The New England Patriots (1-1) got their first win of the season last week in Miami and look to build off that momentum on Sunday when they host the new looking Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1).
Last week showed that this Patriots group is able to overcome adversity and improve on key points that were focused on during the week of practice leading up to the game.
Here are notes, takeaways, and concerns from the week as the Vrabel-led Patriots prepare for the Steelers and look to get their first win at home this season.
Patriots Defense
The Patriots defense has struggled through the first two weeks, mostly in pass coverage as their top linebackers are missing tackles. With the way the defensive system works, the linebackers are required to be more versatile in pass coverage and tackling in the open field.
That said, backup linebacker Marte Mapu could be on the field more in specific situations to help with pass coverage in the middle of the field. He’s the most versatile athlete on the roster and we should start to see Vrabel utilize him more after making an important play at the end of last week’s game in Miami.
The pass coverage from the cornerbacks needs to improve, as Alex Austin has allowed the second-most receiving yards this season (162) so far in only two games. He’s also allowed nine receptions on 11 targets through the first two games.
A possible silver lining for the defensive secondary this week was seeing Christian Gonzalez return to practice for the first time since Jul. 28. It was possible that he could be activated for Week 3, but it wouldn’t be wise considering he hasn’t been in any real action in about two months.
It would be best for him to get a full week of practice under his belt before resuming his full time role as the team’s starting cornerback.
Patriots Offense
The Patriots ran a more balanced offensive attack from Week 1 to Week 2 and it made a big impact in the game. They’ll look to continue that aspect in the gameplan moving forward this season.
I think it’s important to note that the wide receivers aren’t seeing many targets through the first two weeks of the season and it’s worth keeping in mind as the season progresses.
- Week 1: 25 targets
- Week 2: 9 targets
The Patriots are getting production through the air from their tight ends and running backs, but it will be nice for the receivers to start making more of an impact.
The offensive line has been solid, but they had four false start penalties in Week 2 against both tackles, one on rookie Will Campbell and three on veteran Morgan Moses. They’ll look to clean it up this week against Pittsburgh.
The solid play from the offensive line opened the run-game just enough to allow the passing-game to be efficient. It’s also the product of having a balanced plan, which New England will look to continue to do moving forward this season.
Special Teams
On the good, Antonio Gibson returned a kickoff for a touchdown in Week 2. It brought the Patriots back into the game after they allowed a punt return to be scored by Miami on the previous play.
On the bad, rookie kicker Andy Borregales missed a pair of extra-points in Week 2 after he missed a field goal in Week 1. The rookie kicker is still getting his footing in the NFL and hopefully Week 3 is another positive step in the right direction. Vrabel believes in his rookie kicker and will continue using him to work through his mistakes.
Patriots Injury Report
- Christian Gonzalez, OUT (hamstring)
- Keion White, Questionable (illness)
- Jack Westover, Questionable (hamstring)
Carlton Davis popped on the injury report this week with an Achilles injury. He was limited at practice on Wednesday and Thursday but was a full participant on Friday and he was not part of the three players that Vrabel named as questionable for the game on Sunday.
Christian Barmore was tagged with a non football injury that made him limited on Wednesday, full on Thursday, and then limited again on Friday. Although Barmore has looked good in the first two weeks, he’s still working back from missing a season of football last year.
Other players who were limited at practice during the week, but were full participants for Friday were K’Lavon Chaisson, Harold Landry, Marte Mapu, Jared Wilson, and Morgan Moses.
Other Notes
The Patriots will be without defensive coordinator Terrell Williams for the second consecutive game as he manages his health. Zak Kuhr will be calling the defensive plays in Week 3.
Veteran center Garrett Bradbury received a lot of criticism throughout the entire offseason after being released from Minnesota due to a decline in production. Bradbury is currently the No. 1 pass-blocking center in the league after two weeks with an 88.4 grade from Pro Football Focus.