Patriots Team Headlines: Pats Jump Ratings, Running Backs Are Set
By Danny Cox
The New England Patriots are really starting to come around to the team that many expected them to be this season, but there is still some work to be done. None the less, the fans are tuning in for their big games and their head coach is pleased with what he is seeing on the field from his current roster.
Sunday Night Football ratings up for Pats and Falcons
Despite the mass amount of National Anthem protests and the season premiere of "The Walking Dead," NFL ratings were up this week, and that was especially true for Sunday Night Football. The Super Bowl LI rematch is one that saw the Patriots defeat the Atlanta Falcons 23-7 in a very lopsided game, but everyone wanted to see it.
Early numbers showed that this week's match-up brought a rise of 16 percent in the NFL's ratings over last week's New York Giants 23-10 victory over the Denver Broncos. It's obvious that there were a lot of people who wanted to see the Super Bowl rematch, and it made matters even more intriguing as the fog started to roll in on this game so close to Halloween.
Bill Belichick happy with the crop of running backs on the team and their talent
New England hasn't had a stellar running game this season, but they are starting to find more balance with the running backs they have on the roster. Against the Falcons, the crop of backs were able to help secure the big lead the Pats had by running out the clock and gaining ground to the point where Atlanta ran out of options.
Dion Lewis, Rex Burkhead, Mike Gillislee, and James White are all working well as a unit, and head coach Bill Belichick believes all of them "have been productive" for New England. He knows there is still a little bit of work to do, but he likes what he has been seeing out of them as of late.
"We're getting good play from our backs and our line. We've just got to be a little more consistent," Belichick said, already looking ahead. "We have another team this week -- the Chargers -- I don't know how we'll run the ball against them. We'll have to go out there and do it again against another good defense, another good team. Whenever we get the opportunity to run it -- whether it's the first quarter, fourth quarter, whatever it is -- we've just got to [do it]."
Man charged in crash that injured Patriots' rookie linebacker
A couple of weeks ago, Patriots rookie linebacker Harvey Langi was involved in a car crash that left him and four other people injured, and now, the Massachusetts man responsible has been charged.
Police have charged 25-year-old Kevin Conroy with drug possession, negligent operation, and possession of an open alcohol container. He was not arrested, but he will be summoned to court for the accident, which took place on Oct. 13, 2017.
Langi and his wife Cassidy were in their vehicle at a stoplight when Conroy's jeep rear-ended them going 50 miles-per-hour. The force of the impact pinned Langi's car between Conroy's jeep and the vehicle stopped in front of the Patriots rookie. Langi and his wife spent several days in the hospital to treat their injuries.