Touchdowns to Watson, Graham and Johnson speaks volumes for the offensive draft picks the Pats have made in the past few years. I have since the start of the season, and still do believe that Cedrick Cobbs should be returning kickoffs. Bethel was close to losing even that coming into this game…you could sense it. So that catch on the fade may help work towards this guy living up to the second round pick we spent on him. As for first rounders Graham and Watson, Pats fans have been expecting to see this for two years now.
Brady is still the straw that stirs the drink. The secondary and coverage/zone skills of our linebackers are not what I’d hope they would be at this point, but with Brady playing at this high of a level that can be covered up. Teams have been playing two deep with their safeties, with playcalling looking to put the ball in the air deep. I felt throughout the San Diego game that they were making a huge mistake not mixing it up more with short routes, quick hitches…the stuff we’ve run today mostly. What it does is keep the defense on the bench. I always thought it was our unpredictability on offense that kept opponents on their heels. You establish that sense within the opposing defense that they can’t “expect” anything at any time. This dynamic is what allows the offense to run and go deep. When they can’t move the chains like in the SD and CAR games, the D gets tired and the Patriots become an average team.
