Tag: NFL

Hot Takes on the 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalists

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On Thursday night, the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Board of Selectors announced the list of the 15 modern-era finalists who are eligible for induction into the H.O.F. in 2019 – and HO-LEE HELL, it is absolutely freakin’ LOADED.

No, seriously, I have no idea how in the world they are only going to be able to select five guys from the list. (While no less than seven people have been inducted into the Hall each year since 2010, only five “modern-era” finalists can be selected for enshrinement each year. It should also be noted that while some of those announced last night are on the ballot for the first time, not all of them are; rather, this year’s finalists were chosen from an overall pool of 102 other eligible “modern-era” players.)

And the best part is that I actually remember watching pretty much all of these guys! For the past few years, I’ve found myself caring more and more about the Hall – and the dog and pony show that comes along with it – than I ever did as a kid. With former players like Marvin Harrison, Terrell Davis, Jason Taylor, Kurt Warner, Terrell Owens, LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Dawkins, Brian Urlacher, and Randy Moss all getting in within the past three classes, I have never been more attuned to the yearly announcement than I am nowadays.

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Last year’s class was a solid group.

But this list??!! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I first saw it, and I have been agonizing all morning over which five of them I’d choose to make it in (ya know, if my opinion actually mattered at all in the grand scheme of things).

OK, OK, Mattes. We get it. So who’s on the list?

Here’s a full list of the 15 modern-era legends being talked about for next year’s class:

  • Steve Atwater
  • Champ Bailey
  • Tony Boselli
  • Isaac Bruce
  • Don Coryell
  • Alan Faneca
  • Tom Flores
  • Tony Gonzalez
  • Steve Hutchinson
  • Edgerrin James
  • Ty Law
  • John Lynch
  • Kevin Mawae
  • Ed Reed
  • Richard Seymour

That rundown reads like an early-2000s Madden dream team. And it even includes two former Patriots!

Save for Law, Seymour, Flores, and Reed, the group is actually pretty light in terms of Super Bowl hardware, but the amount of collective Pro Bowl appearances and All-Pro selections is ridiculous.

But alas, only five can be selected, so here are my picks for the 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class:

(Tony Gonzalez)

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Tony G. was the easiest pick on the list for me. Some might be very quick to mention that it took him 16 years to finally get a playoff win, especially considering the fact he played on some pretty good teams in Kansas City and Atlanta throughout his career. OK. Fine. But there’s no doubting the fact that he is the most consistent and dependable tight end to ever play the game. In fact, he’s one of the most consistent and dependable pass-catchers to ever play the game, finishing second all-time in career receptions with 1,325! Only Jerry Rice has caught more balls in the history of the game, and the only other tight end who is even remotely close to Gonzalez’s total is Jason Witten – and he’s still almost 200 catches behind. Gonzalez is also eighth all-time with 111 receiving touchdowns. This is a guy who should get in purely on his numbers alone.

(Ed Reed)

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Throughout the first decade of the new millenium, there may have been no more dominant safety in the NFL than Ed Reed. (Although Troy Polamalu and Brian Dawkins, another Hall-of-Famer, might’ve given him a run for his money.) No, Reed wasn’t the biggest guy, or the hardest hitter. But his all-around ability gave opposing offensive coordinators fits, as there was very little you could do to fool him. He was always in the right spot at the right time, making tackles all over the field and ultimately finishing seventh on the all-time interceptions list with 64. Even Bill Belichick, who almost never gives praise to pretty much anyone, said this to Ed Reed back in 2009: “You’re the best free safety that has ever played this game that I’ve seen. You’re awesome.” Reed also helped the Ravens win a Super Bowl in 2013.

(Champ Bailey)

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Another guy who I’m selecting based more upon numbers as opposed to wins, Bailey defined the term “lockdown cornerback.” His 52 career interceptions are even more impressive when you consider the fact that most opposing quarterbacks usually did anything they could to avoid throwing the ball anywhere near him on the field. He was an All-Pro selection seven times in his career, including three in which he was on the First Team, and very few players in history have ever been able to completely nullify a team’s No. 1 receiver on such a consistent and prolonged basis. Bailey played in his first Super Bowl as a 35-year-old, injury-riddled backup in 2014, but his Broncos were annihilated by the Seahawks, 41-8. Still, this guy is one of the greatest cover men to ever play the game.

Here’s where it gets super tough, but I only have two more slots to fill. So, without further ado:

(Alan Faneca) 

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This one might not be the sexiest of picks, but I gotta show some love to the big fella. Faneca was a reliable and consistent force on the Steelers’ offensive line for 10 seasons and missed a total of only two games over that time. He not only helped Jerome Bettis stay relevant toward the end of his career, but he was also one of the people helping to protect a young Big Ben, with whom he won a Super Bowl in 2006. He was also a First-Team All-Pro six times (again, not just “All-Pro,” but “First-Team All-Pro”). (Side note: I always made sure to select Faneca as my top O-lineman in my Madden fantasy drafts. I’ve been a big fan of this dude for years.)

(Tom Flores)

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OK, so I wasn’t even a twinkle in my parents’ eyes during Flores’s time, but after reading a pretty awesome ESPN.com article on him today, I can’t ignore what I now know. Flores is eligible to be inducted into the Hall as a coach, even though he did spend some time as a player. And he was not just any player; he was the first professional Latino quarterback in history and finished as the fifth-leading passer in AFL history. (Again, this was before the NFL as we know it today was a thing.) He’s also won four combined Super Bowls in his career: one as a player, one as an assistant coach, and two as head coach of the Raiders in the 1980s. Again, I’m no expert on the guy, but after learning as much as I did about him recently, he’s a shoe-in.

We won’t know who ultimately makes it in until early February, but it’s always fun to speculate. (And I’m sorry to my guys Ty Law and Richard Seymour! But as the faithful 300s readers know, I’m no Patriots toadie! They’ll always be my No. 1 squad till I die, but I also keep it real, baby!)

We’d also love to know who you think should make it in and why. Be sure to let us know in the comments section or on Facebook!

Joey B’s Wednesday Morning Grab Bag

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This is sort of kind of the “Monday” of this week since a lot of people had Monday off and unless you work for commies, yesterday off was a given.

That said let’s grab bag it up a bit ya?

-In case you missed it, Amanda Nunes defied odds, physics, and whatever lab that went into creating Cris Cyroid’s bloodstream when she not only knocked out, but ran over the long-time Women’s Featherweight #1/UFC Champion. It was an absolute beat-down that no one saw coming. I love Amanda Nunes and was afraid to even watch. Tsk tsk to me.

-Jon Jones won as well. I personally am over the DC-Jones rivalry so I hope Jones fights a few contenders at 205 and DC fights Stipe and then Brock and calls it a career. There is just nothing to learn from a third match up between the longtime rivals.

-I know beating the Jets isn’t exactly a giant deal, but lest the rest of the NFL not understand that really what happened was the Jets continued to let the Pats get hot. Brady looked better than he has in weeks. Our backs got going. We were winning in the trenches on both sides of the ball and on the D side, getting great pressure. Stephon Gilmore looks unbeatable at this point. I’m not saying the Pats are going to get far, but they are heading into the playoffs on a roll and fairly healthy, with two weeks to heal up on top of that.

-I haven’t watched “Bird Box” or the “Black Mirror” movie and I don’t intend to. I know it seems like typical Joey B cynicism, but really I just don’t enjoy the “mind bending” stuff all that much. Just tell me a good story. Plus, I heard “Bird Box” is just a rip off of “A Quiet Place” plus a couple more recent thriller/horror movies.

-July 4, 2019 has been announced the release date for S3 of “Stranger Things”. As much as I am a gigantic fan of that show I wish they’d either release it more consistently or end it. It is just getting more annoying than anything else to have these long delays.

-Current ‘flix recommendations: “Frontier”, “Bodyguard”, “The Five”, “Redemption”. Currently watching “Bad Blood” and jury is out. Slow but ok mob story about real gangsters in Montreal.

-I’m going to start a weekly/bi-weekly blog on solid twitter account follows from the knowledgeable to the bizarre (mostly bizarre). Feel free to hit me @300sJoeyB with suggestions.

The 300s Top 10 Blogs of 2018

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2018 was a banner year for The 300s as we saw our readership grow exponentially, we rolled out a ton of new swag, and we brought some new writers onto the staff. We appreciate everyone who takes a few minutes out of their day to read a blog or watch a video or listen to a podcast. With that being said, it’s the last day of the year so we had to break down the Top 10 Blogs of 2018.

1.) David Price Continues Good Will Tour, Rips 69-Year-Old Red Sox Reporter Jonny Miller

2.) Apparently Jon Gruden’s Son, Deuce Gruden, is the Goddamn Hulk

3.) RIP Mac Miller, Dead at 26

4.) Nike Deserves Applause for Choosing Colin Kaepernick as New Face of “Just Do It” Campaign

5.) Boston Celtics NBA 2K19 Ratings Predictions

6.) The Marlins Are Replacing the Ugly Home Run Statue With Irony

7.) Tough Break for Malden Men Who Recovered Red Sox Banner

8.) Terrible News: Ed Hochuli is Retiring. Better News: His Son is Replacing Him

9.) I LOVE This Quote From Rick Porcello

10.) Brock Lesnar Possibly Playing Ivan Drago’s Son In “Creed 2”

 

 

Patriots Jets Postgame Reaction and Quick Hits

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Well, that one was a breeze. Just like I called it. The Pats took care of business against the Jets, 38-3, and are now heading into the postseason as the AFC’s No. 2 seed!

Before we get too giddy, you all know I’m here – per usual – to rain on the parade and bring us back down to earth a little bit. That’s not to say that I wasn’t happy with what I saw today; I do think there was a lot to like, especially on defense. BUT the running game didn’t have the greatest showing after their dominant performance last week. Also, the overall offense isn’t as good as a 38-point score might indicate. And I think it’s safe to say Gronk is nothing more than a chain-mover right now, at least for the rest of this season.

However, like I said, there was a lot to like from Sunday’s performance, too. Here are my takeaways from the Pats’ season finale:

(The G.O.A.T. Looks OK): I’ll just start by saying I liked how Tom Brady looked today. I’m not going to let his four touchdowns against a bad team lead me to believe he’s back to being vintage TB12, but he did complete over 70 percent of his passes. He also looked surprisingly nimble and mobile in the pocket all day. One play in particular stood out for me: After a pretty bad miss on what would have been an easy score to Chris Hogan in the first half, Brady made up for it on the very next play; not only did he elude a sack in the pocket, but he then rolled out to his right about five yards and fired an on-the-move, nine-yard strike to Phillip Dorsett for the score:

Again, there were some missed throws – AND let’s not forget the Jets were without their top-three cornerbacks once Buster Skrine was injured – but overall Brady looked pretty solid. Most importantly, though, he looked as healthy as he has in weeks.

(Still Shaky on Offense): This offense is not in a great spot. Much like in the early days of Brady’s career, this is a now a complete dink-and-dunk offense that is desperately lacking explosiveness. With Gronk being a shell of his former self and Josh Gordon no longer in the fold, it seems as though the team will again heavily employ the tried and true short-passing, timing-based scheme. I’m not saying it’s entirely ineffective; after all, the team did move the ball pretty well today, converting 45 percent of its third-down opportunities and winning the time of possession battle. But, when you’re down big in the playoffs and need some huge plays, who’s going to provide them?

(Welcome Back, Big Fella!): Why in the world was Danny Shelton a healthy scratch for three games in a row??!! Since he returned last week – after being sat for reasons we still haven’t been told – the team’s run defense has improved exponentially. In the three games Shelton was out, the Pats gave up 7.3, 9.0, and 6.3 yards per carry, respectively; in the two games he’s been back, he’s made three tackles and the team is allowing just 4.2 yards per tote. To be fair, Elijah McGuire, who carried the ball 18 times for the Jets on Sunday, is a backup and certainly no star. But, I don’t know, maybe we should keep big No. 71 in the rotation and give him another shot, huh, Bill?

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Don’t call it a comeback!

(All-Around A+ Effort from the D): The Pats defense was excellent in this one, at every level. Not only were they able to get pressure on Sam Darnold all game, sacking the rookie four times and forcing some pretty bad throws, but the secondary kept the Jets’ other playmakers at bay, too. Robby Anderson and Chris Herndon, who have both been on fire lately, were held to a total of four catches and 31 yards. OH, and the Jets as a team were also held to just a field goal. Trey Flowers was a beast for the Pats yet again, with a sack and a forced fumble, one of three strips for the Pats on the day. Again, I know it was the Jets, but the D came to play in this one.

A couple more quick ones:

  • Congrats to Derek Rivers on his first career sack! Expected to be a big part of the team’s D this year, the 2017 third-round pick has had trouble healing from last year’s injury and staying on the field this year. Hopefully this is the start of something good!
  • Keep your fingers crossed, Pats Nation. After being without Cordarrelle Patterson on Sunday already, the Pats also saw guys like Devin McCourty, Deatrich Wise, and Dont’a Hightower get banged up against the Jets. We don’t know much about what actually happened to them at this point – besides the fact that it was apparently a head injury for McCourty. Fortunately, the team has two weeks to heal up, but let’s hope none of these are too serious.
  • The team was able to keep the total amount of penalties to a tolerable four for 30 yards.

So, while this team is certainly not without its issues heading into the playoffs, their performance in the season finale at least inspires some hope. The team and its group of ailing players now get some extra time to rest before they kick off postseason play on Sunday, January 13 at 1 p.m in Foxborough. Against who, you ask? We won’t know until next Sunday afternoon.

Be sure to stay tuned to The 300s throughout the playoffs for all your Pats coverage. Let the “Blitz for Six” commence!

Jets Gonna Jet; Lose Tight End for the Year After He Drops a Weight on His Foot

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Yahoo – The New York Jets placed tight end Eric Tomlinson on injured reserve Thursday with one game left to play in the season. The move appeared to be the sort of end-of-season housecleaning that many non-contending teams use to fill out their active roster for the final game of the season, but then, well, we found out how Tomlinson got injured.

Tomlinson received his season-ending injury by dropping a weight on his foot in the weight room and lacerating two toes, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. The injury was reportedly serious enough to require surgery..the Jets are currently on pace to finish last in the AFC East for a third straight season and endure even more time as the team everyone loves to dump on.

I’m not gonna play around like this can’t happen to anyone because my roommate freshman year of college did the same exact thing. Went to slide the 45 pound plate (NBD) off the bar, but didn’t realize there was a 10 pound weight in front of it. Slid 10 lbs of  pain right off the bar onto his toe. SNAP. Kid was in a boot for quite a while. But that was my 18-year-old roommate, not a professional athlete paid in part to lift weights and work out. Sucks to see because that shit must HURT, but man if this isn’t another Jets debacle in a long line of Jets debacles then I don’t know what is.

Now just don’t lose on Sunday boys or it’ll make this snarky blog look much worse in hindsight.

Go lock up that No. 2 seed!

Patriots Jets Week 17 Preview, Odds, and Storylines

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The last game of the regular season has arrived. And, for the first time in a while, this one matters A LOT.

By this point, the Pats usually have a bye locked up, but depending on what happens on Sunday they could finish anywhere from the No. 1 to the No. 4 seed in the AFC this season. Therefore, they could either have: guaranteed home-field advantage throughout the playoffs; guaranteed home-field advantage for some of the playoffs; or only get to play at home just once (not to mention the fact that the last scenario would mean they would need to play a whole extra game as well).

(CBS Sports lays out all the playoff scenarios here for all you super nerds like me.)

But what it all comes down to for the Pats is this:

As long as they win, they are guaranteed to have at least one of the byes; if they lose, it’s going to be near impossible for that to happen.

Fortunately, we’re going up against a terrible New York Jets squad – who we already beat just a few weeks ago – and this time, it’s at home. Before we hop into the preview, though, here’s a look at where, when, and how to watch the game along with the latest lines:

  • Location: Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA)
  • Kickoff: Sunday, Dec. 30, 1 p.m. ET
  • TV: CBS
  • Odds (via Odds Shark): Patriots: -13.5 (spread) / Patriots: -730 (moneyline) / 44.5 (total)

The Jets (4-11) are really bad. I know I’ve called plenty of other teams bad throughout many of my previews this year, but I really mean it this time. The Jets have won just once since the middle of October and have given up an average of 29 points per game over that same period. They are also tied for the second-worst record in the league with Oakland and San Francisco.

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Rather than continue to throw a bunch of random stats at you or talk about Jets players to watch out for (are there even any?), I’m going to do it a bit differently this time around and simply focus on a few key things I’ll be keeping an eye on from Brady and the boys on Sunday.

(Can the Offense Keep it Going?): A lot of people were shocked to see the Pats put up almost 400 yards of offense against Buffalo, the league’s No. 2 defense, last week. Much of this had to do with an insane 273-yard rushing output, as the passing offense mustered up a pathetic total of 117. Ironically, this was after two games in which the ground game struggled, failing to crack 100 yards in Weeks 15 and 16, while the passing offense averaged 308 yards. My point is there is just ZERO consistency in this offense right now besides Julian Edelman, and that’s tough to maintain heading into postseason play. Is Cordarrelle Patterson healthy and will he remain the X-factor like he was last week? Has Sony Michel rediscovered his early-season success, and is he now ready to shoulder the team throughout January? I have no idea, but it’d be nice to see some sort of sense of direction from Brady & Co. by the end of the weekend.

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All right, kid, it’s time to earn that first-round money!

(How Injured is Brady?): Everyone knows by now that Brady and the team have not been very forthcoming regarding his injured knee. The team’s always been very secretive in that respect, but I feel like they’re really hiding something this time around. At times over the past few weeks, it has looked like Brady’s been operating purely off of sheer adrenaline and determination, but he’s no longer listed on the injury report and he insists he’s not hurt. Really, Tommy? Prove that to me this Sunday.

(Can the Secondary/Pass-Coverage Finish Strong?): Again, it’s really hard to pick out a “strength” for the Jets, but if it’s anywhere it’s probably in the passing game. Robby Anderson has averaged 104 receiving yards over the past three games, with a touchdown in each contest, as the young wide receiver is having a bit of a late-season resurgence. Chris Herndon has also sneakily been one of the game’s most consistent tight ends this season, and he put up a solid seven catches for 57 yards against the Pats when they played in November. (He also had six for 82 with a score last week against Green Bay.) Fortunately, rookie quarterback Sam Darnold will also be playing his first-ever game in Foxborough, and the Pats should handle whatever he throws at them. (Although Darnold has been excellent lately, with six touchdowns and one pick over his last three games.) Hey, I had to give the Jets something, right?

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The Jets might actually have a nice, young piece in Herndon.

(Will the Boys Behave?): I touched upon this already in my postgame notes from Monday, but the Pats have been called for an average of over eight penalties a game throughout the past five contests. Yes, that number is significantly bumped by a crazy 14 penalties against the Steelers two weeks ago. But, even when removing that game entirely, the Pats have still been responsible for almost six flags a game. That’s not good at any point in the year, but that type of stuff will sink anyone – and quickly – during postseason play.

Prediction

The Pats will absolutely wallop the Jets. I have no doubt in my mind about it. With a bye on the line and playing against one of the dregs of the league, there’s just no way that we lose this one. And it won’t even be close. Kansas City will beat Oakland as well, and the Pats will head into the postseason as the No. 2 seed.

The Patriots Back Door Their Way Into the No. 2 Seed and a First Round Bye!

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This is why you play the game people! Are the Bills and the Jets a mere formality for the Patriots to close out the season? I hope. Of course. But the Patriots needed some outside help for the first time in a long time and old friend Nick Foles did just that as the Eagles knocked off the Texans behind his 400+ yard day. This was not a regular back door cover though as the Texans were doing everything they could to steal a W. Seriously, just look at this play from Deshaun Watson that set up the Texans TD to take the lead with less than 2 minutes to go.

Naturally I was shouting at my TV cussing out the Eagles like it was February all over again, but the enigma that is Nick Foles wasn’t ready to go home yet. Despite nearly getting his sternum broken in half by Jadeveon Clowney, he missed 1 play, came back and led the Eagles to a game winning FG.

The Patriots win coupled with the Texans loss moves New England back into the No. 2 seed and back into the driver seat as they, somehow, once again control their own destiny. LETS. GO.

Now just don’t implode against Sam Darnold and the Jets next Sunday and we’ll all be resting our ailing MCLs on Wild Card Weekend.

Lets get to a few rapid reactions from this Patriots Bills game that, despite a slow start and a less than ideal game from Tom Brady, ended up being a 24-12 blowout.

-Tom Brady did not look great. He finished the day 13/24 for 126 yards 1 TD and 2 INT, which gives him 11 on the year, his most since 2013. One of those picks came on a deflection off Gronk’s banana hands that should have been an easy catch and the other came on a miscommunication with Rex Burkhead zigging when Brady thought he was going to zag. But, he still had a lot of missed throws and generally seemed out of sync all day aside from the Edelman TD.

-Two reasons for concern moving forward though.

-I take little joy in this win in of itself because Josh Allen is AWFUL. Yes, the guy can scramble and has an absolute cannon for an arm, but the guy has worse accuracy than Tebow.

-Rob Gronkowski looked straight up old in this game. He was on the sidelines in favor of Dwayne Allen on a lot of early downs as the Pats ran the ball almost exclusively to open the game. Gronk used to be one of, if not the, best blocking tight ends in the NFL though so this is concerning. He couldn’t really get open and even when he did he was dropping bunnies.

-Josh McDaniels continues to mystify me with his shitty play calling in big spots. It obviously didn’t seriously jeopardize the Patriots’ chances of winning the game, but some of McDaniel’s play calls were real head scratchers.

A win is a win is a win though and the Patriots improve to 10-5 on the season with one game to go. Mattes will break down this game a little bit further later this week and preview next Sunday’s regular season finale against the Jets!

The 300s Podcast – Are the Patriots Cooked Without Josh Gordon?

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After an uncharacteristically bad stretch for the Patriots, Red and Big Z dive into what ails this team plus we discuss the Josh Gordon news that broke before we even finished our coffee.

-Josh Gordon had worked himself into a key cog in the New England offense so how badly does this suspension hose the Patriots?

-Is this a fatally flawed Patriots team? Whether it’s struggles playing on the road, sloppy penalties, or just poor execution this team does not look like a typical Patriots team.

-Is Tom Brady hurt? Many have speculated recently that TB12 could be dealing with an MCL injury…

-New 300s SWAG! The 300s Store is now open and you can get our designs on t shirts, hoodies, coffee mugs, stickers, flags, hell I’m buying a literal Time Lord clock that will go up behind me in the podcast studio after the holidays.

Patriots Bills Week 16 Preview, Odds, and Storylines

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So these last two Sundays have been really disheartening. (And now Josh Gordon is gone, too! Let’s just keep piling it on!)

After a shocking loss in Miami and then a shameful defeat in Pittsburgh, the Patriots (9-5) are now sitting as the No. 3 seed in the AFC. And though they’re guaranteed to finish no lower than No. 4 as a division winner, Baltimore (8-6) and the Steelers (8-5-1) remain right on their heels. On the flip side, however, the Pats still do have a chance at a bye if they win out AND Houston were to lose to either the Eagles or Jags.

Either way, we’re not typically used to seeing such uncertainty in December, as the Pats being a top-two seed is usually a foregone conclusion by now. But things are different this year; the team just suffered two-straight December losses for the first time since 2002 and are now 3-5 on the road this season.

Now we get our second matchup of the year with a surprisingly decent Buffalo Bills squad. This time it’s at home, and this time the Bills have a much more talented – albeit more inexperienced – signal-caller leading the charge than they did the last time these two played just before Halloween.

But before we get into this week’s primer, here’s a look at where, when, and how to watch the game along with the latest lines:

  • Location: Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA)
  • Kickoff: Sunday, Dec. 23, 1 p.m. ET
  • TV: CBS
  • Odds (via Odds Shark): Patriots: -13 (spread) / Patriots: -755 (moneyline) / 44.5 (total)

Winners of three of their last five contests, the Bills have far exceeded my expectations this year. That’s probably because while their offense has still been pretty terrible, coming in at No. 31 overall, their defense has been absolutely nasty. Currently sitting at No. 2 overall, the Bills D has allowed just 187.4 yards per game through the air in 2018, tops in the league, and they are also the 10th-best team against the run. And since giving up 41 points to Chicago on November 4, the Bills have only allowed just over 18 points per contest in the five games since.

On offense, the Bills are a bit of an enigma, and it all starts with rookie quarterback Josh Allen. After spending the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft to select him, the Bills were without Allen the first time they played the Pats this season. But since returning just after Thanksgiving, Allen is 2-2 with over 1,150 total yards and seven scores.

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Allen is proving all the doubters wrong lately with his moxie and strong play.

Notice, though, that I said “total” yards; over 30 percent of those yards have actually come on the ground for Allen – with two 100-plus-yard rushing games – and he’s only completed 50 percent of his passes since making his return. So Allen can be a bit of a conundrum; while he won’t hurt you much in the air just yet, he does have the ability to do some damage with his legs.

The Pats have actually done a great job of containing mobile QBs this year; outside of the 81 rushing yards they gave up to Mitchell Trubisky out in Chicago, they’ve held others like Deshaun Watson (40), Patrick Mahomes (9), and Marcus Mariota (21) to relatively low numbers on the ground. Still, the Pats continue to be horrendous against the run overall, allowing opponents to average 5.0 yards per carry on the season and coming off of two straight in which they’ve given up over 150 yards on the ground. Allen, along with running back LeSean McCoy, who is expected back after missing last week’s game, could put up some serious rushing totals in Foxborough on Sunday.

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I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: do not sleep on this dude.

Fortunately, the Pats should be able to shut down the Bills air game with ease. As I said, Allen still has quite a ways to go as a passer, and besides this Robert Foster kid – who has come out of NOWHERE with three 100-plus-yard games (!) in the last month – the Bills have absolutely nothing at receiver. (No, really, it’s kinda sad.) The Pats also have a pretty stout secondary, and there’s the fact that a rookie QB has never beaten Belichick in Foxborough in the month of December.

All I’m saying is that Allen better put on his PF Flyers if he wants any chance of having success on Sunday.

Storylines

(What Does the Offense Do Now?): Things are looking pretty bleak for the offense right now. After a fool’s gold performance in Miami two weeks ago, Gronk went right back to looking worn out and put up a dud against the Steelers. Brady also looks off – and has for weeks – and now there’s speculation he might legitimately be hurt. Sony Michel has cooled off significantly after a hot start to his career, with James White and Rex Burkhead not really doing much behind him either. And today we find out that the Josh Gordon Experience is over in Foxborough, suddenly leaving the Pats without a true No. 1 outside receiver. Considering there’s two weeks left of regular-season play, they need to figure it out fast, and it all starts this week against one of the game’s top defensive units.

Image result for gronk sad

Yeah, Gronk, I agree. That’s pretty much exactly how I’ve been looking at my T.V. these past few Sundays.

(Will This Team Ever Stop the Run?): As mentioned above, the Pats have been one of the absolute worst teams against the run this year. They’ve given up over 115 rushing yards to four of their last six opponents (including three games in which they gave up over 150!). Dalvin Cook would’ve made it five-out-of-six if the Vikings didn’t stop giving him the ball a few weeks ago after he racked up over 90 rushing yards on just nine carries. So not only do I fear that the offense won’t be able to keep up in the playoffs, but the unit won’t even have a chance to get on the field if the Pats’ opponents can simply just run the clock out on them. This week is their last chance to prove their worth against the league’s ninth-ranked rushing offense.

Prediction

I know this preview seems a bit “doom and gloom,” but, come on, can you blame me? After these past two weeks? Also, I’m supposed to have confidence that this offense, in its current state, will blow doors on the second-best defense in the league? Furthermore, the Bills solid running game might actually allow them to hang around and dictate the pace of the contest. These Bills are also tough and pretty resilient; each of their past four games were decided by four points or less. The ONLY reason I am picking the Pats to win this week is because it’s in Foxborough, but it won’t be pretty. The Pats take it 21-17.