Coming out of their bye week, the New England Patriots played one of their most complete games of the year en route to a 41-16 blowout victory at the Denver Broncos. The now-7-2 Patriots were productive on offense, held their opponent in check on defense and had a lights-out performance on special teams. In short: It was a great night for the team – especially for the following three players.
Candidate: QB Tom Brady
If there is one city in the NFL where Tom Brady has not been his usual stellar self on a regular basis in the past, it is Denver. Tonight, however, the greatest quarterback of all time looked sharp all game long and carved up the Broncos' self-proclaimed “No Fly Zone” secondary. Brady completed 25 of his 34 pass attempts for 266 yards and three touchdowns while being in total command the entire game.
Candidate: RB Rex Burkhead
With Mike Gillislee inactive, Rex Burkhead saw an expanded role versus the Broncos and he responded in style. The first-year Patriot finished with a position-high 36 snaps and 13 total touches – 10 runs and three catches – for a combined 63 yards. Burkhead also had two of the game's biggest plays: In the first quarter, he scored a touchdown to put his team up 7-0; one quarter later a punt block of his set up a New England field goal.
Candidate: RB Dion Lewis
Dion Lewis has taken over number one running back duties in the past few weeks and has looked good in this role. Against the Broncos' talented run defense, he led the team with 14 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown on 21 snaps. Lewis' contributions were not limited to offense, though: The 27-year old also registered a 103-yard touchdown on a kick return.
With all that in mind, who is your choice for this week's game ball?
Poll
Who gets this week's Patriots game ball?
This poll is closed
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23%
QB Tom Brady
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37%
RB Rex Burkhead
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35%
RB Dion Lewis
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3%
Other (name in comments)