Pats Pulpit
Happy Thanksgiving!
Last year heading into Week 13 your New England Patriots were the turkeys, standing at 3-9 and ranked 25th in the NFL. This season there is so much to be grateful for. No longer operating in a tryptophan funk, this team is on top of the league, serving up the best football fans have seen in years. From famine to feast. How sweet it is!
I won’t try to make the case that the Bengals game wasn’t sloppy and ineffectual at certain points. But watching it on replay – without the clench factor, the Patriots efforts weren’t as rotten as first impressions led me to believe. It’s okay. They’re not all pretty. The important thing is that the team was able to win while not looking their best. The coaching staff is competent enough to take the lesson that was given and hopefully fix what was broken.
Unfortunately, some of the things that were broken were key players on the offensive line and special teams – on top of losing star defender Milton Williams last week. All-around depth was thin at the beginning of the season and it won’t be easy filling those spots going forward.
Up next the New York Giants, led by interim head coach Mike Kafka, come to Foxborough for a prime-time matchup. The Giants led by double digits last week before losing in OT vs. the Detroit Lions. The Giants showed off plenty of trick plays with QB Jameis Winston, so who knows what they’ll cook up this week. The Pats are 7.5 point favorites against the 2-10 reeling Giants. But in my view neither the spread, the opponent’s record nor style points are important. The Patriots’ backups need to step up and the team needs to find a way to win. I believe they will.
GO PATS!!
Around the AFC East:
New England Patriots (10-2) vs. New York Giants (2-10)
Buffalo Bills (7-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5)
Miami Dolphins (4-7) vs. New Orleans Saints (2-9)
New York Jets (2-9) vs. Atlanta Falcons (4-7)
AFC Matchups:
Denver Broncos (9-2) at Washington Commanders (3-8)
Indianapolis Colts (8-3) vs. Houston Texans (6-5)
Baltimore Ravens (6-5) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (3-8)
Jacksonville Jaguars (7-4) at Tennessee Titans (1-10)
Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) vs. Las Vegas Raiders (2-9)
Kansas City Chiefs (6-5) at Dallas Cowboys (5-5-1)
Cleveland Browns (3-8) vs. San Francisco 49ers (8-4)
2nd – NFL Nation (ESPN): Thanksgiving game memory: Linebacker Tedy Bruschi’s touchdown in 2002. Bruschi returned an interception 27 yards for a touchdown — with teammate and current Patriots coach Mike Vrabel crossing the goal line with him in celebration — as the Patriots recorded their first win on the holiday. The touchdown secured a 20-12 decision over the host Lions. The Patriots wore their red “Pat Patriot” throwbacks in that game — just as they would in 2010 when they returned to Detroit and long-haired Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes in a blowout win. — Mike Reiss. [+3]
2nd – [Pete Prisco (CBS...
