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18	Dezember 2018

The New England Patriots took care of business against the Buffalo Bills and won 25-6.

It wasn�t the most exciting game Trent Brown Color Rush Jersey , but it counts as a win and the Patriots are creating some distance within the AFC East and in the AFC.Here�s what we learned.The Patriots didn�t have a running gameRunning backs James White and Kenjon Barner combined for 19 rushing yards and a touchdown on 10 carries (1.9 yards per carry). Wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson led the Patriots with 38 rushing yards on 10 carries, while Julian Edelman added 13 yards on 2 carries. Tom Brady added 8 yards on an early scamper.In total, the Patriots had 78 rushing yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. They really missed having Sony Michel on the field and the lack of a running game had a major impact on the viability of the play-action game and the efficiency of the offense in the red zone.New England was able to get away with it this week because the Bills are terrible. They�ll need a rushing attack next week against the Green Bay Packers.Tom Brady had a very low-impact gameBrady had an effective day in the office, completing 29 of 45 passes (64.4%) for 324 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions. He had...four, maybe five passes that anyone would consider �difficult� but it was entirely unnecessary because the Patriots didn�t have to do anything difficult to win.Brady spent much of his day dumping the ball off to James White (10 catches for 79 yards) or throwing it to Julian Edelman in the middle of the field (9 catches for 104 yards). It would have been nice if Brady were able to make any magic in the red zone (1 for 4, a fumble, for a net of +1 yards), but the Bills defense did a great job against the Patriots skill players.It honestly just felt like the Patriots were trying to �get through� this game as healthy as possible, with the hopes that Rob Gronkowski will be healthier next week and Sony Michel will be able to return to the lineup.The Patriots defense showed up against a weak opponentFootball Outsiders always preaches that the best teams show up against the weakest teams and don�t play to the level of the competition- and the Patriots defense rose to the occasion and crushed the terrible Bills offense. The defensive stars played as they should.Trey Flowers was the best player on the field and racked up two tackles for loss and a third for no gain, two quarterback hits, a pass defended. Kyle Van Noy was also excellent in the place of the inactive Dont�a Hightower, leading the Patriots with 8 tackles, 2 sacks, a forced fumble, and a tackle for loss.Lawrence Guy, Danny Shelton, and Malcom Brown combined for 2 tackles on the day, but the Bills running backs gained a mere 47 yards on 18 carries, with LeSean McCoy getting a laughable 13 yards on 12 carries.Credit also to the Patriots secondary, with Stephon Gilmore having another great game, holding Kelvin Benjamin to 2 catches for 45 yards on 7 targets, with 40 of those yards coming on a jump ball that he defended as well as he could. Patrick Chung and Devin McCourty did a good job against Charles Clay Duron Harmon Jersey , holding the tight end to 3 catches for 36 yards on 6 targets. McCourty also returned an interception for a touchdown.Hopefully the Patriots defense can build off this and play better over the second half of the season.Special teams had an up-and-down dayThe Patriots didn�t have the best day on special teams, with Ryan Allen averaging an �as-unimpressive-as-it-sounds� 37.0 yards per punt average; the Bills four drives off of Allen punts started at an average of the 37-yard line. On the flip side, Julian Edelman was penalized for an unsportsmanlike penalty that pinned the Patriots on their own 5-yard line.Stephen Gostkowski had a strong day, hitting field goals from 25-, 40-, 38-, and 25-yards and missing one from 50-yards. He also connected on his extra point and did well on his kickoffs with four touchbacks and the Bills starting on an average of the 22-yard line on kicks they returned.The first half of the 2018 NFL Season is in the books.The (6-2) Patriots now have a 2.5-game lead in the AFC East, with the head-to-head tiebreaker over the (4-4) Miami Dolphins. The (3-5) New York Jets and (2-6) Buffalo Bills are pretty far in the rearview mirror as the Patriots are on pace to win their 15th division title in the past 16 years.Within the AFC, the Patriots trail the (7-1) Kansas City Chiefs, but hold the head-to-head tiebreaker if they wind up with matching records at the end of the year. The (5-2) Los Angeles Chargers have the third-best record in the AFC and are second in the AFC West.The (4-2-1) Pittsburgh Steelers somehow lead the AFC North ahead of the (5-3) Cincinnati Bengals and (4-4) Baltimore Ravens, which adds import to the Patriots-Steelers showdown in week 15; the winner has a strong chance of getting a first round bye.Meanwhile, the (5-3) Houston Texans have a strong lead in the AFC South ahead of the (3-4) Tennessee Titans and (3-5) Jacksonville Jaguars. The Patriots have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Texans, again cementing New England in strong position in the conference.The Patriots are 6-2, which is par for the course under head coach Bill Belichick. Only four Patriots teams have started better (8-0 in 2007 and 2015; 7-1 in 2004 and 2016), with the 2003, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, and 2017 Patriots also all starting 6-2.The Belichick teams that didn�t were the 2000-02, 2005, 2008 Andre Tippett Jersey Black Friday , and 2011-12 Patriots. It�s good to note that the Patriots have made every single AFC Championship Game since that 2011 season and that means they�re right on track for the second half of the year. Welcome to your safe space.How�s it feel having the Patriots at 7-2, with a two-game lead in the sinking AFC East, and ranking not only number two in the Conference, but between two and three over all?New England has settled into a winning groove, knocking off the Chiefs and the Packers during their six-game win streak � but for some that 2-2 start is hard to shake off. For those who still have nightmares from Detroit or who had checked off the Chiefs and Packers as automatic losses when the schedule came out back in April, its okay to breathe just a tad easier now.I�m not buying into the analysts who �yawn� or �ho-hum� at how the Pats fought back up standings, but I am buying that Belichick won�t take his foot off the gas until the end, so it�s no jinx if fans relax and enjoy where the team is right now.Really... it�s not a bad place to be and the season is flying by already.What�s ahead? The second-half schedule is plenty meaningful: Four division games, six out of seven conference games, three home games (Minnesota, Buffalo, NY Jets) and four away (Tennessee, NY Jets, Miami and Pittsburgh), with a Week 11 Bye. Sunday at 1:00 the Pats face the �Patriots-South� in Tennessee with many familiar faces, including oldies Mike Vrabel and Dean Pees plus recent former players, Dion Lewis, Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan and Josh Kline.No doubt they�ll be pretty hyped for this game but the Patriots will be steady and ready.Pats win by 17.GO PATS!Around the AFC East:(7-2) New England Patriots at (4-4) Tennessee Titans(5-4) Miami Dolphins at (3-4-1) Green Bay Packers(3-6) New York Jets vs. (2-7) Buffalo BillsAFC Matchups:(8-1) Kansas City Chiefs vs. (2-6) Arizona Cardinals (5-2) Pittsburgh Steelers vs. (6-2) Carolina Panthers (6-2) Los Angeles Chargers at (1-7) Oakland Raiders(5-3) Cincinnati Bengals vs. (7-1) New Orleans Saints(3-5) Jacksonville Jaguars at (3-5) Indianapolis Colts(2-6) Cleveland Browns vs. (4-4) Atlanta FalconsBye Weeks: (3-6) Denver Broncos, (4-5) Baltimore Ravens, (6-3) Houston Texans****************************************************2nd - Pete Prisco (CBS Sports): Ho-hum, it�s November and the Patriots are getting better. Haven�t we seen this script before?.2nd - Elliot Harrison (NFL.com): Before you pick at this ranking, realize that the Patriots won -- by multiple scores https://www.patriotsfanstore.com/Irving-Fryar-Jersey , no less -- without Rob Gronkowski, Sony Michel and Shaq Mason. Tom Brady picked at the Pack�s defense most of the night, being quite familiar with the scheme�s czar, Mike Pettine. Then Brady hit the Joshpot with that odd-looking intermediate throw to Mr. Gordon -- a ball that Julian Edelman initially elevated for ... before bringing his hands down in a move that made him look like a red, white and blue PEZ dispenser. Michel�s absence meant more was required of James White, who was obviously gassed after that trick-play beaut of a screen. What a well-planned, well-timed, well-better-than-anything-the-Packers-showed play call from New England. Edelman delivered calmly and coolly. Again.2nd - Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News): The Patriots made the Tom Brady-Aaron Rodgers showdown more about their running game and defense, and that�s exactly why they remain the best team in the AFC.2nd - Mark Maske (Washington Post): Tom Brady actually seemed confused at times Sunday night by the looks given to him by the Green Bay defense, but he figured out a way to win. Isn�t that how it always goes with Brady and the Patriots? This is resembling another one of those seasons in which a 1-2 start for New England gives way to a Super Bowl appearance.2nd - MMQB Staff (SI): Remember when the Patriots were outside of our Top 10? One of these years we�ll learn not to write them off after a slow start. The Patriots not only jumped the Rams this week, but also the Chiefs.2nd - Expert Consensus (Bleacher Report): There are three constants in life�death, taxes and the New England Patriots hitting the halfway point in the season with a stranglehold on the AFC East.2nd - Joshua Schrock (NESN): The Patriots continue to get better and better with each week. New England�s defense stole the show in Week 9, holding Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to 17 points in a 31-17 win at Gillette Stadium. Tom Brady and Co. now have won six games in a row and have done so with key members of the offense missing a number of games. There�s no telling how good the Pats will be come January.2nd - Staff (AP Pro32).3rd - Rebecca Toback (SB Nation): The Patriots and Chiefs both moved down one spot, but more because of the Saints� recent dominance than anything else. Those three teams along with the Rams are clearly separating from the pack and the 6-2 Chargers aren�t far behind...3rd - Nate Davis (USA Today): Bill Belichick has to be wondering if former prot茅g茅 Matt Patricia will provide any potential cheat codes to fellow rookie HC Mike Vrabel this week.3rd - Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk): They may not lose again, playoffs included.4th - Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports): Josh Gordon had 130 yards and it looks like he�s going to be a dominant force down the stretch. Who could have ever guessed that the Patriots paying nothing for a player of Gordon�s talent in a trade could end up being a good deal? Never saw that coming.4th - Experts (ESPN): A 1-2 start wasn�t entirely unexpected, in part because Julian Edelman was serving a four-game NFL suspension and the Patriots have had some early-season struggles in past years, but that is the main reason the club has had a two-spot dip from preseason expectations. But credit also goes to the Rams and Chiefs, two teams who have far exceeded projections, even though the Patriots dealt the Chiefs their lone loss of the season.4th - Joe Giglio (NJ.com): How impressive is New England�s success? Sunday�s win over the Packers barely registered here on these rankings. It was expected. Another 12-or-13-win season a bye week is on the way.4th - Bryan Fischer (Athlon Sports): Even without Gronk, that was quite an impressive effort against the Packers on both sides of the ball. That slow start seems like it�s a thing of the past as the AFC favorites have another clear path to the Super Bowl.4th - Russell S. Baxter (Fansided): The Pats own a two-game lead in the AFC East and the only other team above .500 are the erratic Miami Dolphins. Belichick�s club has now won six consecutive games after that 1-2 start and appears on course to capture a 10th straight division title. There�s still a lot of football ahead but this team has found its stride.Week 10 Average Rank: 2.8 (+0.3)