I think it is safe to say that this year’s Patriots team has had its ups and downs.
Just a few short weeks ago, after an embarrassing loss to the Chiefs, analysts and experts were completely writing this team off and beginning to accept the end of the Patriots dynasty.
People began to question whether Tom Brady was finally losing a step and whether the Pats roster had the weapons to help him win despite a decline in production.
Since then, the Pats have won six straight games in dominant fashion.
Brady has looked sharper than ever, and all of the pieces around him have just clicked.
Coming off of a bye-week, the Pats looked to face a very good Colts team in Indianapolis this past week, including a very good Andrew Luck at quarterback.
This game looked to be a huge test to whether or not this Patriots team is a legitimate contender or not to win the AFC.
One of the biggest knocks on this team is the lack of weapons surrounding Tom Brady.
All anybody ever talks about with the Patriots offense is that there are no big names at the receiver or running back positions.
The question is always asked, who (excluding Rob Gronkowski) is going to help Brady get the job done?
Now, a couple of weeks ago I wrote a column about how much I appreciated the talent of Tom Brady because of his underdog attitude.
And I think I speak for most sports fans when I say I love it when a guy comes out of nowhere and makes a major impact on a game.
This week, in a huge game with playoff implications on the line, the “no-name” guy to step up was none other than Jonas Gray.
Jonas Gray is just another one of those guys who came out of nowhere and shined in the Patriots offense.
An un-drafted second-year player that was on the practice squad just a few weeks ago, somehow managed to tear apart the Colts defense by rushing for almost 200 yards and four touchdowns.
Bill Belichick just seems to have a knack for pulling guys out of absolutely nowhere and turning them into productive players.
Jonas Gray is one of many in a long line of unsung heroes that have come along for the Patriots in recent years.
Guys like Danny Woodhead, Julian Edelman, Benjarvus Green-Ellis and now Jonas Gray have become a regular thing in the Patriots’ culture.
It is one of my favorite things in the world when a “little guy” breaks out and has a monster game and suddenly becomes so much more of a part of the game than anybody would have ever expected.
As long as Belichick remains the coach of the New England Patriots, I think we’re going to see a lot more of these kinds of surprising performances.
Jake Coughlin can be contacted at jcoughlin@keene-equinox.com
