The New England Patriots haven’t had the greatest season so far, but these 3 players have been great.
This season has been full of up and downs for the New England Patriots. They have a 7-3 record but have looked awful at times. Still, some players are having great seasons for the Patriots.
For the first time in a long time, there is some doubt surrounding New England. They have been locks to make it to the Super Bowl for the last few years. This season fans aren’t as confident. The Patriots aren’t destroying teams like they used to.
New England’s offense has struggled against sub-par opponents, and the defense has made quarterbacks like Blake Bortles look like MVP candidates. Not exactly what you want to see from your favorite team.
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Still, New England is near the top of the AFC East. With the Kansas City Chiefs losing in Week 11 the Patriots still have a shot at gaining the No.1 seed in the AFC. It won’t be easy but I will never doubt the abilities of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. They are the best at what they do.
In 2018 we have seen some players develop into stars and some have lackluster performances. Guys like Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski need to dominate the 2nd half of the season.
But let’s not dwell on the negative and focus on the positive. Here are 3 New England Patriots players we should be thankful for this season.
1. James White
James White has been amazing this season. He has done whatever the Patriots have asked of him, and this season it was a lot.
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With Julian Edelman out for the first 4 weeks off the season, fans wondered who would assume the responsibility as Tom Brady’s favorite pass catcher. Right from the gate it was White.
White has been targeted more than any other player this season. He has 89 targets which is more than double the amount of targets that Rob Gronkowski has this season. It is clear when Brady needs someone to make a play he relies on White.
This is the best season that White has put together since entering the NFL. He isn’t racking up the yards on the ground but is doing the little things like picking up blitzes like it’s nobody’s business.
The passing game is where White really excels. He has 6 touchdowns and is averaging 8.5 yards per catch. Whenever White snags the ball he is most likely getting the first down.
White has been New England’s MVP so far and if they want to be successful they need to keep getting the ball to him.
2. Josh Gordon
Josh Gordon has definitely made an impact since joining New England. Gordon is such a great wide receiver and seems to like playing for a franchise that actually knows how to win.
Gordon has looked great this season. He is making amazing catches and helping New England’s passing game. Gordon is the Patriots leading receiver with 26 catches for 477 yards and 2 touchdowns.
It seemed like Gordon seamlessly fit into the Patriots offense. This is probably because he is so athletic. No ball is uncatchable for Gordon. Tom Brady just lofts it up there and Gordon does the rest of the work.
I think Gordon will be staying in New England for a while. He has finally managed to stay on the field and is playing great.
The Patriots basically stole Gordon from the Cleveland Browns. A 5th round pick is a bargain for a great receiver like Gordon.
It has been fun to watch Gordon tear things up for the New England Patriots.
3. Trey Flowers
Trey Flowers has been the heart and soul of the New England Patriots defense. He has basically been a one-man pass rush.
Flowers just seems to blow by offensive lineman. He is an absolute beast. Flowers may only have 2.5 sacks, but he always seems to be in the backfield.
Without Flowers, the New England Patriots barely have a pass rush and are probably giving up a lot more points than they are this season.
The Patriots need Flowers to continue to be a beast on the line. Hopefully, he will get more sacks, but as long as Flowers is able to pressure quarterbacks he will hopefully cause some turnovers.
This will be an interesting 2nd half of the season for the New England Patriots. They will prove that they are ready for another Super Bowl run or that they just aren’t cut out to win the championship this season.