Five matchups that will define NFL Week 12: Tom Brady short on weapons vs. Broncos
The New England Patriots enter their biggest test of the season with their most unclear offensive outlook yet.
With Danny Amendola out for the road tilt against the Denver Broncos, the Patriots are without three of their top four receiving options. New England's rotation at wide receiver might come down to the uneven Brandon LaFell, still-injured Keshawn Martin and former practice squad player Chris Harper.
It's hardly the outlook Tom Brady wanted against the league's No. 1 defense, which features a stellar secondary and fearsome pass rush.
For all the attention Brock Osweiler will receive as he once again steps in for Peyton Manning in his second NFL start, the Patriots' offense might be the one under fire thanks to its snowballing attrition. If Brady can play to his standards with a skeleton crew receiving corps, it would truly represent an MVP performance.
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Brady's quick-trigger release will be as important as ever, as the quarterback was under constant pressure last week against the Buffalo Bills and completed a season-low 51.3% of his passes. An offensive line missing left tackle Nate Solder will have its hands full with Von Miller and a defense that ranks first in the NFL in sacks.
Rob Gronkowski's performance could be the litmus test for how the offense fares, as the tight end is by far the most dangerous threat remaining for New England. With the Patriots shorthanded elsewhere, the Broncos can center the game plan on taking away Gronkowski as much as possible. The Bills might have provided the blueprint in holding Gronk to two catches for 37 yards: lots of different looks in coverage with plenty of safety help.
Hitting his normal throws underneath while finding Gronkowski and LaFell deep a few times might be enough for Brady and the Patriots to remain unbeaten. But against the Broncos and an impressive array of cornerbacks in Aqib Talib, Chris Harris and Bradley Roby, even that might be a tall order.
Here are four other matchups that will define Week 12:
- Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brown vs. Seattle Seahawks CB Richard Sherman
Unstable quarterback play has been the only thing to slow Brown this season.
The speedy receiver had his 35-game streak of five-catch, 50-yard performances broken in Week 4 when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was sidelined by injury. Yet despite a shaky offensive stretch by Pittsburgh's backup signal-callers, Brown is second in the NFL in receiving yards with 1,141 (the Falcons' Julio Jones has 45 more yards but 20 more targets).
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll hasn't revealed whether he'll have Sherman follow Brown around for the game, but the team has embraced the method when needed against top receivers. And Brown is too explosive to risk covering with Cary Williams or DeShawn Shead.
Sherman could have success in jamming and rerouting Brown, but he'll need help to bottle the receiver up. Seattle's defensive line will need to pressure Roethlisberger, as keeping Brown under wraps for an entire game is a tall task.
- Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson vs. Atlanta Falcons' front seven
Atlanta is about to find out how much its top-ranked run defense can handle.
The Falcons haven't allowed a 100-yard rusher this season, and have fared well against the likes of Doug Martin and Mark Ingram. But even at 30, Peterson provides by far the toughest test of the season.
The Vikings star was bottled up for just 45 rushing yards on 13 carries in last week's loss to the Green Bay Packers. With Minnesota needing to seize an opportunity to take control of the NFC North, Peterson should be back to his normal workload of getting at least 20 touches.
Beyond its traditional defensive plan, the Falcons' best option for neutralizing Peterson might be its offense. Building a big lead like the Packers did will shift the offensive burden to quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, whom Atlanta should be more comfortable containing.
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- Buffalo Bills WR Sammy Watkins vs. Kansas City Chiefs CBs Marcus Peters and Sean Smith
Rex Ryan wants Watkins to get more touches, and the second-year wide receiver is all but demanding the same.
Watkins grew visibly upset in the Bills' loss on Monday to the Patriots, as he repeatedly had opportunities downfield but was seldom targeted until late in the game. It's a recurring issue for Watkins, who said earlier this season he should be thrown to at least 10 times per game, and one on which he now has his coach's explicit support.
But integrating Watkins might not be as simple as getting deep targets from Tyrod Taylor, who still looks uncomfortable in stretches. And the Chiefs might have an answer for him in Peters.
The brash rookie cornerback has shown a penchant for making big plays by using his excellent recovery speed. But he also has given up a few big plays, so Watkins once again could find himself waving for the ball.
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- Washington Redskins QB Kirk Cousins vs. New York Giants secondary
Cousins' performance Sunday might not only shape the Redskins' season, but also the NFC East.
A win by Washington would create a tie with New York atop the division with both teams 5-6. But if the Giants hold on at home, they'll hold a two-game lead entering a very manageable final five weeks to the season.
Cousins' hot-and-cold performances have set the tone for the Redskins this season. And few teams have baffled the quarterback more than the Giants, who have forced 10 turnovers from him in their three career meetings.
New York's last-ranked pass defense's only saving grace has been in its ability to generate 18 takeaways, second best in the NFL. Whether he scores another 300-yard outing or not, Cousins' day probably will be determined by whether he's able to eliminate mistakes and convert in the red zone.
Follow Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz on Twitter @MikeMSchwartz.
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