The New England Patriots and Bill Belichick have made a habit of going after players who have either given them problems, or who The Hoodie has admired from afar. According to Carolina Panthers wide receiver Robby Anderson, he is one of those players.
The Patriots go on the road to take on Anderson and the Panthers on Sunday and the 28-year-old speedster talked about brief conversations he’s had with Belichick and told the story of when the latter triedto sign him in free agency in 2020.
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Anderson told reporters: “When I played them, from what I can remember, (Bill Belichick) usually would put man coverage (with) a safety over the top and scheme me, do things like that. Kind of take me out of the picture. He even, like, told me that, too. Last year when I was in free agency, he tried to get me to sign and he was like, ‘I’m tired of scheming against you. I’m tired of going against you.”
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Anderson ultimately chose to sign with the Panthers, and he’s just one of the players the Patriots will have to contend with on Sunday.
Patriots at Panthers: Keys to a New England Victory
The Patriots’ offensive line will be tested on Sunday. The Panthers have one of the league’s most fierce pass rushes.
Carolina’s 21 sacks is tied for fourth in the NFL, and the defense is second is yards allowed per game. Quite frankly, the Panthers have the best defense the Patriots have faced all year. rookie quarterback Mac Jones has to be kept upright and given an opportunity to make some plays with his arm.
If Jones is under duress most of the game, New England may become a one-dimensional offense leaning too heavily on the run. On the other side of the ball, the Panthers’ quarterback situation was fluid as of Thursday, November 4.
Sam Darnold suffered a concussion. He was limited in practice on Thursday, per the team’s official site, and if he cannot go, the team will turn to former XFL player PJ Walker. While Walker offers a more athletic option, the Panthers’ offensive efficiency might be affected by having a less-experienced player under center.
In any case, the Patriots have to get to the quarterback themselves and win the turnover battle to take some pressure off its offense.
Patriots Are Heading Into a Key Stretch
New England cannot afford to look past any opponent, but as the team sits at 4-4, it’s hard not to look a bit ahead. The Patriots have a solid chance to beat the Panthers Sunday, and from there they have more winnable games on the horizon against the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons.
With games against the Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts coming up after that stretch, it would be great to see the Patriots turn this stretch into a five-game win streak before the schedule gets nasty.
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