What area do the Patriots most need to improve upon as the season draws to a close?
Jason: Odd as it may sound, I think they need to get a few wrinkles ironed out in the passing game. More reps for Boyce or a healthy and productive return for Thompkins and/or Dobson would make a big difference. When they are all on the same page, the offense is tough to stop. When they aren't … well, let's just hope they are hitting on all cylinders, OK?
Raj: Both the offense and defense need big improvements. The offense needs to put up points early so that they don't have to play catch-up later. The defense therefore, has to learn how to protect leads. Part of the reason why leads have been broken is due to horrible defensive coverage or poor tackling. Fix these issues and we should see some vintage Patriots football. And I'm sure that's what everyone wants for the holidays this year.
Derek: Two things really stick out to me as areas for improvment. On the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots need to close teams out and get them off the field. There's been too many times where they've gotten a team in a 3rd and long situation (or 4th and 5 last week) and allowed that drive to continue. It cost them against Carolina, New York, and Miami. On the offensive side, the Patriots need a major improvement in their red zone efficiency. That may be a tall order with the loss of Gronk, but if the Patriots are planning on making a Super Bowl run, they absolutely cannot find themselves trading touchdowns for field goals on a regular basis.
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