Patriots vs. Broncos: 6 Bold Predictions
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2. Tom Brady will be sacked just once
Six days removed from easily their worst game of the season, the Patriots’ offensive line will rebound in full against the Broncos. There are two reasons why:
Again, thanks to Blount’s ball carrying, the Denver pass rush will be slowed down. Blount will force the Broncos to seriously consider the possibility of a run on just about every play, and that will affect how the Broncos dial-up their blitzes.
Additionally, the Patriots aren’t going to find themselves in many third-and-long scenarios thanks to the performances of Blount and LaFell. As has been predicted, those two guys will combine for 300 yards between them, and most of that yardage will occur on first- and second-down.
This isn’t to say that Brady won’t get tossed around a bit. But instead of taking drive-killing sacks, Brady will find LaFell and his other pass catchers quickly, and he will also use his surprisingly effective scrambling ability multiple times to keep plays alive.
Von Miller will blow by the Pats’ offensive line to drag Brady down on one occasion, but other than that, he will come up short.
Next: 1. Pats will pitch a second half shutout