Pats Pulpit
Check out what the experts are saying about the Pats heading into Week 12
Week 11 brought another winnable yet losing effort when the Rams came to town last Sunday. Overall, Drake Maye looked great with a few hiccups thrown in. The game was close and the Patriots would have had a better chance to win without the sloppiness and penalties that have plagued this team all season long. Growing pains sure can be painful to go through and we’re all stuck right in the middle of it.
The experts pretty much kept the Patriots ranked 25th, the same as last week. The difference between New England and the bottom-dwellers is the optimism of having a young quarterback to build around in the coming years. New England has answered the QB question and it’s a positive for fans who once again have had to put off their hopes of getting back on the winning/contender track another year.
The next question is, do they have the right front office in place to get them there? Jerod Mayo and DeMarcus Covington have had their own first-year growing pains. How will Eliot Wolf and Matt Groh be evaluated? Those two need to nail the upcoming draft and free-agency period, all across the board. As for the six remaining games, beginning with the 4-6 Dolphins in Miami this week, there’s still plenty of positives to watch for. Drake Maye and the development of the young players plus the coaching and whether the team can clean up their penalties and undisciplined play. Here’s hoping one of the positives will be getting back in the win column on Sunday.
GO PATS!
Around the AFC East:
Buffalo Bills (9-2) - Bye week
New England Patriots (3-8) at Miami Dolphins (4-6)
New York Jets (3-8) - Bye week
AFC Matchups:
Kansas City Chiefs (9-1) at Carolina Panthers (3-7)
Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2) at Cleveland Browns (2-8)
Houston Texans (7-4) vs. Tennessee Titans (2-8)
Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) vs. Baltimore Ravens (7-4)
Denver Broncos (6-5) at Las Vegas Raiders (2-8)
Indianapolis Colts (5-6) vs. Detroit Lions (9-1)
Cincinnati Bengals (4-7) - Bye week
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9) - Bye week
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22nd - Nate Davis (USA Today): Given how poorly the offensive line has blocked, might be time to convert LT Vederian Lowe into a wideout? [nc]
22nd - Staff (The Score): Drake Maye needs any of his wide receivers to step up and be a reliable target. DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, and Kendrick Bourne have three touchdowns combined this season. [nc]
23rd - Pete Prisco (CBS Sports): Drake Maye is improving and gives this team hope, but this season if done. They do fight, though, which is a good thing. [+3]
25th - Conor Orr (SI): *I thought Alex Van Pelt called a nice game in this one. It’s just something we don’t say a lot but probably should. It was clear early on, from a completely blown block on a Rams stunt to some secondary pressures, that Chris Shula...
