Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe tweets that Deion Branch was limited in the Patriots practice on Wednesday due to a sore knee.
Our View: Branch has looked strong in the second half of the season and we expect him to play this weekend against the Packers. While it’s not the best matchup, he still figures to be a high-end WR3 if not better.
Devin McCourty suffered a rib injury in New England’s rout of the Bears on Sunday, according to the Boston Herald.
Our View: He forced a fumble before going down. His Week 15 status is currently unclear, but for now, you shouldn’t consider him too likely to suit up. His status should be updated later in the week.
Danny Woodhead didn’t impact the Patriots passing game on Sunday, but did rush seven times for 21 yards and a touchdown.
Our View: More weeks than not, Woodhead finds a way to carve out a role and produce in one aspect or another. This was his first score in three weeks and those who employ him in the flex slot hopes he makes it two in a row when the Patriots host Green Bay in Week 15.
Deion Branch grabbed eight passes for a career regular-season high 151 yards and a touchdown in the Patriots’ Week 14 victory at Chicago.
Branch caught 8-of-10 targets, highlighted by a 59-yard touchdown as time expired in the first half. As the Pats appeared willing to run out the clock, Tom Brady hit Branch down the sideline, catching the Bears secondary by surprise. Branch is averaging 5.6 receptions and 94 yards over the past five weeks, one of the best stretches of his career. He’s a must-start WR3 against the Packers in Week 15.
Rob Gronkowski was Tom Brady’s go-to tight end on Sunday, catching five passes for 43 yards and a touchdown in the Patriots win over the Bears.
Our View: Once again, it was Gronkowski who got far more of Tom Brady’s attention, as Aaron Hernandez registered just two catches for 19 yards. It’s hard to know which Patriots’ tight end to trust on a week-to-week basis, but for now it appears as though Gronkowski holds the upper hand.
Tom Brady completed 27-of-40 passes for a season-high 369 yards and two touchdowns to the lead the Patriots to a blowout victory over the Bears at a snowy and windy Soldier Field in Week 14.
If the season ended now, Brady would be the slam-dunk MVP. As expected, he was masterful in the short passing game, defeating the elements while picking apart the Bears defense for a 33-0 halftime lead. Moving into 20th in all-time passing yards, Brady is behind only Bernie Kosar and Rich Gannon for the most consecutive pass attempts without an interception. In the past five weeks without a Patriots turnover, Brady is 118-of-164 (72.0 percent) for 1,572 yards and a 15:0 TD-to-INT ratio. There isn’t a hotter player in the league heading into a Week 15 matchup against the Packers.
Deion Branch caught eight passes for 151 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. The score came on a 59-yard pass from Tom Brady on the final play of the first half.
Our View: Branch has now hit paydirt in three straight games. He has had his disappointing games this season, but his strong ones as well. If you started him today, nicely done.
Wes Welker reeled in eight catches for 115 yards in Week 14.
Our View: A touchdown would have been the icing on the cake, but Welker’s day could have been far worse. The PPR legend has now caught seven or more passes in three straight games and eight times this season.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed 21 times for 87 yards in Sunday’s win at Chicago.
Our View: Take away his 17-yard scamper, and Green-Ellis averaged a mere three yards per carry. He remains a strong flex play on a weekly basis.
Despite poor weather in Chicago, Tom Brady threw for 369 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday. He completed 27 of his 40 pass attempts in a 36-7 Patriots victory. New England scored 33 of their points in the first half, including a 59-yard Brady to Deion Branch score as time expired.
Our View: So much for any concerns about the weather hindering the Patriots offense today. Brady is used to playing in the snow in December and was remarkable once again. Next week’s opponent (Green Bay) is tough, but you absolutely have to roll with Brady.