New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick essentially treated the first few weeks of the 2014 season as an extended preseason.
The Patriots tested out different combinations at offensive line and wide receiver, so it’s not surprising that the team struggled out of the gate. The Patriots’ offense finally started to click on Sunday night against the Cincinnati Bengals after Belichick decided on a solid rotation at receiver.
Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell are the starters, Danny Amendola is the slot receiver and Aaron Dobson is the backup. Having solid roles for those players should allow the entire offense to play better together with some continuity.
The Patriots also mixed in two-tight end sets for quarterback Tom Brady using Rob Gronkowski, Michael Hoomanawanui and Tim Wright, which creates some deception and possible mismatches for opposing defenses.
To hear more about why the offense looked better against the Bengals, watch NESN.com Patriots beat writer Doug Kyed discuss the team on Bleacher Report’s Team Stream Now.
Thumbnail photo via Stew Milne/USA TODAY Sports Images
