Only a few days after their blowout win over the Browns, the Patriots will return to the field Thursday night in Atlanta against the Falcons.
The Patriots have won four games in a row and are one of the hottest teams in the entire NFL, while the Falcons are coming off a 43-3 loss to the Cowboys and are 4-5 on the year.
New England appears to be getting some players back, notably Damien Harris, while the Falcons will be without tight end Hayden Hurst and running back/wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson is questionable with an ankle injury.
Atlanta is already down wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who is on injured reserve, so losing Patterson would be a huge blow to an already below average offense.
Patriots vs. Falcons
Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021
8:20 p.m., FOX/NFL Network/Amazon
Patriots -6.5, over/under 47.5
3 keys to the game
Don’t let it become trap game
This is the classic example of a trap game with the Patriots coming off a huge win, the Falcons a bad loss, and New England hosting the best team in the AFC in the Titans next week. While this may be a concern for some other teams, it’s hard to imagine Bill Belichick allowing it to happen, especially on a short week with limited time to prepare. If the Patriots take care of business, they will get a few extra days to rest before hosting the Titans in Week 12 and traveling to Buffalo in Week 13.
Keep Kyle Pitts in check
The rookie tight end is Atlanta’s best player and he certainly has Belichick’s attention. But, Belichick’s defenses have always been great at taking away an opponents best player, and in this case it will be Pitts. Look for the Patriots to double-team the Florida product a lot and not let him beat them. After two, 100-yard games in Weeks 5 and 7, he hasn’t gone over 62 yards receiving in any of his last three games.
Mac Jones picking up where he left off
Jones had the best game of his career last week against Cleveland when he threw three touchdown passes and made some terrific throws, including a ton on third down. Overall, the Patriots went 7-for-9. Atlanta’s defense is ranked 22nd overall and is allowing the second-most points in the league, so this should be a night for Jones to gain even more confidence.
Fun Facts
1. With a win, Bill Belichick will move past Tom Landry for the third-most wins in NFL history with one team. Landry and Belichick are currently tied with 250.
2. The Patriots are currently second in the NFL when it comes to 20 or more yard-plays with 48. Las Vegas leads the league with 50.
3. J.C. Jackson already has 14 passes defensed this year, which is tied for a career-high he set last season.
4. New England has gone six straight games with at least 100 yards rushing. It hasn’t had seven straight games with that since 2012.
5. The Patriots have held their opponents to single digits the last two games. The last time they did it in three straight games in the same season was 2005.
Prediction (Season record: 7-3)
Patriots 24, Falcons 10
It’s really hard to make a case for not only Atlanta to win the game, but keep it close. The only reason we don’t have the Patriots scoring 30+ points is because it’s a Thursday game and the limited prep/lack of rest. The Falcons are 25th in points scored and offense overall, so going against one of the better defenses in the Patriots, they will have trouble scoring.
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