The Patriots needed a "get right" game this past Sunday and they received it in spades.
New England absolutely walloped the Jacksonville Jaguars in a 40-point win that helped Bill Belichick's team clinch a playoff berth. The Patriots played their patented brand of football at Gillette Stadium, rushing for nearly 200 years and winning the turnover battle 3-0.
The Pats really were firing on all cylinders, a notion that Colin Cowherd emphasized when he played the "3-Word Game" to sum up the Jacksonville-New England contest.
"Jacksonville and New England: Beli-checks and balances," Cowherd said Monday on FS1's "The Herd." "Patriots had more rushing attempts than passing attempts. Belichick knows what he has at quarterback. It's the sixth game allowing 10 points or fewer by New England, most in the NFL. They can throw a little, run a lot, play defense, special teams. All balanced, as usual, by Belichick and New England."
The Patriots might need to be balanced to the highest degree in the coming weeks if they want to stage a deep postseason run. Of the 14 teams set to compete in the tournament, New England arguably has one of the slimmest margins for error.
