Many believed a lackluster offense would doom the Patriots over the course of the 2020 NFL season.
Sure, we’re only through three weeks of the campaign, but it looks like Cam Newton and Co. are going to be just fine.
Not only has New England’s offense looked fairly sharp early in the season, the unit has been giving defenses trouble in different ways. It was via the ground game in Week 3, as the Patriots racked up 250 rushing yards in their 36-20 win over the Raiders.
New England’s running success against Las Vegas stood out to Nate Burleson. The NFL wide receiver-turned-analyst was impressed by the Patriots’ ability to light up the scoreboard on a day when the passing attack wasn’t particularly effective.
“What stood out is that the wide receivers didn’t need to have a big game,” Burleson said Monday on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.” “Only six guys caught the ball and they were led by Rex Burkhead. Why do I bring that up? Because seven dudes attempted a rush. They were actually leaning on the run game. Sony Michel was fantastic, he led the way. We saw what Rex Burkhead was doing. He was fantastic.
“This offense, as we saw last week, could throw the ball if they need to. But if they don’t, they can run the ball, which is scary. Guys, I don’t want to break this news to you, but this is the same offense that Tom Brady was running. It’s just a little bit more explosive because their quarterback can run with it as well…”
The Patriots’ offense will need to be at its best Sunday in Kansas City. Even if the defense pitches a solid performance at Arrowhead Stadium, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs likely still will manage to rack up points in this Week 4 showdown.
