New England Patriots

New England Patriots Roundtable Discussion: Week 7

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady are back to business. Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Another Friday, another New England Patriots roundtable discussion.

Connor Fulton: What do you guys think of Rob Gronkowski and LeGarrette Blount getting mixed up with the Bengals late in the game? Do you think Bill Belichick got on their case about those 15-yard penalties?

Hal Bent: For the Patriots, the penalties were a bit of an annoyance. However, the game was basically in hand at that time and football is such an emotional game that these plays need to be done for the purposes of standing up for teammates. Rob Gronkowski is a captain this season and after the hit on Martellus Bennett’s knee by Vontaze Burfict something needed to be said to him on the field. If punches were thrown, helmets ripped off, or dirty play from New England, then I am sure Belichick would be in their face. However, Belichick is probably privately happy that his team stood up the Bengals.

Joe Lewis: If it were a habitual thing, I would say yes. This was an extraordinary circumstance, however. Burfict has become unhinged and is a dangerous player. For the sake of the team, it was important that Blount and Gronkowski send the message that the Patriots aren’t going to put up with that kind of dirty play. Committing dumb penalties is one thing. Standing up for teammates is something quite different.

Tom Brady (12) jukes in the pocket. Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Hal Bent: With Tom Brady completing 76% of his passes, 782 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions in his first two games back, the New England offense has started to turn into the juggernaut many expected to see in 2016. However, the first half in Cincinnati showed that there were still some issues with the offensive line. With Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Seattle and then the Jets, Rams and Broncos later in the season there are a number of teams with a strong pass rush still on the schedule. How do the Patriots keep Brady upright the rest of the season? Are there any moves to be made on the offensive line to improve?

Connor Fulton: I think it starts and ends with the ground game. If Brady is forced to throw the ball 45, 50, 55 times against those powerhouse defenses, the Patriots are going to find themselves in tight spots. For the Patriots to make it to the Super Bowl, I honestly think that LeGarrette Blount will have to surpass 1,100 yards rushing. That kind of support will help Brady dissect these strong pass rushers, easing the pressure off of his tackles and protection in general.

For the most part, the offensive line has been serviceable since Brady’s return. That’s the thing about Brady; he is extremely good at taking hits. You don’t last 17 seasons in the league if you don’t know how to hit the ground without getting hurt every game.

Matt Patricia ponders in the preseason. Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Lewis: What changes do you think Matt Patricia will make on the defensive side now that he’s facing Landry Jones instead of Ben Roethlisberger?

Hal Bent: With Roethlisberger, the Patriots would have likely been following the same plan from Week 1 of 2015 when they eschewed the blitz and focused on flooding the secondary with extra defensive backs. They allowed the Steelers to run DeAngelo Williams all game against the nickel and dime defenses and were determined that Roethlisberger would not beat them with big plays on offense. Like against Andy Dalton last week, it is ugly but it often works as few teams have the patience and discipline to mount multiple scoring drives of 10, 11, or 12 plays consistently.

With Landry Jones at quarterback, the Patriots’ defensive braintrust will be geared towards to slowing Le’Veon Bell and the running game first. In addition, the Steelers miss the retired Heath Miller at tight end as Ladarius Green is still out on the PUP list and Jesse James just does not have the talent to consistently make defenses pay like Miller did for years. With the emphasis on stopping the run, the Patriots will drop the safeties to keep Antonio Brown and the inconsistent speedsters at wide receiver from making big plays and challenge Landry to put together first downs over and over again until he self-destructs.