FanPost

When In Doubt Ask a Pat's Fan About Keys to the Game



I'll try my best to avoid making this about the QBs.

How can the Broncos beat the Pats in New England?

Test the middle of the field with the pass.

In the 2nd round of the 2012 draft, Belichick shocked the draftnik-world by picking S Tavon Wilson out of Illinois. It was chaos. Skip Bayless had to be medicated. Some had Wilson as a 5th rounder at best, undrafted a distinct possibility. Since then he has had a strong camp and thus far has performed well in limited time(2 INTs, 2 FRs, 5 PDs). That time may not be so limited now as the veteran addition FS Steve Gregory got dinged up on Sunday and missed practice. After Patrick Chung, Steve Gregory, and Tavon Wilson is Nate Ebner. Nate Ebner is a rookie who played less than a half-dozen snaps on Defense in college. MLB Brandon Spikes performs very well against the run but can struggle in coverage. While I don't see the middle as a weakness against the run, it could be exposed in the passing game.

Don't get rolled over upfront.

I'm sorry, but I'm going to say it; the middle of the Broncos' offensive line is going to be getting attacked. Attacked. And then attacked some more. The Patriots know Dan Koppen better than the Broncos do. If Urbik isn't ready to go, the next man up is Manny Ramirez- and I hope you all understand why saying that name makes a New Englander grin. Beadles at LG isn't bad, but he doesn't really look like a Pro-Bowler. They'll be dealing with run-stuffer Kyle Love, pass-rusher Jermaine Cunningham, captain Vince Wilfork, and also MLB Brandon "Pow" Spikes. If you're confused about that last bit, ask Twitter.

Also, Brady and Manning have something in common; they are effected far more by pressure from upfront than from the edges.

Keep communicating in the back-end.

The Patriots have as much respect for Champ Bailey as they do for Peyton Manning. In other words, they are going to move their receivers around a lot. Someone else in the secondary is going to need to step up, and they'll need to be disciplined as a unit when Brady pulls out the no-huddle.

Get some out of your rookie.

I liked Derek Wolfe coming out a little more than most but I was still surprised he went that early. Pats have struggled with pressure upfront. Didn't I say something like this earlier? Wolfe will get a chance to make a difference.

What should this key be?

Questions, pictures of cheer-leaders below. I miss MHR and the old set up. Do you feel more sb-united now than you did one season ago?

This is a Fan-Created Comment on MileHighReport.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff of MHR.