ESL Blogs

Bill Belichick often says the football season really starts after . This season is off to a miserable start and the are feeling reborn. Losing in overtime to the 30-24 is not the end of the world for this New England team. They still own the best record in the AFC and their schedule is manageable the rest of the way. You could even argue it's not the worst thing for a playoff team to be free Matt Garza Jersey of the burden that comes with an undefeated regular season. Then again, this team bares little resemblance to the team that ran roughshod offensive the first half of the season.'s right knee injury on Sunday night looked gruesome, although initial reporting indicates it might not be that serious. Gronk is the most valuable offensive player in the NFL that doesn't play quarterback. Along with , , and , was without his top four receiving options as Sunday's game in the snow ended. The also lost linebacker to injury Sunday night.This new post- season arrives with an AFC that no longer has a favorite. The look far friskier on offense with , who may have ended 's career Sunday night. The are a complete team. And the will be forced to adjust on the fly, which is what Belichick does best. Here's what else we learned on Sunday: Whereas the have lost their identity with struggling to move the ball with consistency, the have a winning formula with and a stout defense. The NFL's rushing leader, Peterson is hitting his stride for the stretch run, clearing 100 yards from scrimmage for the fifth time in the past six games. With 158 yards on Sunday, he moved into 18th place on the all-time list, pa sing Corey Dillon and rs John Riggins and O.J. Simpson. Credit Minnesota's improved blocking, allowing Peterson to limit his negative plays while churning out 127 rushing yards per game over the past five weeks.The are still alive in a weak NFC wild-card field, but their season is on life support after their fifth lo s in six games. The one strength they could count on week-in and week-out -- the -to- connection -- was eliminated by on Sunday.Although Kyle Shanahan's offense force-feeds Jones near the line of scrimmage, Ryan's aerial attack has been held back by the lack of a downfield element. has been a non-factor all season and was inactive, leaving Ryan with Jones and a cast of misfits in the pa sing game. Ryan now has 10 turnovers versus nine touchdowns in his last six games. He fell one game shy of tying the record for most consecutive starts with 250 or more yards pa sing (18).If the first-place have one overriding concern, it's that has taken too many hits over the past month. One of the NFL's most effective scramblers, Bridgewater must improve his timing on slides and throw-aways to protect his slight frame. On the flip side, it's encouraging that the Bridgewater-to- connection is heating up. Freed up to run more pa s routes of late, Rudolph has 159 yards on 13 receptions over the past two weeks.-- Chris We selingCoach Hue Jackson's offense hummed Sunday. caught the easiest touchdown pa s of his career in the first quarter and the never let up. is unstoppable, catching his 12th touchdown of the season -- his first outside Travis Shaw Jersey the red zone (22 yards). The tight end left after while recovering a fumble -- it's unclear if he would have returned if the game was close. Jackson kept a good defense off-kilter all game with well-timed screens and a balanced game plan. was on fire outside of one boneheaded interception to start the second half. The ' offensive line handled and a stout defensive line (zero sacks, one tackle for lo s). When Cincinnati's offense is rolling, it is one of the most dangerous point-creators in the NFL. was the only player worth watching on the ' offense. However, the receiver did the majority of his damage on the ground. His 60-yard run on a Wildcat handoff from was the only great play for the all day -- he scored on a 5-yard scamper two plays later. With teams keying on Gurley, the ' offense is putrid and can do nothing through the air. . They did. While he still tiptoes to the line too often, Hill displayed the burst that dominated the NFL down the stretch last season. Compiling several gashing runs up the middle of the ' defense, he finished with 16 carries for 86 yards. When Hill is driving downhill the ' offensive balance is unparalleled. The running back limped off the field after midway through the fourth quarter -- the game was out of hand. -- Kevin PatraAfter mi sing last week with a concu sion, entered Sunday hoping to make everyone forget about . Hoyer can give thanks tonight for a defense that can't blame their latest disaster on jettisoned coordinator Rob Ryan. Hoyer completed his first 11 pa ses -- two of them for scores -- to give Houston's signal-caller 15 touchdowns to just five picks on the year. You don't want to see him in constant pa sing situations, but Hoyer (21-of-27 for 205 yards at 7.6 yards per attempt) has done a better job of scanning the field than last season. Barring injury, we won't see Yates again.The came into Week 12 with a franchise-record 300-plus yards Robin Yount Jersey in 30 straight games. That streak is over after the first 10 completions from accounted for just 43 yards. The lack a trustworthy downfield element, leaving Houston to double-team on third-and-longs -- or just tee off on Brees, who finished with 228 yards at just 5.2 yards per throw and saw his streak of 45 games with a touchdown pa s snapped. This offense is no fun to watch. leads the league in targets, but the wideout was far from a one-man show on Sunday. Hoyer completed throws to nine different pa s-catchers. The result was a nice performance by tight end , who pulled down four balls for 72 yards and a score.-- Marc Se slerForty-year-old has emerged as an inspiration to blue hairs everywhere. Looking sharper than he did against the , the wily vet upped his 2015 record to 4-0 as a starter with his best game of the year. Ha selbeck doesn't always throw lasers, but he makes up for it with creativity, smarts and his share of impre sive lobs. The quarterback threw a pair of beautiful strikes to before hitting (six catches for 95 yards) on a 19-yard touchdown that put the up 16-12 midway through the third quarter. He nailed Moncrief (eight catches for 114 yards) repeatedly in key situations, helping the second-year wideout to his third-best day Boone Logan Jersey as a pro. How good would Ha selbeck be with any semblance of a ground game?It was a tale of two halves for , who was five years old when Ha selbeck made his NFL debut. The rookie quarterback struggled over the final two quarters against a pa s rush that notched five sacks to help shut out Tampa over the final 30 minutes. Still, Winston delivered another helping of fearle s throws downfield to (five catches for 64 yards) and (four for 76 yards). Win or lose, the No. 1 overall pick is growing weekly, showing pocket patience and the DNA of a big-play arm. On pace for the highest rookie pa ser rating by any top pick in NFL history, Winston gives this franchise plenty of hope for tomorrow. Blame the Bucs' O-line for Sunday's second-half fade.Boasting the NFL's second-best ground game, Tampa used heavily during an impre sive first half. The team trusts him to put the Bucs into a manageable spot on third down -- and let Winston take it from there. The heavy volume paid off early as Martin broke free for a 56-yard scamper before halftime to put him over 1,000 yards on the year. After 90 yards at halftime, though, Martin piled up just seven yards down the stretch.-- Marc Se slerThe pulled off the upset because they scored touchdowns when they got in the red zone and the kicked field goals. The scored four touchdowns in their trips inside the Jacksonville 20. This is the joy of having (four TDs, zero INTs, 300 yards) on your team.This game provided a pretty good peek into where we're at with the experience. The quarterback had moments where he looked like a future star -- like his pretty fourth-down touchdown strike to early in the fourth quarter -- but he also made mistakes that left you scratching your head. Bortles threw an ugly interception and was flagged twice near the San Diego goal line for throwing a pa s after he'd cro sed the line of scrimmage; rookie mistakes from a second-year player.For one day at least, Thomas was worth every penny. Thomas finished the game with nine receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown, becoming the first tight end since Kyle Brady in 2000 to have 100 yards and a touchdown in a game. In fact, Brady and Thomas are the only tight ends to ever pull off that somewhat pedestrian feat.-- Dan HanzusThe trailed Buffalo late in the first half Sunday, 10-0. They had () for the day and the had out-gained Kansas City 202-29. And then a offense led by . Maclin repeatedly torched on the way to Lorenzo Cain Jersey 160 yards and a score. Darby also gave up a touchdown to . Maclin and the ' running game were the difference on a day when Kansas City's offense needed to carry them. Now 6-5, we like the ' chances of winning a