BenJarvus Green-Ellis Emerges as a Feature Back for the New England Patriots
The New England Patriots were able to keep on winning Sunday, extending their streak to five straight victories as they handed the Minnesota Vikings their second consecutive loss and an even bigger loss by knocking Brett Favre out of the game.
Tom Brady extended his home winning streak to 24 games, just one behind Favre's record of 25, as the Patriots opened up their third season out of the past seven with a record of 6-1 or better.
But these are just a few of the tidbits of information to take away from the game. Here are some big things we learned from Sunday's game.
Green-Ellis Becoming a Feature Back
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In what was a back-and-forth game in the early going, the Patriots were able to get momentum in their favor in the second half by putting more emphasis on the running game, which was anemic in the first half.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis averaged one yard per carry in the first half, but broke through the Vikings defense in the second half and finished with 112 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns. But wait...you're not supposed to be able to run against the Vikings, right?
More evidence that Green-Ellis is becoming a feature back in New England.
He has found the end zone in five straight games. Remember when he was buried on the Patriots depth chart so deep it was hard for him to get carries? Safe to say those days are over.
He had big carries in key spots, getting the Patriots first downs as they wound down the clock and helping them march up the field on their touchdown drives.
Who Needs Randy Moss?
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Although diverting attention from other players helped the Vikings a bit, Randy Moss was held to just one reception for eight yards.
Hardly the "take the top off the defense" style of play we're used to seeing from Moss.
The Patriots refused to let him beat them deep, shading a safety on him for the duration of the game. Brandon Meriweather was given the double duty against him, with Kyle Arrington lined up across from him on most downs.
On one play, Moss blew past a run-blitzing Devin McCourty and looked ready to get his retribution, but Meriweather took the pass interference penalty by nudging him on his way toward the end zone instead of allowing Moss to get by him for six.
Belichick has a rep for eliminating an offense's best threat and making a team use its other options. Much of the beer banter over the week has centered around whether Bill Belichick would deem Adrian Peterson or Moss that threat. I think we have our answer.
But It Impacted the Patriots Offense, For Sure
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Wes Welker was only targeted five times and made three receptions for 24 yards. I think it's safe to say we now know how big of an impact Moss' presence had on this offense, at least for Welker.
That impact has translated over to the Vikings as well. Minnesota's own version of Welker, Percy Harvin, did a ton of damage with six receptions for 104 yards, catching balls across the underbelly of a weak Patriots pass defense.
The Patriots clearly have no hard feelings toward Moss, but I'm sure Welker would be the first to create a petition to get Moss back on the team (more on that later).
Bend-Don't-Break Defense Making Its Return
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Short-yardage situations against Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings have been feared by any defense that's been unfortunate enough to face it. The Patriots, however, did a solid job of stifling Peterson on Sunday.
Despite giving up 410 yards, the Patriots were able to get key stops on third downs, holding the Vikings to just four conversions on their 11 attempts.
Most impressive, though, was their fourth-and-goal stop of Adrian Peterson at the end of the first half in which rookies Jermaine Cunningham and Brandon Spikes joined forces for the two-yard loss that allowed the Patriots to take a 7-7 tie into the locker room.
Tom Brady Returning to Form
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With the departure of Randy Moss, the Patriots have evolved into a small-ball style of offense.
With Moss, Tom Brady had 911 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions in four games. Since he's left, Brady's production has taken a big hit with 691 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
They continue to use quick throws to veterans Deion Branch and Wes Welker, while finding ways to get Danny Woodhead involved in the action on mismatches. Overall, this offense plays off its matchups at every turn, utilizing Woodhead and Aaron Hernandez in those regard.
Brady hasn't looked bad out there, though. The dip in statistics stems from pressure that's been reaching Brady more frequently, as well as the Patriots switching their offensive style to more ball control to help keep their young defense off the field and rested.
New England Patriots Have the Best Record in Football
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At 6-1, the Patriots have the best record in the NFL after the Pittsburgh Steelers took their second loss Sunday night against the New Orleans Saints.
I'm not sure you would need more than one hand to count the number of people who thought the Patriots would have a far worse record at this point in the season, but that's the nature of football.
Some of their opponents have been falling short of expectations as well. The Bengals, Chargers and Vikings were all projected to be winning teams that had a big chance to make the playoffs, but thus far have a combined 7-15 record.
That's not to undermine the Patriots' accomplishments thus far; it's just to prove that things aren't always what they seem in the offseason. Especially when your roster sports the names "Tom Brady" and "Bill Belichick."
Second-Half Swing
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A defensive struggle in the first half left the scoreboard knotted up at seven points apiece. After surrendering a field goal five minutes into the third quarter, the Patriots bounced back with two quick scores: a 65-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Tate and a 13-yard touchdown run by BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The two touchdown drives took a grand total of 3:22.
The defense wouldn't let the offense get all the glory for the comeback, though.
Sandwiched in the middle was a big three-and-out series and an interception by Devin McCourty.
Devin McCourty Is Worth the Hype
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First-round draft pick Devin McCourty was highly criticized as the player the Patriots took instead of the standout wideout from Oklahoma State, Dez Bryant.
The rookie is worth his weight in salt, though, and has proven it over the past two weeks with timely interceptions on two of the game's best quarterbacks, Philip Rivers and Brett Favre. He nearly had another pick against the Vikings, but it fell out of his hands as he and Percy Harvin jockeyed for position.
McCourty has been catching on over the past few weeks especially, and the playing time is paying off. In fact, the play he missed when he was shaken up in the third quarter was the first defensive snap he's missed all season.
Randy Moss' Postgame Rant: the Vikings Edition
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After a 38-24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, then-Patriot Moss offered up a long postgame speech (read: diatribe) regarding a lack of respect and the feeling that people didn't want him to do well in his final year in New England.
He got a trade to the Vikings and, three losses later, he couldn't seem more unhappy about it. He said he nearly "shedded a tear" when he got an ovation at the end of the game from the fans at Gillette Stadium.
Any thoughts of distaste between Moss and the Patriots organization were swiftly sent to the wayside, with the under-appreciation he felt in New England swiftly healed.
Despite that sense of under-appreciation, Moss expressed undying appreciation and respect for the Patriots organization, saying, "I actually salute Coach Belichick and his team for the success they've had before me, during me and after me."
Randy Moss was held to just one reception for eight yards in Sunday's loss, and although he may have said otherwise, he definitely wasn't "stuck for words" after the game.
Next Week: at Cleveland Browns
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The Bill Belichick-Eric Mangini rivalry picks back up in Week 9 as the Patriots travel to Cleveland to face the 2-5 Browns, who are hot off a win over the New Orleans Saints.
It's a game that hasn't received much anticipation up to now, but with each week providing a new surprise, the 2010 season is quickly proving to be an amiable representation of all the sayings: any given Sunday, that's why they play the games, etc.
The Browns are the decided underdogs on paper, but that doesn't mean anything, especially this year.
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