The New England Patriots run defense once struck fear, as they were one of the league’s best in this facet of the game over the past two seasons. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this came during the peak of Brandon Spikes’s powers, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that a massive shift in AFC East run defending power has occurred after Spikes left the Patriots for the Buffalo Bills this offseason. The Patriots are getting battered up front, and only Dont’a Hightower has impressed me in the running game this season, as a few Pats defenders have been disappointments, but that’s a good thing since it’s clear that not all of it is on Spikes’s departure.
Stripe Hype
It’s always interesting to see how Hue Jackson and the Cincinnati Bengals manage the snaps and carries of their running backs, because they have two talented young backs, and their usage rates do have the added bonus of creating huge fantasy implications.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Paul Dehner Jr., LSU Tigers rookie running back Jeremy Hill could receive around 8-13 carries today against the Patriots, and it’s, as Dehner notes, difficult to gauge since his carries have fluctuated during his three appearances. If I were Jackson, then I wouldn’t hesitate to slam Hill down the Patriots’s throats, because they clearly had issues trying to stop Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis in last week’s debacle. Hill is averaging over five yards per carry with two TDs this season, and he could have a monster day against New England if he gets the touches.