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Jonas Gray Is Key To New England Patriots’ Week 12 Win

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By @petahrahgas

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It’s easy to think that when facing Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate and the boatload of weapons at Matthew Stafford’s disposal, the New England Patriots’ secondary would the key to their success. But if that very same secondary was just coming off their best game of the season, where they contained the No. 1 offense in the NFL and held Andrew Luck (NFL pass yards leader) to his second lowest output on the season (303 yards may seem like a lot but yes, that is Luck’s second lowest output), then I think they can manage.

A victory for the Patriots will rest on the strong legs of newly discovered and loved Jonas Gray.

I know I, along with the entire sports writing world, have been writing about Gray all week, but he is coming off one of the greatest games ever by a Patriots running back. Gray’s next test will be against the Detroit Lions’ No. 1 defense, and producing any form of a rushing attack on this defense will instantly help the offense (and Tom Brady) survive Detroit’s front four.

It may seem counter-intuitive for the Patriots to come out running the football against the best run defense in the NFL when the Lions’ pass defense is ranked a lot lower — and when I say lower I mean fifth in the league, so not “a lot lower” but just lower. 

If the Patriots come out one dimensional and let Brady heave the ball all over the field, Brady will die. Mark my words. Letting a front four like Ndamukong Suh, Ezekiel Ansah, Nick Fairley (though he’s injured) and Jason Jones pin their ears back and rush the quarterback with no threat of a run game is not good for the health of your QB.

However, if Gray can show some of that power and speed he displayed last week against the Indianapolis Colts, then the front four, and the defense in general, has to worry about the run and can’t all out commit to the pass. If Gray can consistently get three to four yards a carry against this stout run defense, then the Patriots will win this game.

Peter Rogers is a New England Patriots writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @petahrahgas, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

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