5 keys for a Patriots’ win over the Broncos

Rob Gronkowski stretches for extra yardage as he is brought down by Broncos linebacker Wesley Woodyard. Steven Senne/AP

By Henry McKenna @McKennAnalysis

November 28, 2015

3 minutes to read

COMMENTARY

Not since his first NFL season has Peyton Manning thrown more interceptions than touchdowns. As a rookie in 1998, Manning had 26 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. With his return to the field in 2015 still uncertain, he’s got nine touchdowns and 17 interceptions in nine starts.

While a matchup between Tom Brady and Brock Osweiler may not have been what fans were hoping for when the Patriots and Broncos were scheduled to face off in Week 12, perhaps the quality of the game itself will be improved by the absence of a struggling, skinny legs Peyton Manning. The 39-year-old quarterback will sit for a second straight week with a torn plantar fascia.

Here are the five keys for the Patriots to the first installment of Brady vs. Osweiler.

1. Rediscover the play-action pass:

Remember when Tom Brady was the king of the play-action pass?

Even when previous Patriots teams struggled to move ball on the ground (perhaps averaging something like the 3.9 yards per rush like they are picking up this season), Brady’s body language forced opposing defenses to commit to the run. With defenses fooled, Brady would then throw it downfield for easy gains.

He may be out of practice with the heavy implementation of hurry-up and spread offenses, but it’s time to rediscover that magic, fine tune those nuanced moves. The Patriots have begun returning to the power run game out of necessity, with LeGarrette Blount getting a higher volume of carries. The Patriots could use him to establish the play-action pass.

2. Rob Gronkowksi, you’re the Patriots’ only hope

It’s up to Gronk.

After injuries to Dion Lewis, Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola, there’s no one else around to be the hero in Week 12. The offense’s capabilities have shrunk with the loss of each weapon. Even Gronkowski’s production has been affected by the roster turmoil.

But isn’t he the greatest tight end in football? Maybe ever?

With the pass-catchers dropping like flies, Gronk may have to beat double-teams — and sometimes triple-teams — for the Patriots’ offense to thrive.

But that’s what the best players of all time do.

3. Rattle and rush Brock Osweiler

In his first career start, Osweiler played it pretty safe. He used his tight ends as safety valves and relied upon his receivers to pick up yards after the catch rather than throwing downfield. Given the Broncos’ turnover woes with Peyton Manning to start this season, no one complained about the monotony. The return of wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders may embolden Osweiler to try to the stretch the field against the Patriots.

After hardly playing a meaningful snap in three seasons as Manning’s understudy, Osweiller admitted he felt doubts “creeping in’’ before his first NFL start.

With 32 sacks, the Patriots’ pass rush is second in the NFL to Denver, who has 34. It might be capable of bringing back some of that doubt. The 6-foot-8 signal-caller showed a nice feel for the pocket against Chicago, but was still sacked five times. Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Dont’a Hightower, and perhaps Jamie Collins will be eager to put Osweiler on his rear-end, which could force a few turnovers.

4. James White needs to establish himself as an early-game back

LeGarrette Blount’s effectiveness seems to increase drastically in the fourth quarter. Defenses may have a harder time tackling the physical running back as they grow tired deeper into games. While most teams determine their running back duties by downs, the Patriots seemed to split duties roughly by half while Dion Lewis was healthy. In a baseball sense, Blount is a closer. Like the Red Sox, the Patriots need a starter.

James White will need to establish himself as that early-game back.

Against the Bills, he proved shifty in space, and managed a pair of touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. If he can also show reliability between the tackles, then he’ll see a rapidly increased workload.

5. Get physical with the Broncos’ tight ends

With Owen Daniels and Vernon Davis, the Broncos have a pair of tight ends over 30 years old who haven’t been particularly physical during the season. Davis, who once played a little like Gronkowksi, has looked more like Antonio Gates in 2015: He has used deception, savvy, but has not been especially explosive or feisty.

The Patriots will likely employ safeties Devin McCourty and Pat Chung or linebackers Dont’a Hightower and Jerod Mayo to disrupt the tight ends by jamming them at the line. Osweiler looked dependent on them during his first start, with the pair accounting for 137 of his 250 passing yards against the Bears. Without production from Davis and Daniels, the Broncos’ offense may struggle to pick up first downs.