As I said in an earlier post, the Patriots have adjusted their offense as Brady has gotten older, they run a lot of 22 personnel now vs 11 personnel (2 backs, 2 tight ends, 1 WR vs 1 back, 1 tight end, 3 WR's).
They take what the defense gives you; you want to jam the receivers on the line and play with a light package/more DB's/one or no linebackers to take away the pass, they'll run the ball down your throat, you want to load up on the front 7 and take away the run and play man, Brady will dink and dunk you to death and eat you alive.
I take nothing for granted, I don't play the prediction game, they haven't had one easy Super Bowl and have lost three to two tomato cans (Opie twice and horseshoe up his *** Folsie), they beat three great QB's in Warner in his prime, Wilson in his prime, Ryan in his prime, plus Delhomme who was no stiff that year.
Anything can happen in one game. If the Rams get pressure up the middle which they are fully capable of doing with their front four, Brady will be in trouble. Pressure=hurried throws/sacks.
They had a brilliant offensive and defensive game plan vs the Chargers and more so vs the Chefs, can they do it three games in a row, we'll see.
They played single high safety vs the Chefs, jammed the receivers on the line, had Gilmore on Watkins and had a fast CB on Hill with safety help over the top, they put another fast CB on Kelce, Hill had one catch for 42 yards, Kelce had 5 for 67 and a TD, they were both taken out of the game essentially.
All I know is they were a pedestrian 11-5 (for them anyway) with four horrible road losses to hot garbage like the Lions, Titans, Doofins and the Jaguars, none of whom made the playoffs. They lost to a team I consider to be a very good team in the Steelers, yet they somehow managed to miss the playoffs too, so all five road losses were to non playoff teams. To me, the Steelers would have been the biggest challenge for the Patriots in the playoffs, the Chargers are a soft team and Mahomes was brilliant this year, but he is a rookie and they confused the **** out of him on Sunday just like I thought they would, pressure up the middle all game long, they ran a couple of outside blitzes too that almost got him as well.
It looks like they have flipped a switch the past couple of weeks; the key is health and not one starter is hurt, they are all healthy.
We'll see what shakes out in two weeks...…………...
