NFL Week 14 Game Preview - Patriots.com

SCOUTING THE MATCHUPS

By Paul Perillo

When the Patriots run - Edge: Cardinals

The promising ground production of the early season is long gone and given the ever-changing health status of the principals involved it's hard to imagine a turnaround coming anytime soon. Rhamondre Stevenson has been outstanding, consistently generating yards even when there don't seem to be many available, but he's been forced to do it alone as Damien Harris deals with a thigh injury that caused him to miss the Bills game. More importantly, the offensive line is dealing with plenty of injuries as well. David Andrews just returned from a thigh injury of his own, and right tackle Isaiah Wynn missed the last two games with a foot injury. Yodny Cajuste, Wynn's replacement, missed the Bills game as well, leaving newcomer Conor McDermott to fill in. The results have been predictable as the Patriots have failed to generate 100 yards on the ground as a team since Week 8. Arizona won't make it any easier in the desert as the Cardinals rank 10th in the league, allowing 110.8 yards per game on the ground. Nose tackle Leki Fotu anchors things in the middle and allows active linebackers Zaven Collins and Isaiah Simmons to swarm to the ball and make plays. While Arizona does not possess an exceptionally stout front, it has been effective and given the Patriots struggles should be enough to keep this group in check.

When the Patriots pass - Edge: Patriots

It's not as if the Patriots passing attack has been much better as of late, but the Cardinals should offer some opportunities for Mac Jones to make some plays. Jones has struggled while under pressure, which he's seen his fair share of given the patchwork nature of the offensive line. But the Cardinals don't generate a ton of heat on the passer with just 23 sacks as a team through 12 games. J.J. Watt leads the way with 6.5, followed by Zach Allen's 4.5. Simmons and Collins have the athleticism to be disruptive, but they're asked to help in coverage more often than not due to the struggles on the back end. Arizona's best corner, Byron Murphy, has missed the last three games with a back injury. Antonio Hamilton takes his spot but is also dealing with health issues. Safeties Jalen Thompson and Budda Baker join Marco Wilson, Trayvon Mullen and Hamilton to round out the secondary. The Cardinals rank 24th in the league, allowing 245.4 yards per game through the air, which should bode well for Jones, although he may be without his top target in Jakobi Meyers, who left the Bills game with a head injury. Even without Meyers, Jones should be able to find enough targets to take advantage of this weak secondary.

When the Cardinals run - Edge: Patriots

Kyler Murray will represent a huge X-factor in this matchup. From a conventional standpoint, the Cardinals do not run the ball exceptionally well. Veteran James Conner is a solid workhorse and leads the team with 476 yards on the ground with four touchdowns. But he averages just 3.9 yards per carry, and the team ranks 21st in the league with an average of 114.9 rushing yards per game. But Murray can provide a boost to those numbers when he decides to get involved as a rusher, which he's done 66 times for 415 yards and three scores. Despite his effectiveness on the ground, coach Kliff Kingsbury doesn't call Murray's number often on designed runs. Most of his production comes on scrambles, which may be in part due to his small stature and durability issues. Assuming the Cardinals continue to avoid using Murray on zone reads and other designed runs, the Patriots should be able to contain Conner. If Murray gets involved, things could be different. New England struggled mightily when dealing with Lamar Jackson and Justin Fields, and Buffalo's Josh Allen didn't run a lot but the Bills ground game was productive due in part to his presence. It will be interesting to see how Kingsbury chooses to approach things.

When the Cardinals pass - Edge: Cardinals

Murray is a talented quarterback, but for whatever reason he and the Cardinals passing attack haven't been able to put it together this season. He's completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 2,359 yards with 14 touchdowns, seven interceptions and an 87.1 passer rating. He also missed two games due to a hamstring injury. Arizona ranks 17th in the league with an average of 219.8 yards per game through the air, but those numbers have been on the rise when Murray and DeAndre Hopkins are both in the lineup. Despite missing the first six games while serving a suspension, Hopkins is tied with Hollywood Brown for the team lead with 49 catches and three touchdowns. The Cardinals average over 28 points in the four games when Murray and Hopkins are on the field, and Brown also recently returned to the lineup following a foot injury. Tight end Zach Ertz (47-406-team-high 4 TDs) and the versatile Rondale Moore (41-414-1) also provide Murray with options. The Patriots secondary has gaudy numbers, most of which were generated against backup quarterbacks and other struggling offenses. Lately opponents have been able to move the ball through the air against New England, and the Cardinals talented array of pass catchers will provide another challenge.

Special Teams - Edge: Patriots

In all honesty the Patriots special teams have been inconsistent for most of the season. Nick Folk was near automatic until missing three field goals over the last three weeks, leaving him 25-for-30 for the season. Arizona's Matt Prater hasn't been nearly as busy, connecting on 10 of 11 field goals as the fourth kicker the Cardinals have used this season. Veteran Andy Lee handles the punting duties for Arizona and averages 46.9 yards on 48 kicks with four touchbacks and 10 downed inside the 20. Michael Palardy replaced Jake Bailey for the Patriots and after a strong debut against the Jets he hasn't been as effective since. He averages 43.2 yards on his 16 punts. The difference maker here continues to be Marcus Jones, who provides electricity in the return game on a weekly basis. Jones averages 14.7 yards per punt return with a touchdown, plus 25.1 yards on kickoffs with a long of 46. Greg Dortch handles both for the Cardinals, but he's dealing with a thumb injury and missed Arizona's last game. Pharoh Cooper would likely his place if Dortch can't go. The Cardinals coverage units have been strong most of the season, but Jones will offer the strongest test they've faced all year.

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2022-12-07 14:01:00Z
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