Patriots' Offensive Balance Too Much For Falcons

Written by Ross Everett

Tuesday, 29 June 2010 08:25

by RossEverett

After an erratic start to the 2009 NFL regular season, the New England Patriots have finally found some balance to their offense. Tom Brady had carried all of the weight in the Pats first two regular season games , but on Sunday he received some long overdue help from running back Fred Taylor who ran for 105 yards. As a result, the Patriots dominated the time of possession battle holding onto the ball for nearly 40 minutes en route to a 26-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

NFL betting enthusiasts who backed the Patriots as -4 home favorites cashed their tickets with the 16 point victory. It was New England's first ATS triumph of the season, while Atlanta lost to the money for the first time in the 2009 campaign. The 36 combined points scored went UNDER the total of 45.

Rushing star Taylor talked about the importance of a balanced offense in his postgame interview:

"You want to be balanced going into games, but some situations don't allow for it. You want to establish that momentum and look over across the ball and see the frustration in the defensive guys' eyes."

New England was also very effective on defense, holding the Falcons Tony Gonzalez to one catch early in the fourth quarter. An obviously frustrated Gonzalez talked about the Patriots defensive scheme:

"They did the same thing they always do to me, 'bracket coverage. If I get single coverage I am going to make them pay for it eventually."

New England safety Brandon McGowan joked that the plan was to hold Gonzalez without any catches:

"The plan was for him to not have any catches and he had one so obviously the plan failed."

Patriots running back Sammy Morris said it was simply a matter of making plays:

"We were making plays in the second half we weren't making in the previous weeks. It was directly related to making the third-and-shorts and fourth-and-shorts. The offense is able to stay on the field and you're able to get more things accomplished."

The Falcons will enjoy a bye weekend before returning to action on the road against the San Francisco 49ers on October 11th. Theyll host the Chicago Bears the following Sunday before playing the Cowboys at Dallas. New England will host the Baltimore Ravens, with the Patriots a -1 home favorite. The total in the game has been set at 44.

About the Author:

Ross Everett is a widely published widely published freelance sports writer and noted authority on soccer betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.