plenty of pressure on Brady all game long, racking up four sacks and keeping him uncomfortable in the pocket.
But while the Jets do deserve their credit, the Patriots’ offense was horrible and continued their unhappy streak of starting games freezing cold. Unlike last week against the Miami Dolphins where they then were able to turn it on in the second half, the Patriots’ offense never got going this game. They did the absolute bare minimum in order to win but that was it.
Maybe against the lifeless Jets and their turnover machine Geno Smith, 17 points and winning because Nick Folk missed a field goal can pass; however, once the playoffs start and the Patriots start playing tougher opponents, these offensive struggles need to be fixed. It’ll obviously help once Julian Edelman and Dan Connolly return to the team, but this performance was pitiful.
With the win, the Patriots clinched a first-round bye, which is easily the best thing to come out of this game. However, if the Patriots cannot fix their offensive woes soon, their Super Bowl dreams could quickly come crashing to the ground.
Peter Rogers is a New England Patriots writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @petahrahgas, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
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