NFL Power Rankings Week 12: Colts, Jaguars and Texans updates on Titans bye week
By Will Lomas
3. New England Patriots
Recap: It wasn’t pretty, but against a team that definitely needed a win more than the Patriots, New England was able to recover from a slow start and walk away with another W.
The hallmark of the Patriots is quickly becoming the defense if it wasn’t already there and it looks like Lamar Jackson is a cheat code so maybe we were all a little to concerned about the beating they took from the Baltimore Ravens last week.
Outlook: Tom Brady threw 0 touchdown passes today and he is on pace for just 22 on the season. I don’t want to call it regression or decline, but he definitely doesn’t look like the star that he has been in the past.
It wouldn’t surprise me to see the Patriots embrace this down the stretch and really lean into a run heavy offense with fullbacks and tight ends on the field consistently. I know that is already a part of their game, but I am talking like 49ers or Titans levels of TE and FB snaps.
While not a total departure from what we have seen, it would be the first time that I can remember where a Patriots team is leaning away from Tom Brady in the post season.