PLAYER NOTES
–DE Trey Flowers; One thing anyone can learn from Flowers is focus. After a game early this season, Flowers was asked about a play in which the Patriots brought CB Jonathan Jones into the linebacker spot for a blitz. Flowers said he didn’t notice and that his job was to rush the passer. Flowers said he doesn’t worry about the linebackers or defensive backs. He just moves forward and rushes the passer. Flowers has become very good against the run, has strong technique and while his burst off the line of scrimmage and moves could improve he has become the Patriots best front-seven player. Flowers is a free agent at the end of the year.
-T Trent Brown: Going into the season, some thought the 6-8 380-pound Brown was the Patriots’ biggest worry. Brown was making the transition from right tackle to left tackle (after being acquired from San Francisco) and had to protect Tom Brady’s blind side. Good offensive linemen are like good referees – if they do their job well you don’t hear about them. Well, fans have not heard about Brown this year because he is playing well.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: LB Kyle Van Noy keeps improving and had a strip-sack last week that led to a turnover. With Dont’a Hightower out, Van Noy had to play many roles in the defense. Van Noy has been with the Patriots for two years and while he can be sensitive to criticism from local talk radio – he has used that criticism as motivation to play better. Van Noy has shown an ability to be a leader on defense and make the calls.
GAME PLAN: Offensively, the Patriots must play an up-tempo pace to tire out Packers LB Clay Matthews. The Patriots might also attack CB Kevin King and attempt to draw in the Packers middle linebackers (Blake Martinez and Oren Burks) with play-action and let Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan catch the 10-15-yard crossing routes. It is also critical for the Patriots to block Packers DE Mike Daniels – a very good edge player. The Packers traded Ha Ha Clinton-Dix so they Patriots could exploit the coverage skills of the Packers safeties.
Defensively, the Patriots must stop wide receiver Davante Adams (52 receptions, 690 yards) and TE Jimmy Graham (28 receptions 370 yards). Adams is almost impossible to cover with one defensive back as Los Angeles Rams CB Marcus Peters found out the hard way in the second half of the Packers loss to the Rams. The Packers are deep at receiver. Randall Cobb returned last week against the Rams after missing a month and had four catches for 40 yards. Aaron Rodgers also likes receiver Geronimo Allison who has 20 catches this season and the chemistry between them is improving.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Packers RT Bryan Bulaga vs. Patriots DE Trey Flowers. Bulaga is a very good right tackle and Flowers is the Patriots’ best defensive lineman so this should be a fun matchup to watch.
–Patriots WRs Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan vs. Packers CB Tramon Williams. Williams is a really good corner and if the Packers are to have a chance they must limit Edelman. The Bills limited TE Rob Gronkowski to only three catches, but lost in part because Edelman had nine catches for 104 yards. Edelman has not been rusty since returning in Week 5 – even though he had not played a real game in 20 months since the Patriots beat Atlanta in the Super Bowl.
