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New England Patriots Bye Week Check-In: Passing Game

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By @ConnorFultonRS

Tom Brady New England Patriots

Winslow Towson-USA TODAY Sports

It’s a stress-free weekend for New England Patriots fans. Let’s take this opportunity to assess each phase of the team as players rest up for next week’s showdown with the Indianapolis Colts. First up: the passing game.

What was one of the NFL’s mediocre passing attacks in the month of September has since transformed itself into an elite unit. The Patriots’ passing game is wreaking havoc on opposing defenses. A few telling stats: Tom Brady and company rank sixth in overall passing yards (2,392) and third in passing touchdowns (23).

Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski have been the focal points of the passing attack, each ranking among the top 20 of NFL pass catchers for total receiving yards. But it’s not just these usual suspects that have powered the passing game; Brandon LaFell and Shane Vereen have both caught over 30 passes. LaFell, in particular, has become yet another weapon that defenses must account for in addition to Edelman in the middle and Gronk up the seam.

An area of concern in the first four weeks was Brady’s completion percentage, as proven by his 51.8-percent performance against the Miami Dolphins and 60.9-percent day against the Kansas City Chiefs. Not coincidentally, the Pats lost both of those games. Since Week 4, Brady has posted a 73-percent performance in a win over the Buffalo Bills and an astounding 85.7-percent outing in a route of the Chicago Bears.

Once-promising receivers Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins have been discarded from the passing attack because of their inability to consistently be on the same page as Brady. LaFell has assumed the workload of those two players combined, and is on pace for a career season as a result.

In the event that Gronkowski gets injured, this passing attack ought to be able to weather the storm. Guys like Tim Wright and Brian Tyms, who have each shown flashes this season, would take on larger roles. The offseason additions are really paying off right now, acting as dependable role players and safety outlets in case of injury.

In Week 11, this unit should have a field day against the 31st-ranked Colts secondary. After that, however, we will see the true colors of the Patriots’ passing game down the stretch, as they face four of the top-nine pass defenses in the league.

Connor Fulton is a Patriots writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ConnorFultonRS, or find him on Google.

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