Scoring some big points
Pats offense closes in on mass production
FOXBORO — As midseason rapidly approaches, scoring numbers across the NFL continue to soar.
Six teams are averaging 29 points or more per game. The Saints are on pace for the third-most points in league history. The Chiefs are on track to score the fourth-most. Only nine teams in league history averaged more than the Rams’ current mark of 32.7. And then we have the Patriots, lagging behind with a measly average of 29.3.
Don’t be surprised to see the Pats pass the 30-mark in the near future.
The Patriots offense is on fire, racking up 119 points in three consecutive wins at Gillette Stadium. It’s the first time since 2014 that the Patriots have topped 38 points in three straight games.
And still . . .
“I don’t think we’re there yet,” quarterback Tom Brady said yesterday. “I know I said after the last game we still have some work to do and we still feel like our best is ahead of us. We’re just going to have to go out and play really well this weekend to get the same result.”
The genesis of the sudden offensive turnaround — this was a team that sputtered to 10 points against one of the NFL’s worst defenses in Detroit — is obvious.
It’s receivers Julian Edelman and Josh Gordon.
The Patriots relied heavily on Phillip Dorsett and Cordarelle Patterson in September. Although Dorsett was effective, both have been surpassed on the depth chart. They’re backups now.
Edelman hit the ground running, catching seven passes in his debut. Gordon made an incredible 34yard touchdown reception against the Colts, and his snap count spiked from 18 against Indianapolis to 63 against Kansas City. He’s now unquestionably a major part of the offense.
Gordon hasn’t always been on the same page as Brady, particularly on back-shoulder throws. That should improve soon.
“That comes with more experience with Tom and knowing certain situations and certain looks,” Gordon said yesterday. “Moving forward, we’ve got a good grasp on that and if the opportunity presents itself we can take advantage of that this time.”
Brady’s take?
“I just think the longer we go, the better it’s going to get,” he said. “It’s going to get better over the course of time and it’s not going to be one week or two weeks, it’s going to be every week.”
A team with a dearth of pass-catchers in September now looks loaded at the position. Brady is spreading the wealth, too. He threw for an average of 318.3 yards in Weeks 4-6, but not one receiver topped 100 yards in any of those games.
“We have a lot of playmakers, probably one of the most equipped that I’ve been around since I’ve been playing,” Edelman said.
This, naturally, creates competition for targets from Brady.
“Everyone has the ability to make a play,” Edelman said. “If I don’t make a play someone else is going to, and that makes you better.”
As Edelman and Gordon have integrated into the offense, the Pats’ rushing attack has taken off. And that might be the biggest key to the offensive explosion. Unlike most teams, the Pats can do it any way they want. Brady has a diverse array of pass-catchers at his disposal, and the luxury of handing the ball to Sony Michel or dumping it to James White and watching them work.
Over the past three games, the Pats’ 54 rushing attempts on first down yielded an average of 5.8 yards. Running backs are on pace for 2,906 yards from scrimmage. In many ways, the running game has fueled the passing attack.
“If you can do both and throw in play-action pass and some screens and just some different variety of plays, it makes it hard to defend,” Brady said. “You’ve got to defend a lot of different players and a lot of different schemes. When we’re not running the ball well, I think that’s really frustrating to everybody.”
Brady hasn’t needed to worry about that for about a month. Right now, the Pats are an incredibly wellbalanced offense. They’re among the few teams in the league that can attack defenses any way — between the tackles, on outlet passes, down the seam with Rob Gronkowski, or vertically on the perimeter, although we haven’t seen many deep shots for Gordon quite yet.
It’s all coming together for the Patriots, and it’s difficult to envision a regression in the near future.
“I think we’re getting there and we’re working on it,” Brady said. “I certainly think that every week that goes by, we’re going to try to keep making improvements and get better. A lot of different players we’ve tried to incorporate this year, and I think we’re working our way through it.”