Why The Patriots Are The Best Team Currently In The NFL

By: Edwin Duodu

     For the first four games of the season, the task to continue without Tom Brady seemed like a massive one for Bill Belichick to overcome. People said he couldn’t do it. The New England Patriots started the season 1-3, played uninspiring football, and the offensive scheme looked mediocre. Now, at 8-4, and having won their last six games, Belichick has his team in prime position to win the AFC East and perhaps steal the 1st seed in the conference. There are many reasons why New England is the hottest team in the AFC, and Bill Belichick has his fingerprints all over them. 

     In the first six games of the season, the Patriot’s defense only forced six turnovers. Not terrible, but by their standards, it wasn’t enough to win games consistently. Since the win streak started, the defense has forced an alarming 17 turnovers. The beast has awoken. Now we see a secondary playing more disciplined, led by one of the best cornerbacks in football, J.C. Jackson. Belichick has felt confident in his defense to play man-to-man coverage and make plays within their zones. It’s evident that the team missed the likes of Kyle Van Noy alongside Dont’a Hightower. 

     The defensive line has picked up steam and has held teams to under 100 yards rushing in four of the past six games. Last but not least, Matthew Judon has quietly been one of the best free-agent signings of the offseason. He’s currently third in the league in sacks with 11.5. He has aided a pressure attack that has the Patriots with 30 sacks on the season. 

     The team has also discovered a running game. At the start of the year, the offense relied on Damien Harris receiving the bulk of carries. Now, Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels has chosen to utilize a “running back by committee” approach to give the rushing attack a different element. Yes, it’s no secret that the Patriots like to hand the ball off to Harris when in goalline situations. But McDaniels has found a way to use rookie Rhamondre Stevenson in the running and passing game. Also, Brandon Bolden has proven to be a serviceable backup player who has produced when shown the opportunity.

     Mac Jones has been by far the best rookie quarterback since the start of the season. He’s part of the reason why the team owns a scoring drive percentage of 49.6%, the highest rate in the league. Analysts declared him, before his drafting, as the most-ready quarterback prospect. So far, Jones has answered all the questions asked of him and has made intelligent reads in games to give his team a chance to win. He owns a completion percentage of 70.3% and has tossed 16 touchdown passes. 

     Early on, a key criticism regarding these statistics was that the rookie made a small effort to throw the ball downfield. However, that game plan is contrary to the offensive beliefs of the Patriots, as they would want him to throw short and intermediate routes accurately and allow his receivers to make plays. What’s encouraging is that we see Jones make difficult throws and precision passes as the weeks go on. It demonstrates confidence, and it provides a different element to the offense. It also does help that the running game has brought the option to use play-action passing and open the whole playbook for Jones. 

     Bill Belichick doesn’t ask his rookie to win games on his own. In fact, throughout the six-game winning streak, all Jones had to do was make the right plays, allow the running game to grow against the opponent,  and let his defense win the games. That has proven very successful so far. It also does help that the Patriots match up well with any team in the AFC as it stands right now. Belichick has a game plan that is flexible for every opponent that he faces.

     Teams may not be on high alert at how well New England has been playing. One thing is for sure, if this team holds on to make it to the playoffs, no one should want to face them. They have a chance to solidify their claim with a win against their division rivals, the Buffalo Bills, on primetime television. We’ll see just how serious this team is at commanding respect. [pickup_prop id=”16155″]