Here’s a look at the NFL team preview for the New England Patriots:
Coaching Staff:
Head Coach– Bill Belichick
Offensive Coordinator– Josh McDaniels
Defensive Coordinator- Brendan Daly
Special Teams– Joe Judge
ODDS TO WIN:
- NFC Championship- +250
- Super Bowl- 5/1
- Over/Under Win Totals- 11
Last 4 Season Win Totals:
- 2014- 15
- 2015-13
- 2016- 16
- 2017- 15
The Offense
Quarterbacks:
Tom Brady may be 41 yrs old but he can still play very well. He led the league in passing yards and completed almost 67% of his passes along with three touchdowns and 505 yards in the Super Bowl. Brian Hoyer is his backup quarterback and Danny Etling was taken in the seventh round of the NFL draft.
Running Backs:
Jeremy Hill comes over from the Bengals with hopes he is fully recovered from an ankle injury Third down specialist James White will get plenty of playing time in this unit along with Rex Burkhead. James Develin is the primary fullback.
Receivers:
If you are a receiver with Tom Brady passing to you, then you better be prepared and you need good hands. Julius Edelman is back after being injured the entire season. Kenny Britt, Chris Hogan, and Malcolm Mitchell will be counted on to catch passes.
Offensive Linemen:
Shaq Mason, Joe Thuney and center David Andrews all return for another season. Trent Brown was traded for from the 49’ers as his big frame of 355 lbs and 6’8″ frame is just what they need. There will be plenty of competition for the left tackle job.
The Defense
Defensive Linemen:
Trey Flowers will man his position as a top rusher on the defensive side of the ball. Adrian Clayborn was signed as a free agent for an edge rusher and Danny Shelton will use his big frame to be a run stuffer.
Linebackers:
Dont’a Hightower is back from injury and Kyle Van Noy will be paired with him. Marquis Flowers will need to gain some experience and rookie Christian Sam is in the mix along with Ja’Whaun Bentley.
Secondary:
Stephon Gilbert did his job well and received a good contract for it. Jason McCourty was acquired o help out as the cornerback and Jonathan Jones or Duke Dawson will fill out the unit.
Special Teams
Kicker Stephen Gostkowski was second in scoring last year even though he struggled with extra points. Punting belongs to Ryan Allen even with a poor season in 2017. Cordarrelle Patteson will get the first crack at the runbacks.
The Schedule
Preseason Schedule:
August 9- Washington 7:30 p.m.
August 16- Philadelphia 7:30 p.m
August 24- Carolina 7:30 p.m.
August 30- at New York Giants 7 p.m.
Regular Season Schedule:
(all games Eastern time)
Sept. 9 vs. Houston Texans 1 p.m. (CBS)
Sept. 16 at Jacksonville Jaguars 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Sept. 23 at Detroit Lions 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Sept. 30 vs. Miami Dolphins 1 p.m. (CBS)
Oct. 4 vs. Indianapolis Colts 8:20 p.m. (FOX/NFLN)
Oct. 14 vs. Kansas City Chiefs 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Oct. 21 at Chicago Bears 1 p.m. (CBS)
Oct. 29 at Buffalo Bills 8:15 p.m. (ESPN)
Nov. 4 vs. Green Bay Packers 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Nov. 11 at Tennessee Titans 1 p.m. (CBS)
Nov. 18 BYE
Nov. 25 at New York Jets 1 p.m. (CBS)
Dec. 2 vs. Minnesota Vikings 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Dec. 9 at Miami Dolphins 1 p.m. (CBS)
Dec. 16 at Pittsburgh Steelers 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Dec. 23 vs. Buffalo Bills 1 p.m. (CBS)
Dec. 30 vs. New York Jets 1 p.m. (CBS)
Other Information
Owners- Robert Kraft
General Manager- Nick Caserio
Phone- 508-543-8200
Website- www.patriots.com
Stadium- Gillette Stadium
Capacity- 66,829
Surface- FieldTurf
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