There are many reasons to be concerned about the Patriots offense.
The 2020 unit looks much like the group that struggled last season, with the exception Tom Brady no longer being under center. However, New England reportedly is optimistic about its offense’s potential this season, provided Cam Newton is the starting quarterback.
Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard on Saturday published a lengthy column about the “bully ball” that Bill Belichick is ready to play in 2020. At the core of the strategy are a slew of physical players — Newton, Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, the offensive line — as well as a group of young, relative unknowns who play hard-nosed brands of football.
Check out this excerpt from Bedard’s column, which is worth a read:
Here’s why, instead of a five-alarm fire, there’s a quiet confidence building around the Patriots’ offense:
There’s been a lot of passing so far in camp and even during the running periods, it’s hard for the media to really tell what’s going on without the aid of coaches’ film because things are moving so fast. Was it bad defense or good offense? Difficult to discern. It seems like the Patriots are doing some really nice work in the running game, especially Damien Harris and the offensive line, but that’s at a quick glance.
However, discussions with those who would know have not only confirmed what we’ve seen in practice, but are even stronger on it: this is going to be one tough, physical offense that runs through their running game. The 2018 Patriots down the stretch were a gun-run team compared to what the 2020 Patriots might be.
So, buckle up, Patriots fans: It apparently is going to be a tough, intense ride this season.
Whether the physical play translates to wins or losses remains to be seen, of course.
