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Mike Reiss and Chris Forsberg have the Patriots blanketed for ESPNBoston.com. Check in for constantly updated coverage. Blog
The Patriots are 4-1, tied for the best record in the AFC with the Bills and Chargers. If we've learned anything through the first five weeks of the season, it's that every AFC team is flawed and that the Patriots remain in the elite class.
Q. I don't think Dallas will do the Pats a favor like the Jets and force the run. Quarterback Tony Romo will throw and often. Miles Austin , Dez Bryant and Jason Witten will give the Pats secondary major problems. Dallas is very good defensively against the pass and run. It's been Romo that has killed them thus far. This is a bad matchup with a desperate and talented team coming in after a bye week. Thoughts? -- John (Walpole, Mass.)
A. John, I agree this is a tough matchup. If the game was in Dallas, I'd probably lean toward picking the Cowboys. At this point, I am leaning toward the Patriots slightly. As we've learned, the NFL is all about matchups and I think the Cowboys have the personnel to exploit some of the Patriots' weaker areas. If they can play turnover-free football, I think they have a real chance to come up here and hand Brady his first regular-season home loss since 2006.
Q. I thought Logan Mankins and Matt Light were superb opening holes against the Jets. Dallas is top-ranked in rush defense at 3.1 yards per attempt. Will the Patriots be as balanced against Dallas and they were against the Jets? -- David (North Attleboro, Mass.)
A. Good stat on the Dallas run defense, David. I think it's going to be tougher to run against this Cowboys defense. I expect more of a passing, spread game, assuming the Patriots can protect. That's no given against this Cowboys defense.
Q. Mike, listening to Tom Brady's comments in interviews after the game it sounded like he was physically and emotionally exhausted. In fact, he commented on how much he and rest of the team put into prep for the Jets. Hearing that, I am worried that this could be a letdown week vs. the Cowboys. I know Bill Belichick does a great job of focusing on the task at hand, but with the bye ahead and coming off big win vs. a hated rival, do you see a chance for a letdown? -- MainerMike (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
A. Mike, I think it's tough to get up each week and this is a fair concern. That said, this is an area in which Bill Belichick and players have been pretty consistent. They give themselves that 24-hour rule to enjoy the victory, then they recharge the batteries, hit the reset button, and start working on the next opponent. They won't take the Cowboys lightly, I have no doubt about that. One counterpoint that I think could help is that the defense didn't play as much as it has in recent weeks (54 snaps, including penalties), so that could help.
Q. Mike, two personnel-related questions here to throw at you. Much has been made of Chad Ochocinco's slow start but do you think it could just be a case of him being behind other guys on the depth chart? Maybe he's not struggling to grasp the offense or his role he's just not as good as Wes Welker , Deion Branch or the tight ends. The other question is on Kyle Arrington . He's obviously in the mix at corner and needed because of the depth issues there, but doesn't he seem like a better fit at safety? He's got good size and he's able to play physical. It could be something to consider down the road. -- Dean (Taunton, Mass.)
A. Dean, when it comes to Ochocinco, I think it's both. He's not as good as Deion Branch and Wes Welker and he doesn't have the full playbook down. One simply has to see the problems he's having lining up to come to that conclusion. As for Arrington, I think he could do it at safety in a pinch. But I think his better position is cornerback. I thought he played a good game Sunday.
Q. Hi Mike, is it time to cut ties with Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth? Will we see Shane Vereen and Taylor Price this year, or are they two more wasted picks? -- Paul (Watertown, Mass.)
A. Paul, I don't think it's time to cut ties with Ochocinco and Haynesworth as much as I'd say it might be time to shift expectations. Clearly, it hasn't worked out as planned with Ochocinco. Based on what they are paying him ($6 million this year between signing bonus and salary), I'm sure this isn't what the team was banking on. But as a No. 3 receiver who can fill a niche role, he still has some value. I still believe Price has a chance to be a player; you just hope, from a Patriots perspective, that the addition of Ochocinco didn't block too much of his development. As for Haynesworth, the back injury is something a team can't project. But like Ochocinco at this point, in a niche role, I still think he brings some value. On Vereen, I think he will be a good player for them, but his preseason injury set him back.
Q. Mike, in last week's mailbag, I thought you took a stance defending Haynesworth's production due to his back injury, which is out of his control. I disagree. I think it's apparent that he came into camp out of shape and is still out of shape. If you don't take care of your body you are more susceptible to injury and that is what we are seeing. He can't stay on the field and that is on him. This should be taken into account when reviewing his production through 5 weeks. We're 30 percent through the season and he has only showed up for one game. -- Matt (Boston)
A. Matt, this is a fair point. Conditioning is clearly still an issue. At the same time, I think you have to hold the team accountable too. They traded for him, giving up a fifth-round draft choice, and the deal was contingent on a physical. If Haynesworth looked to be in that poor of shape, they could have nixed the deal. I do think Haynesworth has a chance to help the team this year; I just think my prediction for a seven-sack season isn't looking too good right now.
Q. Hey Mike, I know he didn't show up on the stat sheet but what kind of impact, if any, did Haynesworth have against the Jets? It was hard to tell during the game how much he contributed. Thoughts? -- Jamie (Richmond, Va.)
A. Jamie, he was on the field for 20 of 54 snaps (includes one penalty) and his role was mostly to push the pocket in sub packages. I thought he did so at times. From an overall perspective, it's still limited impact based on what I was expecting. Here is Bill Belichick's view when asked on Monday: "I thought he did some things to help us."
Q. Mike, I think Patriot Nation is getting impatient with the progression of Ochocinco, and at the same point eagerly anticipating the return of Taylor Price. This is the second game in a row that Price was suited up but did not play (at least much). When is the "tipping point" for realizing Ocho was a nice experiment but he is now hindering the development of Price with nothing much to show for it? -- David (Phoenix)
A. David, I'm going to echo a point that Tedy Bruschi made in our weekly podcast. If it doesn't happen by the bye week, that's enough time to make a determination that, in the words of Bill Belichick, "it is what it is."
A. Ian, I view this as a long shot. Pass-rushers are hard to find, and even a team out of contention is going to be unlikely to trade one away because they are a commodity. And as we've seen from year to year, a team out of contention can quickly rebound the next year, so gutting the roster doesn't make much sense if the pass-rusher still has something to offer. I like the topic and think the Patriots' next opponent, the Cowboys, is a good one to look at when it comes to landing top pass-rush talent. They've invested in that area with first-round picks DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer and that's what I think the Patriots could benefit from.
Q. Mike, I usually don't notice the coordinators but I thought Bill O'Brien called a fantastic game against the Jets. The direct snap to BenJarvus Green-Ellis on third-and-4 was brilliant and the long play to Welker to start the second half was a gutsy call. How do you think he's doing this season? -- Tanvir (Norwalk, Conn.)
A. Tanvir, I agree with the thoughts on O'Brien. I've always thought O'Brien was a solid coach and the thing that stood out to me Sunday was that he stuck with the running game, staying disciplined in that area, even when there wasn't much success early. I thought that was key.
A. Nayab, the game has changed and Belichick is attempting to adjust with it. Some might say he's been a bit slow to do so. I'd also add that Bill Belichick the personnel evaluator could do a better job helping Bill Belichick the coach. All that said, let's not forget the bottom line and Belichick has had a lot of wins in recent years.
Q. The Patriots' last drive was a huge improvement over the early season mentality, successfully running out the clock with the game on the line. Great game by BJGE, but what happened to Stevan Ridley ? Was this just a case of BGJE's more patient approach as a better fit against the Jets than Ridley's straight ahead running? -- Patrick (Kennett Square, Pa.)
A. Patrick, the thing that stood out to me the most was that the coaching staff was sticking with the known talent in a game of this early-season magnitude. Also, Green-Ellis was used in Danny Woodhead's role as the passing back, which added to his playing time total (61 of 81 snaps, including penalties). Ridley's opportunities were limited in this one, but I could see him getting more time in the weeks ahead. Just a unique set of circumstances against the Jets.
A. Mike, I think it was both. The Jets made a lot of mistakes. At the same time, I give the Patriots' defense credit for playing the run tough and coming up with some big stops.
A. Brian, I think Revis is the best cornerback in the NFL. At the same time, I do believe he gets away with his fair share of holding/illegal contact penalties, a la Ty Law . I saw a few Sunday. On a related note, you have to give Wes Welker credit for that 73-yard catch against the Revis/ Eric Smith combination. You don't see Revis involved in too many miscommunications and that speaks highly to the high level of Welker's play in 2011.
A. Larry, Belichick was pretty expansive on this topic over the last two days, crediting his coaches in the booth for their work. Specifically, he mentioned football research director Ernie Adams. He is one of Belichick's most trusted advisors. Belichick said Monday on sports radio WEEI that he thinks Adams knows the rulebook as well as anyone.
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