The Patriots' first game since Rob Gronkowski's season-ending back injury went as expected.
The Pats relied on the running back trio of LeGarrette Blount, Dion Lewis, and James White. Tom Brady fed the ball to Julian Edelman. And the team put a heavy emphasis on three-receiver formations.
But the Pats' reliance on "11 personnel" (3 WR, 1 RB, TE) was not a radical departure from what we have seen in previous games. The idea that the Patriots were using Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett together a ton was not accurate.
Related players: Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola, Malcolm Mitchell
The Patriots used three receiver sets with a TE and an RB on 32 snaps and three receiver sets with two RBs and no TE on six snaps. They used a full back with two receivers on 16 snaps and four WRs on eight snaps.
Patriots news
