NFL Playoff Predictions: 10 Key Impact Players for the New England Patriots
If Bill Belichick is good at one thing, it's winning one game. Whatever game that may be. Especially if it's important, and especially if it's in the playoffs.
He has plenty of big-time players that he'll be looking to for a big-time impact this postseason.
With the bar already set so high, these are the guys who will be counted on for impact performances in the coming weeks.
10. Gerard Warren
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2010 stats: 26 tackles, 3.5 sacks
Brandon Deaderick has been suspended by the team, and Ron Brace was also placed on injured reserve. With those two key absences from the defensive line, it's up to the guys who are with the team for the postseason to do more than their share of the work.
Gerard Warren has far exceeded the expectations that were set upon him when he was acquired from the Raiders in the 2010 offseason. Far from the norm for 3-4 defensive ends, Warren has been one of the team's leaders in sacks this year. He'll be asked to collapse the pocket on some much more elite competition in a couple of weeks time.
9. Devin McCourty
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2010 stats: 73 tackles, sack, seven interceptions, two forced fumbles
As a candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year, McCourty has proven that he can make a huge impact for the Patriots defense. He's not yet of the caliber of shutdown cornerbacks like Nnamdi Asomugha and (dare I say it) Darrelle Revis, but he's well on his way.
Needless to say, the level of competition in the playoffs will be thus to give McCourty a shot to really prove himself. Other teams may shy away from his side of the field, but if he's covering the other team's No. 1 receiving option, he could be targeted on third downs, an area in which the Patriots struggled early but improved late in the season.
8. Patrick Chung
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2010 stats: 91 tackles, three interceptions, one touchdown; blocked punt, blocked field goal
Chung is one of those "enforcer" safeties we always hear about. His presence on the field makes a huge difference for the defense as a whole. He's not quite on par with Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu and Bob Sanders just yet, but his stats speak for themselves. If they don't, his swagger and full-tilt style of play should.
Chung has done it all for the Patriots this season, even filling in as a cornerback in certain packages when they were thin on DBs. With plenty of time for the players to rest, and with several coming back from their injuries, Chung should resume his rightful role as a fixture at safety, and the Patriots will be all the better for it.
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7. Jerod Mayo
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2010 stats: 174 total tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries
Fans wanted more big plays out of Mayo, and they got them. He increased his numbers across the board in all the "sexy" stats, but has still yet to log an interception. He has, however, created plenty of plays that won't show up on the stat sheet: third-down stops. It's impossible for me to prove, but if my memory serves me right, Mayo has been the reason for many drive-killing tackles.
Mayo's presence has been essential to the Patriots ranking 11th in rushing yards allowed, and with some potentially tough rush attacks coming up, like the Ravens and the Jets, the Patriots will have to get big performances out of Mayo. That appears all but a certainty, as Mayo has been playing some of his best football this year.
6. Rob Gronkowski
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2010 stats: 42 receptions, 546 yards, 10 touchdowns
Gronkowski ranks particularly high on this list because he's virtually uncoverable. Cornerbacks can't take him on because he's too big. Linebackers can't take him on because he's too athletic.
His wing span makes him a favorite target of Brady's because the ball can be thrown anywhere in Gronkowski's general vicinity and still be a completion. It doesn't hurt that almost one out of every four of Gronkowski's receptions this season have gone for touchdowns.
5. Logan Mankins
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No, Mankins doesn't add any stats. His performances aren't key for numbers, unless you want to count starts. He hasn't missed one due to injury since coming into the league in 2005.
Mankins brings an extra shot of piss and vinegar to the Patriots offensive line. That toughness and attitude will come in quite handy in January in Foxboro, when the Patriots are expected to run the ball a bit more frequently.
He'll be tasked with some tough competition, facing either a stout Jets, Ravens or Chiefs front seven. The former two groups are known for their toughness and rough style of play. Mankins isn't afraid to get down and dirty with those guys.
4. Wes Welker
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2010 stats: 86 receptions, 848 yards, seven touchdowns
Those are some very modest numbers from Wes Welker, who has been a 100-receptions machine since joining the Patriots in 2007, but remember that he was coming back from reconstructive knee surgery just eight months after the injury, and getting acclimated to additional coverage in the absence of Randy Moss.
Still, sure-handedness in the playoffs is invaluable. So is such an ability to convert third downs that Welker has often endearingly been called "The Slot Machine."
Brady has plenty of security blankets at his disposal, but Welker and Brady have rapport that spans three full seasons. Look for that connection to come in handy in the playoffs.
3. Vince Wilfork
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2010 stats: 57 tackles, two sacks, fumble recovery
Wilfork can make a huge impact for the Patriots without registering a single stat in the stat sheet. As proof, Wilfork didn't register a single sack last season, yet all offseason he was heralded as the best nose tackle in the league. He almost went 0-for again this season until finally logging a sack on Tyler Thigpen in Sunday's contest against the Dolphins.
His impact goes beyond the numbers, it's his ability to soak up the blockers and let the linebackers roam free to make the plays that sets him apart.
With teams more heavily focusing on running the ball effectively, especially come playoff time, it will be up to Wilfork to clog the lanes before the running back rips through them.
2. Danny Woodhead
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2010 stats: 97 carries, 547 yards, five rushing touchdowns; 34 receptions, 379 yards, receiving touchdown
I wrote about Woodhead recently, and I stand by my word. The word "x-factor" haven't applied to a Patriot this accurately in recent memory. Much like Kevin Faulk, Woodhead is one of the biggest keys to the Patriots' success. He's a quintessential "Mr. Everything" for the Patriots offense, as a pass-catcher, a slot receiver and a pure running back.
Nothing swings the momentum of a game quite like a big play, and Woodhead has broken plenty of them. He registered at least one play of over 20 yards in five of his 13 games, and at least one play of 10 or more yards in 10 of those games.
Big players make big plays, but the little guy may be making the biggest ones come playoff time.
1. Tom Brady
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2010 stats: 324-for-492, 3,900 yards, 36 touchdowns, four interceptions,
You knew this was coming.
The potential league MVP has made a living dissecting some of the league's best defenses this year, especially down the stretch. He's playing some of the best football of his career this season, even comparable to his 2007 season. Maybe not in terms of productivity (50 touchdowns is hard to match), but certainly better in terms of efficiency.
If the Patriots are going to make a deep run in the playoffs, Tom will have to be just as terrific as he was all season, if not more so against some tough teams that the Patriots have already played.
But Really, Theyre All Important
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With guys like Eric Moore, Rob Ninkovich, Kyle Arrington, Danny Woodhead, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis stepping up this season, it's been a who's-who of "who's that?"
Bill Belichick always emphasizes the importance of the team aspect of football. It's not just about one, or even 10 guys making a big impact. Solid performances will be needed from everyone who plays even one down, even if it's on special teams.
One false move could mean the end of the magical ride that has been the Patriots' 2010 season. Belichick is probably preaching this to his team as we speak.
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