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Patriots’ vision for 2024 on display in validating win over Bengals originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The second offensive drive of the Patriots’ 2024 season took 14 plays, covered 85 yards, consumed 7:20 and ended with a touchdown.
The Patriots had one — ONE! — touchdown drive last season that was longer: a 17-play, 78-yard odyssey that consumed 9:30 and ended with a touchdown. And they STILL lost the game to the Raiders and backup quarterback Brian Hoyer who — coincidentally — spent Sunday breaking down all that went right with a Patriots offense that was supposed to be oh, so wrong.
Sunday’s stunning win over the Bengals was a triumph for the overlooked, lowly-regarded and too-easily dismissed. I’m thinking specifically of offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
Castoffs. Not has-beens but never-weres. Not just omitted from any team’s short list for as an ideal QB-OC combo, but not on a whole lot of “long lists” either.
Sunday completely validated the Patriots’ decision to hire Van Pelt, Jerod Mayo’s decision to let him have free rein over the offense and the decision to start Brissett and let Drake Maye marinate.
This kind of performance was PRECISELY what Van Pelt envisioned. Dominate on the ground. Be productive on first down. Stay short and conservative in the passing game. Move the chains. Don’t give the ball to the other team. Trust Brissett’s accuracy, toughness and decision-making. Don’t ask too much of a modestly talented offensive line.
All while a talented and well-stocked defense harasses one of the best quarterbacks in the league, tackles like hungry leopards on the savannah and the special teams is efficient and opportunistic.
It was so perfectly Belichickian in every aspect that in a green room somewhere maybe a single tear trickled down his powdered cheek.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_rWdyhsge3
You might disagree with me thinking one game validates ANYTHING. What happens if Brissett spends the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-vision-2024-display-validating-171244783.html
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2024-09-09 17:43:39
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