New England Patriots Links 11/08/11 - Fixing What's Off on Offense as Focus Turns to Jets

BenJarvus Green-Ellis is asked Monday about the lack of offensive execution against the Giants.

"I don’t even know -- my mind just went blank. I’m only focused on the Jets."

Christopher Price gets Christian Fauria's perspective on Brady and New England's limited passing game.

"I think you really need one more guy who is going to catch 35 balls who isn’t a tight end," Fauria said. "That was supposed to be Chad. But if anyone thought Chad was brought in here to be Randy Moss, circa 2007, they’re out of their mind. He doesn’t have that ability. "

"Chad was brought in here to be Jabar Gaffney. The thinking is that Welker is our guy, we love our tight ends, Deion is a consistent route runner but he’s not the No. 1 read anymore. You need a threatening No. 3 receiver behind Welker and Branch," he added. "That’s what Gaffney was.

"You would think that Ochocinco would have been that x factor for this passing game, especially as someone on the perimeter that can scare some people. Not a burner that can go deep and separate himself, but someone who still makes a defense go, ‘Oh, crap, we have to get after him.’"

"On Sunday, Chad still had one really nice route, a slant where the defender made a really nice play on the ball," Fauria said. "What was he, targeted five times last week? The Patriots need to target him 10 times. You need to threaten people with him. They went to him in some key situations on Sunday ... that’s the sign of an important play. They need to challenge him."

Boomer Esiason offers his insight into why the Patriots offense was held to 20 or less points for the third consecutive week.

"Opposing teams now know how to stop Tom Brady," Esiason said. "He was harassed, he threw interceptions, he fumbled. The Giants defense seemed like they were swarming all over the place, especially in the first half. And then when you watch the performance last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, you say the same thing. He was harassed. He was beat up."

"What people are saying about the Patriots, especially offensively, is that most of the completions come inside the numbers," Esiason said. "They’re 15, 16, 17 yards or less. There’s not a lot of outside completions. "Completing a lot of these passes inside the numbers to tight ends, to Wes Welker who had yet another great game yesterday is starting to … People are allowing that to happen because they don’t have to worry about any outside threat whatsoever."

TEAM TALK

• Ask PFW: Fans frustrations are mounting along with the Patriots losses.
• Press Conference: Bill Belichick (17.27 min. video)
• Player Interviews: BenJarvus Green-Ellis (2.39 min.) and James Ihedigbo (3.11 min.)
• Totally Patriots - Week 9 Program. (23 minute video)
• Patriots Today - Patriots in first place, but... (3.23 min. video)
• Patriots Today - Gronk's go-ahead TD not enough. (2.12 min. video)
• Locker Room Uncut - Words from Ihedigbo, Green-Ellis. (3.25 min. video)
• WEEI Patriots Monday: Tom Brady (12.01 min.), Deion Branch (14 min.), Andre Carter (9.15 min.), Vince Wilfork (18.28 min.) and Bill Belichick (21.41 min.)

LOCAL LINKS

• Ian Rapoport blames Sunday's loss on a brutal start from Tom Brady, who showed poor decision-making and inaccurate throws.
• Tom E. Curran runs the numbers on the top Patriots receivers' targets and receptions: If receivers want the ball they have to get open.
• Chris Forsberg examines each one of Chad Ochocinco's targets to see why he and Tom Brady were unable to connect.
• Chris Forsberg says uncharacteristic turnovers are making life difficult for Tom Brady and his offense.
• Rich Levine wonders if Tom Brady's hurt or if it's all in his head.
• Bob Ryan says the Patriots season is still salvageable and the team is still a work in progress.
• Shalise Manza Young thinks the schedule could play to the Patriots' favor.
• WEEI highlights Deion Branch's guest appearance Monday. "We just didn't execute."
• Chris Forsberg breaks down the Giants' winning drive and offers the reactions from the players involved.
• Christopher Price notes Bill Belichick was happy with Brandon Deaderick's performance against the Giants.
• Rich Levine admits Kyle Arrington got burned at the end, but his big-play interception was the only reason it was that close to begin with.
• WEEI highlights Vince Wilfork taking the heat for the defense yesterday. "I'm liking what we're doing. These guys, we fight hard, very hard."
• Mike Reiss takes a look at the snaps played by Patriots defenders Sunday and analyzes what it might mean.
• Mike Reiss tells us the Pats-Jets game on Sunday Night Football will be broadcast by Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth on NBC.
• Christopher Price breaks down the Patriots penalties through eight games.
• Mike Rodak re-watches Sunday's game and offers his observations: First Quarter - Second Quarter - Third Quarter - Fourth Quarter.
• Rich Levine looks back to the Patriots' last three-game losing streak in 2002, when after the bye they went on to lose a fourth in Denver, making them 3-4.
• Ian Rapoport Patriots Notebook: Bill Belichick explained Albert Haynesworth's absence in the second half as "rotation-related"; Brandon Spikes suffered a sprained MCL and is on a week-to-week decision as to when he'll play again; BenJarvus Green-Ellis said the team has already moved on to the Jets; Belichick said it's an execution issue, not a trust issue, between Brady and Chad Ochocinco.
• Shalise Manza Young Patriots Notebook: Haynesworth did not play another snap after the Brandon Jacobs TD; Spikes sprained his MCL after colliding with Kyle Arrington on a goal-line play; Ochocinco has not had a reception in three games; Belichick said Kevin Faulk was close to playing Sunday but other players were 'a little more ready' than he was; Taylor Price is expected to practice this week.
• Ron Borges issues his Week 9 Patriots Report Card and says if Dallas threw on the Pats they'd have a 3-game losing streak.
• Kirk Minihane grades the Patriots after Week 9 and puts Sunday's loss on Tom Brady and Tom Brady alone.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Kevin Fishbain (Pro Football Weekly) Patriots, Jets enter Week 10 tilt going in different directions.
• PFW Report (Pro Football Weekly) Patriots LB Spikes has sprained MCL.
• Kevin Fishbain (Pro Football Weekly) Patriots stock report: Week nine.
• James Walker (ESPN) Seven-step drop: Here come the Jets.
• Gregg Rosenthal (ProFootballTalk) The Patriots dynasty is over again. "The Patriots have lost back-to-back games for the third time since 2003.  That means it's time to declare the Patriots dynasty over for the 35th time since 2005."
• Chase Stuart (NY Times) The true measure of a pass-heavy offense.
• Brian Billick (Fox Sports) Playoff picture clearing at midway point.
• Wil Brinson (CBS Sports) Sorting the Sunday Pile: Week 9.
• Simon Samano (NFL.com) Ryan won't let Jets QB Sanchez live down flinch vs. Bills.

VIEW FROM NEW YORK

• Ben Shpigel (NY Times) As the Patriots reel, the Jets look as if they're for real.
• Mark Cannizzaro (NY Post) Patriots there for taking by Jets.
• Kristie Ackert (NY Daily News) Jets thank Giants for fun flight home from Buffalo.
• Jenny Vrentas (NJ Star-Ledger) Jets prepare for New England Patriots with cautious confidence.
• Brian Costello (NY Post) Jets confident rematch with Patriots will be different.
• Tim Smith (NY Daily News) As Patriots await the NY Jets, Rex Ryan is stunned he has to stick up for his vaunted defense.
• Sean Brennan (NY Daily News) Rex Ryan appreciates help NY Jets got from NY Giants in beating New England Patriots.
• Conor Orr (NJ Star-Ledger) Rex Ryan expects a healthy Jets team heading into Patriots game.