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By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) – The Patriots' ground game was virtually non-existent last weekend in Jacksonville. Sony Michel's debut in the NFL was disappointing. Rex Burkhead, barely released from the concussion protocol, has barely played. James White was ineffective as a rusher. Together, the trio ran for 67 yards in 20 races, averaging 3.35 yards per race. Playing from behind for most of the match, the Patriots could not give priority to the current game.
But all this should change this weekend in Detroit when the Patriots face a very vulnerable Lions defense. With so much discussion and conversation focused on the new Josh Gordon acquired this week in Foxboro, it's the Patriots' trio of skaters that will have an impact on Sunday night's game.
The figures so far for the Detroit Rapid Defense are downright sinister. True, these are just two games, but here's where Detroit ranks in the following defensive categories:
Peak Yards per game: 32nd (179.5)
Race meters per attempt: 31st (5.6)
TD Discharge: T-28th (3)
Longest allowed run: 31st (66 yards)
It's tough for the defense of Matt Patricia and Paul Pasqualoni, and it's not like the Lions have not faced the league's elite yet.
In the first week, the pair of Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell combined for 162 yards in 22 races – a ridiculous average of 7.4 yards per run. Crowell crossed the goal line twice, including the second on a 62-yard run at the end of the fourth quarter.
Such a break could perhaps be attributed to discouragement. The 62-yard touchdown race ended with a minute of play in a 41-17 game. But the results of the second week against San Francisco do not help the Detroit defense.
Sunday in San Francisco, the defense against the Lions race was even worse than the season. Matt Breida – who totaled 465 total yards and 2 touchdowns in his rookie season last year – had 138 yards and a touchdown of just 11 shots Sunday against Detroit. Alfred Morris also ran for 48 yards in 14 races for the Niners, which earned him 186 yards in 25 runs for the two-run Niners.
(Point of view: Breida averaged 4.4 yards per run and 30.1 yards per game in her career before averaging 12.5 yards per run and winning 138 yards against Detroit last week. )
Given the porosity of defense over the last 120 minutes of the football game, Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady are at the center of the attack. And Burkhead, White and Michel are the biggest beneficiaries.
This should in turn open up opportunities for Brady in the passing game. The Lions are fourth in the allowed yards, but this is largely due to the Jets who started five races in Detroit territory in Week 1. In the second week, the 49ers at the 26-yard line yards of Lions. The Jets and Lions scored six of those seven orders.
(Partly for this reason, the Lions are currently tied for the worst defense in the league, with 39 points per game.)
In terms of yards per attempt, the Lions were awful, ranking 28th at 8.6 meters. They allowed four touchdown passes (15th in the league) and they only have one interception. In terms of passers-by, they ranked 30th in the NFL at 117.7.
Although there are many opportunities for the pass game, a focus dedicated to the ball race brings a double advantage. On the one hand, this can obviously result in a lot of yards and a lot of opportunities in the red zone. But second, it helps control possession and keep Detroit's passing game off the court.
For all the problems of the Lions – the night of Matthew Stafford's four interceptions against the Jets at the top of the list – the attack on the pass was good. Stafford has completed 61.6% of his passes for 633 yards so far, with four touchdowns and five interceptions. The INTs, obviously, were atrocious for Stafford, but the Lions' transient offensive was more than functional. (Stafford has been fired only twice.)
And given the difficulties faced by New England high school compared to Jacksonville, the chances of minimizing opportunities for Kenny Golladay (13 receptions, 203 yards, 1 TD), Golden Tate (14 receptions, 188 yards, 1 TD ) and Marvin Jones Jr. (8 receptions, 108 yards, 1 TD) must attract Bill Belichick.
Obviously, with nearly 90% of the season playing, a lot will change. Detroit's fast defense could be passable at the end of the season. But for now, it looks like it will be a big week for the Burkhead, White and Michel trio.
You can send an email to Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelfhurley.
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