Rams Opponent Profile: Patriots Present Difficult Challenge For Los Angeles In Week 13
By Sam McPherson
It doesn't get any easier for the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13 coming off a 49-21 thumping at the hands of the New Orleans Saints. Still reeling from the wounds inflicted in Louisiana, the Rams travel to New England to take on the Patriots, and the Tom Brady-led offense will be just as much of a headache for the L.A. defense as Drew Brees and his Saints were last weekend. For the 4-7 Rams, it just makes reaching .500 this season that much more improbable, unless some major upsets occur over the final five weeks of the 2016 NFL season.
Los Angeles rookie quarterback Jared Goff will get his third career start against the defensive mind of New England head coach Bill Belichick, a sideline mind known for his ability to disrupt even the most accomplished veteran QBs. All in all, it is not a promising situation for the Rams to be heading into right now.
Patriots Season Record
New England sits atop the AFC East Division with a 9-2 record, which is also tied for the best record in the AFC with the Oakland Raiders. The Patriots suffered a 16-0 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 4 at home while Brady was on suspension, and they also lost in Week 10 to the Seattle Seahawks by a touchdown. In truth, the Patriots haven't played a lot of good teams this year, as the best team New England has beaten is seven-win Miami, and that was back in Week 2 without Brady as well.
Patriots On Offense
It all starts and ends with Brady in New England. He's thrown 18 TDs this season and just one interception, while posting a 116.7 QB rating. Six different players have at least 20 receptions for the Patriots this season, and seven players have at least two TD catches as well. But it's not just the aerial attack for the New England offense these days. Running back LeGarrette Blount has 869 yards on the ground this year, along with 12 rushing TDs. The Pats can beat any opponent through the air or on the ground, whatever the situation demands.
The WR corps may be deep in New England, but they are not particularly talented in terms of Pro Bowl players. The best receiving talents on this team are the tight ends, Martellus Bennett and Rob Gronkowski. When both those players are healthy, it's very tough to stop the Patriots offense.
Patriots On Defense
No matter who suits up for New England, the team almost always manages to field a strong defensive unit. This season is no different. The Patriots have allowed the third-fewest points per game (17.6) in the NFL this season, despite lacking a dominant, singular force on that side of the ball. The top four tacklers on the defense play in the secondary, but don't let that fool you into thinking New England lacks a strong front seven. Six players that play either on the defensive line or in the linebacking unit have at least two sacks on the season.
The Pats come at you from all angles on defense. They have only forced 11 turnovers this year, so that is the weakness of the New England defense. It is a bend-but-don't-break unit, allowing a lot of yards but not a lot of points. An offense like the Rams' current unit plays right into the hands of this defense, considering the youth at QB for Los Angeles right now.
Patriots Players To Watch
Rob Gronkowski makes this offense something unstoppable, as the NFL has seen over the years. Fortunately for the rest of the NFL teams, he cannot seem to stay healthy. Gronk left the last game with a back problem, and it is undetermined at this time if he will be able to play against the Rams. Gronkowski is averaging a career-best 21.6 yards per catch in 2016, although he's missed three games and only started six total this year. When he's on the field, Gronk has to be the focal point of the defense.
Outlook
After the disaster in New Orleans, it's hard to imagine the Los Angeles defense recovering to stop the Patriots offense. New England struggled a bit on the road last weekend against the New York Jets, and usually the Patriots come off a bad game like that and take it out on the next opponent. This year, for example, New England followed its two losses with two wins by a combined 63-30 margin. The Pats didn't lose to the Jets last weekend, but Belichick will make them feel like they did. Look for New England to beat Los Angeles by at least two touchdowns on Sunday.
