Stats on Pats Weekly By Ian Abreu, southcoast247.com correspondent
Week XIII Wrap-up
For the first time in over a month, I'm actually excited about what I'm seeing from these Patriots. What I saw on Sunday, I liked. Running backs Cory Dillon and Kevin Faulk were activated, as well as go-to receiver David Givens. This should help their anemic offense as of late. Not only was I impressed offensively, I was wooed on the defensive side of the ball as well. New York Jets running back Curtis Martin was isolated all afternoon; you know that if you stymie Martin, the Jets have literally no shot. Even though Sunday's mini snow bowl show-down with New York was all-out boring at times, the Pats did what they had to do in order to win, and they did, 16-3--a game in which the Jets really had no shot.
Pats D Looking Mighty Fine
It was a comforting to sign to see New England's (7-4) defense getting off the field on third downs. We've become quite accustomed to seeing other offenses rack up long, time consuming drives against this un-established defense; that wasn't the case against the Jets. As said earlier, Curtis Martin was stopped cold in his tracks all afternoon, rushing for only 41 yards on 16 carries. That averages to about 2.6 yards a carry. I guess that was his Cedric Cobbs impression. Remember him? Linebacker Rosevelt Colvin and defensive tackles Vince Wilfork, Richard Seymour, and Jarvis Green were all in sync time and time again. It appeared as though the Pats defensive corps had Jets (2-10) QB Brooks Bollinger's snap count down to a tee. Speaking of Bollinger, he looked over-matched whenever he was forced to drop back and pass. With the constant pressure from New England's front seven, Bollinger looked like a deer in the headlights.
Offense Not Great... But Good Enough Against Sub-Par Defense
As said earlier, seeing the likes of both Cory Dillon and Kevin Faulk in the back-field was a sight for soar eyes. Even though Dillon didn't crack the 100-yard mark, he did rush for 65 yards on 16 carries; including a 1-yard touchdown burst that put New England 13-3 in the third. Third down backs Faulk and Mike Cloud got the job done as well, combining for over 70, hard-fought yards. Tom Brady wasn't terrific, but was solid, going 27-37 for 271 yards with no touchdown passes. It was shades of deja-vu seeing Tom hook up with their number four reciever; of course I'm speaking about none other than the indestructible veteran, Troy Brown. Brown had five catches for 64 yards.
Vinatieri Passes Cappelletti as Pats All-Time Leading Scorer
With just seven seconds left in the second-half, Adam Vinatieri forever cemented himself in Patriots lore (as if he had to anymore than he has) as he nailed a 34-yard field goal. Just a field goal, your thinking, right? Wrong! This field goal moved Adam to the top of a very prestigious list as the new all-time point scoring leader in New England Patriots history. The record was held by Patriots radio commentator and long-time kicker/wide receiver Gino Cappelletti for over 30 years. Gino amassed over 1,130 points over a 10-year span (1960-70). "Gino still is, and will always be an ultimate Patriot," a humbled Vinatieri said during his post-game press conference. "When you pass a man like Gino, it could mean a couple of things. Either you've been on some successful teams, or you've been around a long time."
That'll wrap up another edition of Stats on Pats. Make sure you check back next week for a full review of next week's big divisional show-down against the Buffalo Bills up in Buffalo. New England can clinch the 14th playoff berth in franchise history with a victory and a loss by the Miami Dolphins, but the Patriots face a tough roadblock in the way of that goal. The Bills are 4-2 at home this season, with both losses coming in games decided by just one score. It should be a good one, no doubting that.
If you wish to give Ian some loving, or, bitch at him for that matter, then hit up his email. Ian@southcoast247.com. Don't be shy Pats fans!
For the first time in over a month, I'm actually excited about what I'm seeing from these Patriots. What I saw on Sunday, I liked. Running backs Cory Dillon and Kevin Faulk were activated, as well as go-to receiver David Givens. This should help their anemic offense as of late. Not only was I impressed offensively, I was wooed on the defensive side of the ball as well. New York Jets running back Curtis Martin was isolated all afternoon; you know that if you stymie Martin, the Jets have literally no shot. Even though Sunday's mini snow bowl show-down with New York was all-out boring at times, the Pats did what they had to do in order to win, and they did, 16-3--a game in which the Jets really had no shot.
