Patriots v.s. Cardinals Preview

Well, this season isn’t exactly going how we had hoped it would for our Patriots.We knew it would be a very different ballgame without Brady anymore, but with the greatest coach I think we anticipated better than 4-6. The Cardinals have been on an absolute role lately and won’t be an easy team to get back on track against. It’s looking like this season is heading toward a middle of the league draft pick.

The only way they’ll stay in this game is if the offense can keep up with Kyler Murray and his high powered offense. That does not seem like a likely scenario with how this offense has operated lately. It’s very clear Cam is a front runner, and isn’t a guy to trust in the clutch. So they key here will be controlling the clock. A lot of Damien Harris grinding the ball, and Cam running the ball and keeping the Cardinals offense off the field. They might even be able to mix Sony Michel back into the backfield. He’s been reactivated, and Rex Burkhead is out, so this is his chance to try to keep a roster spot. The passing game strategy will stay the same: don’t pass. If you absolutely need to pass, go to Meyers or James White and call it a day. Stick to what works in this one if you want to have an outside chance at a playoff spot.

Stopping Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins is a whole different monster. Just when you think you have one bottled up, the other one beats you. This hasn’t been Steph Gilmore’s best season, and Hopkins hasn’t missed a beat after being traded to Arizona. The best chance will probably be to try to contain Murray’s running game. The might just get lucky if Kyler’s shoulder is hurt enough that he’s limited to mostly running anyway, making him one dimensional. They have so many weapons, from their backfield of Drake and Edmonds, to the speedsters Kirk and Isabella. Not to mention they still have old reliable Larry Fitzgerald, who Bill has always had a ton of respect for as a player.

I’m going to give the Pats a shot in this one, but it wont be easy. 31-30 Pats.

-Jake Kobierski (@TheRealKobe83)