Over the past couple of years, the Patriots have been known for their explosive offense that could score on any play.. Led by 3 of the best players at their position, QB Tom Brady, and WRs Randy Moss and Wes Welker, the Patriots offense instilled fear into all opposing defenses. We all remember the 2007 season, when Brady and Moss wrecked havoc on every team they played, and broke countless records on their way to the first 16-0 season in NFL history. Their offense has been what has kept them a dominate team and a perennial Super Bowl contender since then.
That offense got a lot less scary on Wednesday, when the Patriots traded Randy Moss to the Vikings for a 3rd round pick. With Moss gone, the Pats will not be able to execute some of the things they used to do. His presence forces teams to account for the deep threat, and often draws double coverages towards him. For the Patriots, this opened up all of Tom Brady's other targets, mainly Wes Welker, and allowed them to move the ball with efficiency. Without him, Welker will be double teamed, and that will force Brady to look somewhere else with the ball, which won't always end well. Moss' absence also takes away the "score on any play" factor that I talked about earlier. The Pats will be unable to stretch the field and take a lot of deep shots because they have no other proven deep threats that can fill in for Moss, so they will be reduced to a West Coast style of scheme that might not suit this team very well. With defenses of division rivals the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets becoming more and more dominant, the Patriots will need all the help they can get on offense.
Many Patriots fans don't see the Moss trade as a big deal for their team, citing that without him, the Pats won three Super Bowls with Brady alone. They would be correct. However back in those days, the Pats had one of the best defenses in the league,a defense that could stop other offenses and force turnovers, and a defense that could really control a game and carry the team. Back in those days "Tom Terrific" didn't have to do too much in the way of scoring points, because his defense wouldn't allow the other team to score. The Patriot defense today is a completely different story. It is average at best, and often allows too much points for comfort. Therefore, the offense needs to pick up the slack. Without Randy, it will surely be difficult.
In the long term, this trade will not really matter, as no one really expected Moss to be with New England next year anyway. But short term, Moss' nonappearance could be a problem. The Patriots will now have to rely on their young talents, such as TE Aaron Hernandez and WR Brandon Tate. Both of these player have shown tremendous ability and should have successful careers, but for now, defenses will clamp down on them, due to no Moss. The Pats also will have to run the ball. That's right, I said it. Run the ball. Not only run it, but run it effectively, which is something that they have struggled to do in recent history.
Long story short: Randy Moss is gone, which will be detrimental overall to the Patriots offense, and unless their defense and young players can step up to fill the void, the Patriots won't be a team to beat this year.
Key Week 5 Match-ups....
Minnesota Vikings (1-2) at New York Jets (3-1) MNF: This is a game of story lines, Favre returns to New York, Randy Moss goes back to the Vikings, The Slouch vs. Revis Island. It is a must watch game on Monday Night. The Jets are revamped with WR Santonio Holmes, CB Darrelle Revis, and OLB Calvin Pace returning to the starting lineup, and are looking to continue their 3 game winning streak.
My Pick: Jets over Vikings.
Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) at Indianapolis Colts (2-2): Two surprise teams match-up this week at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Chiefs are undefeated, and looking to stay that way, while the Colts are seemingly struggling. They have lost two games to teams they normally dominate. It will be interesting to see how this tale of two teams unfold.
My Pick: Colts over Chiefs.
Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) at San Fransisco 49ers (0-4): The Niners have been a huge disappointment so far this season. They had already been crowned the winners of their division before the season started, but are win-less to this point. Meanwhile the Eagles will be looking to move on without the injured Micheal Vick for now, as Kevin Kolb will be making his first start since being benched for Vick Week 1.
My Pick: Eagles over 49ers.
Green Bay Packers (3-1) at Washington Redskins (2-2): Both of these team are holding on for dear life to their division leads. Ideally both would need a win to strengthen their grip their divisions. But as everyone knows, there must be a winner, and getting that win will be tough for both teams. The Pack has not been as explosive as everyone thought, but have still been able to win games, while the Skins have done just good enough on offense to make up for their struggling defense.
My Pick: Packers over Redskins.
No comments:
Post a Comment