The New England Patriots have a huge game in Week 12 against the Denver Broncos, but they will be without a key player.
As the Patriots make their way to Denver to face the Broncos, they will be without one of their key players as wide receiver Danny Amendola didn’t make the trip with the team to Denver.
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Amendola injured his knee in the Patriots’ win in Week 11 against the Buffalo Bills, and after working out on Saturday morning, the decision was made to keep Amendola at home. Amendola saw his role increased after the injury to Julian Edelman, as he is coming off of two big games since Edelman was injured against the New York Giants.
In the close game against the Giants, Amendola totaled 10 receptions and 79 receiving yards as he quickly had an impact after Edelman left the game early. Last week against the Bills, Amendola totaled nine receptions, 117 receiving yards, and he could have had so much more if not for an inadvertent whistle by a referee.
Danny Amendola not expected to travel with the team when they leave Foxboro today.
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) November 28, 2015
Despite being undefeated, the Patriots have suffered their fair share of injuries on offense, as they lost Dion Lewis a few weeks ago for the season, shortly after he was becoming a big part of the offense.
The Patriots have two constants on offense in Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady, who will both play well week in and week out, but they have had players like Lewis, Edelman, and Amendola be key supporting players.
With few options left at wide receiver, the Patriots really need Brandon LaFell to step up as they clear-cut No.2 option in the passing offense behind Gronkowski.
LaFell didn’t make his debut in 2015 until he was activated from the PUP list before the Patriots’ game against the New York Jets. In five games this season, LaFell has totaled 17 receptions, 308 receiving yards, and has yet to score a touchdown this season.
In 2014, LaFell was a big part of the Patriots’ passing attack, as he totaled 74 receptions, 953 receiving yards, and seven receiving touchdowns.
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Since returning from the injury, LaFell has been targeted a fair amount by Brady, as he is averaging just under eight targets a game, but he doesn’t have much to show for them. In five games this season, he has totaled 17 catches for 306 yards – an impressive 18.0 yards per reception – but he has yet to find the end zone this season.
Nov 23, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) points against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
With Amendola out against the talented Broncos’ defense, the Patriots really need LaFell to find his groove of the 2014 season, as Brady and Gronkowski might not be able to beat the Broncos on their own.
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Denver comes into Week 12 without Peyton Manning, but they do have the No. 1 ranked passing defense in the NFL, which is a problem for the Patriots on paper. New England hasn’t had much success running the football this season, as they rank 28th in the league in total team rushing yards.
The Patriots desperately need to have a great game from LaFell against the Broncos if they wish to stay undefeated in 2015.