Three Keys to a Patriots Victory in Week 15 vs. Bengals
The New England Patriots head to Cincinnati to take on the 1-12 Bengals in the midst of a two-game losing streak. The Patriots rarely lose three games in a row and have not done so since the 2002 season.
New England is in desperate need of a victory, so let’s breakdown the three keys to help them come out with a win on Sunday.
1) Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels
Josh McDaniels is one of the great offensive coordinators in the NFL, but he needs to figure out the best way to get New England’s offense going. Calling trick plays is one way to catch the defense off guard and to keep the offense moving, but it's not a sustainable way to keep the offense on the field.
McDaniels figured it out last year for the Patriots when the team switched to a power run/play action passing team. The run game has not been there at all this year and the offensive line has struggled in pass protection lately. It is up to McDaniels to put his best players in a position to succeed once again.
McDaniels mentioned earlier this week how he has to find ways to get N’Keal Harry more involved. Do the Patriots try to establish the power running game with Sony Michel? Or do they try spread the field out and let Tom Brady try to pick teams apart? We will see on Sunday. What we do know is something has to be done.
2) N’Keal Harry Steps Up
McDaniels and the remainder of the coaching staff know, as mentioned before, that they have to get their former first round pick more involved in the offense. He's too talented to be in the game for just two snaps, which is all he accumulated in Week 14.
Harry has shown small glimpses of the type of talent that he can be. His should’ve-been-a-touchdown play last week vs.Kansas City was a perfect example. The power, the speed, the athleticism - it was all on display on that play.
Harry was a first-round pick for a reason, and it is time for the Patriots to use him as the weapon that he can be. Expect more plays to be drawn up for him to get the ball in his hands in open space and near the goal line.
3) The Boogeyman Return
New England's defense had a rough first half vs. the Chiefs, but they rebounded for a strong second half and held the high-flying Kansas City offense to three points.
The Bengals offense is ranked 31st in the league in scoring, as they only average 15.2 points per game. This means the Patriots will face a sub-par offense led by either Andy Dalton or Ryan Finley in Week 15. The Boogeyman have feasted on sub-par quarterbacks all season, so expect the same this week.
Cincinnati does not have many weapons outside of wide receiver Tyler Boyd and running back Joe Mixon. Expect New England's defense to wreak havoc on Cincinnati's offense.
