New England Patriots: 5 Reasons Why Fans Should & Shouldn't Worry About Slow Start
The New England Patriots are 2-2 after their first four games.
Tom Brady and the offense have looked awful so far, with losses to the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs. Wins over the Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders haven't been very impressive, either.
Fans are beginning to question Bill Belichick, the Patriots' head coach and general manager, for his decisions and draft choices. Trading away Logan Mankins for a backup tight end has proven to be a terrible decision for the team.
Here are five reasons why Patriots fans should be worried and shouldn't be worried going forward:
Why Patriots Fans Should Be Worried
1. Offensive line
As previously stated, trading away Logan Mankins was a big mistake. Tom Brady has been sacked nine times already this season, thus averaging 36 for the season. Steven Ridley can't find his rhythm between the tackles because the box is collapsing and there's just no time to throw. Big adjustments have to be made.
2. Targets
When Julian Edelman is your No. 1 receiver, that's a bad sign. Sure, he's reliable within 10 yards, but the Patriots have no deep threat. Danny Amendola continues to get a lot of playing, for whatever reason. Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson are two big young receivers who need to get more playing time.
3. Darrelle Revis
Cornerback Darrelle Revis was the biggest addition for the Patriots in the offseason. Revis hasn't looked terrible so far, but he hasn't looked like the once "shutdown corner" we saw with the New York Jets. In the Monday Night Football game against the Chiefs, Revis struggled a lot against wide out Dwayne Bowe.
4. Defense
Even though the Patriots pass defense ranks high, their rush defense is giving up 130 yards per game. The Chiefs put up 303 total yards in the first half alone against the Patriots in Week 4, the most ever by a Belichick defense in New England. This Patriots team struggles big time getting off the field on third down.
5. Cincinnati Bengals
The Patriots will face the Bengals in their next game, which is scheduled for Sunday Night Football. Although the game will be played at Gillete Stadium in Foxboro, the Bengals have been the best team in the NFL this season. Sitting at a perfect 3-0, the Bengals haven't allowed a single sack so far, and the Andy Dalton to A.J. Green connection will be a problem for New England.
Why Patriots Fans Should Not Be Worried
1. Bad Division
Playing in the AFC East has its advantages. The Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets aren't exactly expected to do great things. Right now, no team in the division has a winning record. As a matter of fact, the AFC East is the only NFL division to not have any team with a winning record.
2. They're Still 2-2
Let's not act like the Patriots are 0-4 or 1-3. After a quarter of the way through the season, the Patriots still have two victories. Only one team in NFL history has ever gone 0-4 and made the playoffs, the 1992 San Diego Chargers. At 2-2, the Patriots are still in pretty good shape.
3. Home Sweet Home
The Patriots played three of their first four games on the road, including the very first two in Miami and Minnesota. The schedule gets a little easier from here with three consecutive home games Weeks 7 through 9 and a bye week in Week 10. The Patriots will play four of their next five games at home. Maybe going 2-2 with three road games wasn't so bad, after all.
4. Brian Tyms and Brandon Browner
This is could be a big hit or a big miss for the Patriots. Both Brandon Browner and Brian Tyms are set to return for the Patriots after a four-game suspension. Browner is a hard hitting corner, who the Patriots very much need at this point on defense. Browner last played for the Seattle Seahawks. Tymes is still a mystery, having never started a single game. He did, however, have a great preseason receiving the ball and is still just 25 years old.
5. Robert Gronkowski
After an offseason of healing, Gronkowski has played well so far this season. Gronkowski has three touchdowns in four games and continues to be one of Brady's favorite targets. It will take time for Gronkowski to get back to full strength, but it's good to see him playing well early in the season.
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