The stoppable force meets the movable object.

The Patriots are back on primetime for the 3rd and final week in a row this Monday night in Glendale, Arizona to face the Cardinals.  The same location where the Super Bowl will be played this season and where the Patriots have both won and lost Super Bowls in the past.  But those times might as well be ancient memory compared to the 2022 New England Patriots.

Going into Week 14, the Patriots are tied with the incredibly disappointing Denver Broncos for the worst redzone offense in the league.  Meaning that when the Patriots have a play from scrimmage inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, they finish that drive with a touchdown at the lowest rate in the NFL (37.5%).  But lo and behold, the Arizona Cardinals have the worst redzone DEFENSE allowing a touchdown when their opponent gets inside their 20-yard line 68.9% of the time.

You’ve heard of the term ‘what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object’.  Well what happens when we take out the prefix for each word?  What happens when a stoppable force (Patriots offense) meets a movable object (Cardinals defense)?  Is it a stalemate?  Does a black hole form?  Seriously though, I believe this benefits the Patriots.  New England has shown they can move the ball on weak defenses it’s just finishing when the field is shorter.  It would be wildly disappointing to see the Pats go “0 for” again in the redzone.  But with rumors swirling about massive changes being at least thought about inside the walls at Gillette Stadium and the team knowing they have their backs against the wall.  This is the get-right game where they can put the ball in the endzone and get some confidence back.

Also because of this…

With that being said, the Patriots most valuable pass catcher Jakobi Meyers looks like he might miss this game while he recovers from a concussion.  That hurts.  The best chain mover on the team being out on an offense that has trouble moving the ball consistently is no doubt a blow.  It’ll be up to Parker, Agholor, Bourne, etc to prove to the coaches, fans, and themselves why they are worth having on the team.  With the Cardinals horrible redzone defense it would be a surprise to no one that they are 2nd to last in points allowed with 26.8 per game and give up the most at home (29).  Even with offensive weapons like Meyers and running back Damien Harris expected to miss this game I don’t envision the Patriots being held much lower than Arizona’s average.

As for the Cardinals key players, wide receiver Deandre Hopkins has been dealing with an illness but was back at practice on  Friday and looks like he’ll be ready.  Hopkins was suspended for the first six games of the season but since making his season debut in Week 7 there has clearly been no rust on the 3-time All-Pro.  From Week 7 to Week 12 (since the Cardinals had a Week 13 bye), Hopkins leads the league with 49 receptions.  If this were the first six games of the season he’d be tied for 3rd with Bills superstar Stefon Diggs.  With Jalen Mills expected to be sidelined with a groin injury the cornerback depth gets shrunken and rookie Jack Jones who has been picked on as of late gets a bigger role again.  Marquise Brown who had a roaring start is back after missing five games with a fractured foot and even with Rondale Moore dealing with a groin injury and tight end Zach Ertz done for the year they will have a duo with dual threat Kyler Murray at quarterback to cause some damage.  But even so, the Cardinals offense is hobbled and average looking.  This is one where the Patriots defense gets back on the right foot and takes advantage even if it’s against a very good mobile QB like Kyler Murray.

The Cardinals don’t do anything particular that makes you say “wow they do that good” it’s a middling offense with a less than averaging defense in almost every statistical category.  33-year-old JJ Watt leads the team in sacks with 6.5.  Watt never really had the success against the Patriots and Bill Belichick as he does against other teams in terms of getting to the Quarterback.  But when he can’t get there in time he is one of the best at getting those tree trunk arms up there and swatting passes at the line of scrimmage.  He had 3 passes defenses the last time he faced the Patriots in 2020.  With the Patriots lacking offensive tackle depth at the moment, Watt might get his hands on a couple passes again Monday night.

Linebacker Isaiah Simmons is as versatile a defender as there is and someone to watch out for in all 3 layers of the defense.  The biggest story from Simmons coming out of the Draft was that he played so many positions at Clemson whether it be defensive end, middle linebacker, slot corner, or safety.  He’s a Swiss Army knife that can line up anywhere on the field and he’ll be around the ball often.

Buddy Baker, probably most famous for getting caught from behind by DK Metcalf after intercepting a pass, is an underrated veteran Safety that has the most tackles on the team.  Much was made of the Mac Jones sideline outburst last week caught on camera where lip readers believe he was sick of the short game and wanted to try deep.  If Mac gets his wish he’ll be testing Baker on Monday Night Football.

PATRIOTS GO 100% IN THE REDZONE 🥳

Whether it be 5 visits or just 1, the Patriots will dissect the Cardinals dreadful redzone defense.

The Cardinals are 4-8 for a reason. They don’t do anything particularly well and the Patriots have taken advantage of lacking offenses and poor defenses.  I don’t envision a blowout but I see the Patriots winning a one score game.  AND DON’T LOOK NOW but if the Jets lose to the Bills in Week 14 then the Patriots are back in control of their own destiny to be a playoff team! FINAL SCORE: PATRIOTS 24