New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots own the NFL’s best record at 9-2, they’ve won eight straight, and Drake Maye is the front-runner for MVP. In other words, vibes are good. However, the Patriots know that the season is still relatively young. So much can and will happen between now and the postseason. To remain a Super Bowl contender, the Pats will have to stay healthy, keep executing their strengths, and most of all, shore up their weaknesses.
That begs the question, what exactly should Mike Vrabel’s club focus on heading into a Week 12 battle against Cincinnati, and beyond? ESPN’s Mike Reiss did an astute job of identifying three pitfalls for the Patriots in this regard.
“Other than the obvious injuries, what potential pitfalls could the Patriots face the rest of the way?” Reiss wrote on Sunday. “(1) Slow starts on defense — tied for the NFL lead in allowing six touchdowns on opening drives … (2) Limited ball disruption — one forced turnover over the past three games and it was a bad Jets snap/QB ballhandling … (3) Red zone offense — 23 touchdowns in 39 trips (58.9%; subtracted one kneel-down in Browns game).”
Reiss also featured a quote from Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane addressing the slow starts on defense.
“We’re continually on the search for that first-drive mishap,” Spillane said, per Reiss. “We so badly want to keep them out of the end zone. I know you guys want to ask about the first drive. We’re going to continue to look at the film, get it fixed, and hopefully next week, we get off the field early — three-and-out.”
Spillane has done what he can to make New England’s defense a formidable one, leading the Pats in total tackles with 90 (through Week 11).
Following a Week 12 matchup with the Bengals, New England will host the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium in Week 13, followed by a bye week ahead of a December 14 blockbuster at home versus the Buffalo Bills.
