No big surprises among Pats’ inactives - 7:01 p.m.
But it’s working, as New England has run hard throughout the night. The Patriots have done a lot of shuffling in the backfield - not sure if that’s because they want to be cautious with the health of their banged-up backs or if it’s scheme related. One of the things that Atlanta defensive coordinator Dean Pees talked about this week was the physical nature of the New England ground game, and that has really come through over the first two quarters.
Atlanta just hasn’t had the ball all that much, and as a result, the Falcons (like the Panthers) will have to become more of a one-dimensional team - pass first - if they want to stay competitive. For New England, they all haven’t ended with points, but the Patriots have mostly controlled the tempo and done well to impose their will on this one. New England has done well to grind out some scoring drives throughout the first two quarters.