The New England Patriots opened the new NFL season with a 28-21 victory over Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night. Quarterback Tom Brady was instrumental in his side’s success, completing 25 of his 32 passes whilst throwing four touchdowns throughout the clash. Brady, who was originally suspended for the opening four matches of the season for his role in the ‘Deflategate’ scandal, was clearly keen to prove his critics wrong after his ban was rescinded. The signal caller was playing with a chip on his shoulder and produced a superb performance to remind everybody to focus on his on-field performances rather than the previous events throughout the summer.
The Patriots exploited Pittsburgh’s defensive frailties and Brady’s quick thinking was a key reason for Thursday’s victory. Tight-end Rob Gronkowski played an integral role in New England’s offense, scoring three touchdowns and racking up 94 yards off five receptions. ‘Gronk’ is the best tight-end in the NFL and his versatility means that the Patriots number 87 is capable of lining up at both wide receiver or tight-end. For his first and third scores, the Patiots lined Gronkowski up as a wide receiver and took advantage of one-on-one coverage. It’s almost impossible to cover him in double coverage yet alone single so the Patriots will look to utilise their star tight-end in these formations throughout the season.
After their excellent performance against the Steelers, New England’s odds for Super Bowl success have come shooting in. Many punters believe that, with Brady at the helm for the entire campaign, the Patriots stand a great chance of defending their crown this season. While their exact odds fluctuate with various bookmakers, Bonus.ca’s website can keep you updated on all of the latest American Football bonuses, promotions and enhancements. Bill Belichick’s men will be eager to bounce back after a difficult offseason and focus entirely on their on-field performances throughout the campaign.
Defensively, the Patriots are suspect and the better teams in the NFL will exploit their inexperience over the course of the season. They lost the likes of Vince Wilfork, Brandon Browner andΒ Darrelle Revis in the offseason and free agency period and have struggled to bring in any depth, particularly in the secondary. Malcolm Butler did a reasonably goodΒ job at containing Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown on Thursday but the cornerback remains inexperienced and was caught out on a couple of occasions. Those top players will continue to make the most of New England’s difficulties in defence throughout the year.
With Tom Brady at his best, anything is possible this season – that’s how good the Patriots number 12 is. Brady is one of the greatest signal callers of all-time and the Brady/Belichick combination isn’t done yet. New England may have problems on defence but they are the best side in the league at grinding out victories and will ensure that their defence is on the field for as little time as possible. With a bit of luck and no serious injury concerns to Gronkowski or Edelman, the Patriots will be there or thereabouts this season and may even retain their Super Bowl title on February 7th at Levi’s Stadium.
Picture Β byΒ Β Keith AllisonΒ
Advocating for football prospects one story at a time.
CFC Prospect Game Spotlight: Alberta punter aiming for the moon
