Corruption? Collusion? Bennett Saga Has All The Makings Of A Made-For-TV Court Drama

In the film A Few Good Men, Tom Cruise portrayed a Navy Lawyer who is defending two Marines against Murder charges, a fellow Marine dying from the effects of lactic acidosis brought upon him by their actions in delivering was is known in the military as a "Code Red", the act of a Marine's shipmates employing disciplinary measures to correct ill behavior.

They tied up a Private Santiago, stuffed a rag in his mouth and sealed it with duct tape, claiming that they were given an order to deliver this brand of military training by shaving his head - but the aforementioned acidosis caused his lungs to bleed from lack of oxygen and he died within minutes.

When Cruise interrogated the physician in charge of the hospital on the base where the event occurred, Dr. Stone - played by Christopher Guess of This is Spinal Tap fame - claimed that the defendants treated the rag with a toxin, not a serious heart condition, that caused the acidosis to accelerate, leading to the Private's death, claiming that Santiago was given a clean bill of health...

...to which Cruise replied, "And that's why it had to be poison, right, Commander? Because Lord knows that if you put a man with a serious coronary condition back on duty with a clean bill of health and that man died from a heart-related incident, you'd have a lot to answer for, wouldn't you, doctor?"

The film was centered upon the corruption of a Marine Colonel who eventually incriminated himself on the stand - but stuff like that never happens in real life right? Particularly in something as insignificant as a football injury?

The weirdness surrounding the Martellus Bennett saga this past week has enough layers to make a drama lasagna, but it depends on what side of the table you sit on as to whether it is savory, or if it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

If on the Green Bay Packers' side, you sit slack-jawed in wonder at the speed in which Bennett went from a struggling and ill-fitting free agent signing to a locker room cancer that needed to be expressed and removed, while on the side of the New England Patriots, you're sitting pretty with a ready-made solution to the lack of viable depth at the tight end position.

At issue is a shoulder injury to the garrulous and candid tight end, the effusion of which caused a contentious rift between him and the Green Bay Packers, ultimately leading the team severing ties with Bennett, which in turn spurred many bad feelings, culminating in hand-wringing impromptu press conferences by Packers' coach Mike McCarthy and twitter bombs filled with color metaphors from Bennett himself.

The Packers released Bennett on Wednesday, claiming that he failed to report an injury to the team - a claim that Bennett vigorously denies, and makes clear on his multi-tweet twitter rant that effectively trashes the Packers' organization as being nothing more than tight-fisted misers who went for a public cash-grab in the wake of Bennett pondering retirement from the game after this season.

While that's really between Bennett and the Packers, the Patriots are bound to become entangled in the drama off the field as NFL.com's Ian Rappaport cites sources that the injury in question is actually the same injury that he suffered in the Patriots' week twelve contest last season against the New York Jets, and was listed on the team's injury report as part of a laundry list of maladies that Bennett eventually played through.

The Packers claim, through their failure to disclose designation, that Bennett's injury was a pre-existing condition and that the mercurial tight end failed to disclose it to team doctors during his physical, which he obviously passed and then signed his three-year, $21 million deal.

Unless Green Bay's management has some information that could solidly refute Rappaport's tome, this entire debacle makes the Packers' organization look like bumbling fools.

First, since Bennett's shoulder injury with the Patriots was well documented through weekly reports to the league, one would think that the Packers' team physicians would have taken extra care to scrutinize the joint - but they gave Bennett a clean bill of health which logically would place the onus on the Packers.

One has to think that there is more to this story than Bennett calling the Packers' organization a bunch of liars and the Packers acting like like jilted lovers - there has to be right?

However, on the surface, that's exactly what it is, and neither side of the argument escapes without a significant hit to their position, and it's hard to distinguish which one looks worse. As for Bennett, he appears as a grass-isn't-always-greener fence-hopper, shutting it down when Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered what may be a season-ending fractured clavicle...

...while the Packers appear to be involved in some sort of preternatural damage control scheme, trying to save face for a bad free agency fit by blaming everything on the player when there is clear evidence that Bennett's injury, while indeed preexisting -  was well-documented.

While that documentation appears to be an albatross around the necks of the Packers' organization, there is still the matter of Bennett quitting on his team when the going got tough - a blueprint that was fresh off the presses from 2014 when running back LeGarrette Blount walked out on the Pittsburgh Steelers and eventually ended up back in Foxborough.

Blount took some heat for the way he walked out on his teammates and Bennett has already raised the ire of Rodgers and several other Packers for his portrayal of the team physician as a corrupt, blamestorming quack that is a pulling a "Commander Stone", the doctor claiming that Bennett didn't reveal his existing injury during his initial physical before signing on.

So no one in this filthy drama is innocent, and while the Packers seek to recoup their signing bonus from Bennett, of which he has been payed $2.1 million of a guaranteed $6.3 million, Bennett is reportedly set to suit up for the Patriots as they face the Broncos in Denver on Sunday night.

To many, the fact that Bennett is back in New England where he won a title last season with the Patriots seems like a case of dark malfeasance on the part of the Patriots' organization, perhaps even collusion, as this is the second such incident in three years. But unlike what happened with Blount, whom the Patriots waited on the clear waivers before approaching him with an offer, New England submitted a claim to the league office on Bennett, and was awarded the player when no other team stepped forward.

Obviously, this has nothing to do with the Patriots, other than they are set to reap the windfall of having Bennett back in the lineup.

This controversy is far from over, and probably will not be settled by anything less than an official investigation and a formal arbiter - and probably not until the offseason. But in this case, if you will pardon the pun, this is exactly what the doctor ordered for New England's offense.

Packers Offense Huge Test For New Look Patriots Defense

The first preseason game of the year is always a guessing game.

The first question anyone asks is, how long will the starters play? Unfortunately, no one but Patriots head ball coach Bill Belichick and his contemporary for the Packers, Mike McCarthy, know for sure.

Last we saw the Packers, they were busy coughing up a big lead in Seattle in the NFC Championship Game and, of course, the last time we saw the Patriots, they did the same thing to Seattle that the Seahawks did to Green Bay, winning the World Championship in dramatic fashion.

Blount probably wont play, but had big holes to run through in November

Offensively, not much has changed for either team since then, but both are improved on defense - even considering that the Patriots lost cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner in free agency - by concentrating mainly on the draft.

When the teams met last season, the stats suggest that the Green Bay offense had their way with the New England defense, as they rushed for 130 yards and quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 370 more, but it was really a tale of two halves, which seems to be the way the Patriots operated all of 2014.

For instance, Packers' running back Eddie Lacy ran for 98 yards on 24 carries, but after the first drive of the game when Lacy took three carries for 40 yards, he was held mostly in check after that, picking up 58 yards on 21 carries, a putrid 2.7 yards per carry - while Rodgers picked on the Patriots' secondary to the tune of 14 of 24 for 282 yards and two touchdowns, but just like in the running game, New England shut down the Packers' passing game in the second half as Rodgers managed only 88 yards while being sacked three times.

Rodgers was equally opportunistic in picking on the Patriots secondary, as he targeted Browner early and drew two holding calls on the tall, grabby corner, then went after Logan Ryan with Devante Adamas out of the flank before abusing Kyle Arrington covering Randall Cobb out of the slot - and then went for the coffin nail by targeting Revis with Jordy Nelson as the Packers scored on five straight possessions in the first half and took a 23-14 lead into the locker room.

The Patriots offense was hit and miss most of the game, but performed best when quarterback Tom Brady targeted his tight ends and running backs in the pattern, then turning to running back LeGarrette Blount in the second half as the Patriots found plenty of room to run on the Packers - but uncharacteristic drive-killing penalties doomed New England to only seven more points while the defense held the Packers to just a field goal.

Lacy was contained after the first series of the game in November

Overall, the Packers' run defense was abysmal all season long, as only four teams failed to gain over 100 yards on the ground against them, including the Patriots, who still ran for nearly five yards a pop against them - and when they ran into teams with superior running games, the results were predictable.

That run defense is exactly the same as it was, the same defense that gave up 145 yards to Dallas in a close win in the Divisional round of the playoffs, then 194 in the loss to the Seahawks the following week to end their season.

The main players in the backfield for Patriots in the game against the Packers last season are back this year, as Blount, Brandon Bolden and Jonas Gray enjoyed finding some big holes against their 3-4 front, mostly by following rookie tackle Cam Fleming and veteran Nate Solder to the left, directly at weak side linebacker Julius Peppers and 310 pound five-tech end Mike Daniels...

...wisely running to the opposite side from the strong side duo of linebacker Clay Matthews and defensive end Leroy Guion, who also doubled down as nose tackle for injured B. J. Raji.

Curiously, Brady had very limited success against a decent set of corners in Sam Shields and Tramon Williams, an area in which the Packers upgraded in the draft by selecting Miami (Ohio) cornerback Quinten Rollins and Arizona State hybrid Damarious Randall with their first two selections, two players who the Patriots can expect to see plenty of on Thursday night...

...while safeties Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Morgan Burnett figure to see at least a little action before giving way to Randall (who is also a free safety in the mold of New England's Devin McCourty) and a kennel of bubble blowers in what represents weak depth on the back side.

On the other side, it is unlikely that New England's rebuilt secondary will see much of Rodgers, if at all, but the Packers nevertheless have world class route runners who challenged and beat the Patriots' experienced secondary last season, so there probably isn't a better group for the cornerbacks to compete against to show where they are at this early in the preseason.

Cobb and Nelson represent a huge challenge for Patriots' secondary

Adams, Cobb and Nelson are just the tip of the iceberg as far as pass catchers are concerned for Green Bay, as depth names such as Jeff Janis and Jared Abbrederis are quality back ups and tight ends Richard Rogers and Andrew Quarless are both capable downfield receivers that will stress the superb New England safety corps. Lacy is also an effective receiver out of the backfield.

What to watch for:

Patriots corners face tough test 

As mentioned, the Patriots reworked secondary is untested, so you can probably expect to see the entire depth chart in different lineups as the Patriots' coaching staff attempts to find the best combinations in different situations - and there may not be a better scheme to stress them and put them on the defensive as Green Bay's.

Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler appears to have the left cornerback job nailed down, and will likely see the Packers' top threat, but after him there are literally dozens of combinations that have to be worked out. Ryan and newcomer Tarell Brown are likely battling for the right side, while Robert McClain, Bradley Fletcher and Ryan will all see time in the slot. the two rookie corners, Jimmy Jean and Darryl Roberts will see the majority of snaps in the second half.

Roberts has shown mad skill in sticking with receivers in camp and may be a wild card that could blow up the secondary much the same way that Butler did last preseason, while Jean has the length to contest deep balls much the same as Browner did last season.

Safety Play

The Patriots have assembled what may very well be the most talented group of safeties in the league, and while the first preseason game isn't going to feature anything but vanilla coverages, Belichick should be able to get a bead on where his blue liners are in relation to run support and general understanding of the defense. The only newcomer to the group is Jordan Richards, who has been pegged as a box safety by scouts but has been trumpeted by his college coaches as a free/strong hybrid, and Thursday night will be our first chance to see which side is right.

Curiously, fourth year man Tavon Wilson has surprised in camp with a much-improved coverage technique and better angles to the ball. Mainly a special-teamer along with fellow safety Nate Ebner, Wilson could solidify his position in the deep safety corps with a standout performance. He will certainly see the reps to make that happen.

As crazy as it sounds, the Patriots could conceivably keep six safeties...

Linebackers in coverage

New England traded rookie cover 'backer Matthew Wells to the Chicago Bears on Monday, leaving the linebacker corps seriously thin - nearly anorexic - in terms of players with the ability to handle running backs in the pattern - but they still have one very bright ray of hope in third-year man Eric Martin.

While he's no Wells in terms of speed and coverage ability, Martin does possess wheels that belie his stocky 6' 2", 250 pound frame. Running a 4.53 forty, Martin can play many positions, though his best position with New England will most likely be at weak side linebacker, but he has the bulk and lower body strength to be a sideline-to-sideline pursuit middle man. Regardless of where he lines up, expect to see plenty of Martin, along with depth guys like returning edge-setter Darius Fleming, former Dolphin Jonathan Freeny and recently re-signed Cameron Gordon in the stead of the Patriots' top three.

Light night for defensive line

Don't think that you're going to see much of Sealver Siliga or Alan Branch in the middle of the Patriots' defensive line - if we see them at all. It's not as if its critical to have those guys in there, nor names like Ninkovich, Sheard or Chandler Jones, because the depth behind them is flat crazy.

Zach Moore is one of the more intriguing players along the defensive line as the 6' 6" defensive end had beefed up to 290 pounds, and the extra 10 pounds hasn't seemed to affect his explosion off the ball. He could see himself getting some reps at the three-tech in a rotation that will include Dominique Easley, Chris Jones and Joe Vellano, but will mainly ply his trade in the stead of Chandler Jones...

...while rookies Trey Flowers, Geneo Grissom and Xzavier Dickson will see the majority of reps on the outside. All were decent edge setters in college and Flowers in particular was a menace in the pass rush. Dickson played mainly as a defensive end in college but, like Flowers and Grissom, has the skill to pull off the hybrid act.

Boyce can make his statement

The Patriots currently have Brandon LaFell, Aaron Dobson and Brian Tyms out with injuries and Julian Edelman is being treated with kid gloves as he works his way back from an ankle tweak, leaving Danny Amendola, Brandon Gibson and Josh Boyce as their top three options in the pattern - and this is exactly the opportunity Gibson and Boyce need to prove they have the goods.

Boyce in particular, as he has struggled with the concept-driven playbook and spent most of last season on the practice squad after an invisible rookie season, where he earned the praise of Belichick for his taxi squad work, but now entering his third season, this is make or break time for the speedster out of Texas Christian.

Did I say speed? Boyce is greased lighting, timed at 4.38 in the 40, and has a break off the line that average corners shouldn't be able to handle - this is his chance to shine, and it's a big one, and he needs to make himself available to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo underneath because he is likely to need a safety valve with the starting offensive line Belichick plans to trot out...

Spotlight on the passing backs

Belichick followed his typical method of operation in bringing James White into the fold last season as a 4th round draft pick, keeping him on the 53 man roster like he did White's predecessor, Shane Vereen in his rookie season. Many in the media are writing off White and looking to New Orleans Saints castoff Travairis Cadet as the leader for passing back duties, but that has been how the media has treated White since he was drafted.

Cadet and Brandon Bolden have been said to have leapfrogged White in the competition, which is preposterous considering that we haven't seen any game action out of anyone. Cadet is a big, lean back that doesn't do much in the running game and can't pass block and Bolden is a special teams ace who is best seeing limited reps on the offense, so the Patriots hope that White shines when the lights are the brightest.

With the release of Tyler Gaffney and the team probably not willing to test LeGarrette Blount's knee in preseason action, the onus falls to Jonas Gray as the big, early down back. Look for the big kid to run to the left a lot against the Packers and, hopefully, shows some wiggle to go along with his power.

Tight end depth on display

How does a two tight end duo of Jake Bequette and Jimmay Mundine grab ya?

The top three options at tight end, Rob Gronkowski, Scott Chandler and Michael Hoomanawanui will play sparingly, if at all, so the 4th year former defensive end Bequette and the rookie H-back out of Kansas will see the majority of reps.

Bequette is a natural pass catcher and absolutely needs to impress to stick on the team, while Mundine has nothing to lose as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Kansas. Mundine is actually more of a thick wide receiver than an actual tight end, and his blocking leaves something to be desired, but at 6' 2" and 240 pounds, he runs crisp routes, is experienced at finding the soft spots in a zone and has an extra gear in the open field.

His coaches at Kansas had to hold him back from going full speed at times, as he would run over the corners and safeties in practice, leaving them bruised and bleeding in his wake. Watch this kid...

Wall blocking on the offensive line

With a starting line up of Marcus Cannon and Cam Fleming at tackles and Shaq Mason, Bryan Stork and Tre Jackson on the interior, this line is begging to run the ball.

Drive blockers all, they are not what you might call a great pass blocking squad, but call a few running plays and let these guys go to work with the Patriots' new Wall Blocking scheme, and watch the yardage pile up. This is one unit that doesn't figure to have a lot of substituting going on until the game reaches the 4th quarter, as the rookies Mason and Jackson need the reps to gain chemistry with Stork on the inside.

Jimmy Garoppolo may be running for his life in the passing game with these guys in front of him, but the running backs are going to have a field day.

Speaking of Garoppolo...

With the inexperience of the offensive line in pass protection and the lack of experienced receivers in the pattern, we are apt to find out just how clever and cunning Jimmy G. is.

When he drops back into the pocket, the coaching staff will be looking for a quick release in the short passing game. In camp, the second year signal caller has developed some good chemistry with Josh Boyce on the outside and James White on the wheel routes. He has been late on crossers, which no receiver likes as it puts them in position to take a big hit.

But here's the thing: Garoppolo is a gamer - we saw it last season when he stunk up the first few weeks of camp, then came out like a boss in the preseason games and took Ryan Mallet's job - and it's not unreasonable to expect to see more of the same this year.

Patriots let Packers off the hook, abandon four-minute offense in loss at Green Bay

Blount's clean jersey in the waning moments tells Patriots' fans all they need to know about the loss to Green Bay

When a CBS cameraman focused on the Patriots sideline early in the third quarter during their loss at Green Bay, some commented that Patriots' Strength and Conditioning Coach Harold Nash had a leash on quarterback Tom Brady.

Naturally, it was just a resistance band, a terrific way to stay warm and loose in cold weather, and Nash was the one providing the resistance.

"When I'm out there in the game, I don't get a chance to run around like the receivers who are running around the whole game" Brady said earlier this week. "So I just like to stay really loose, as loose as I can in inclement weather.  So that's what it was for."

Brady warming up before the game with resistance band

Many others thought that should have been Bill Belichick on one end, providing resistance to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.  Or maybe just have him on a short leash.

In a game that had power running attack written all over a potential game plan, the Patriots instead aired it out right into the teeth of the strength of the Packers' defense - their secondary - eschewing the run until the final period, turning what should have been a New England road victory into a frustrating 26-21 loss.

"Certainly, when we did run it, we ran it effectively." Brady offered. "And when we threw it, we threw it somewhat effectively.  I could have been better in certain situations, which would have allowed us to run the ball better."

"It all goes hand-in-hand."

Brady's remarks came on the heels of a contest that saw the Patriots run the ball just eight times in the first half (not including Brady's kneel down at the end of the half) and nine times in the second half, averaging 5.14 and 5.33 yards respectively, yet the success of those running plays couldn't convince McDaniels that his best option was to hand the ball to his power backs and run the four-minute offense.

Nor did the fact that the Packers were ranked 30th in run defense, nor did the fact that he has a terrific stable of running backs that can play it any way you want, and a quarterback who is pure gold selling the play action.

But since there was such a disparity between the run and the pass - 35 passing plays compared to 17 on the ground - there was no reason for the Packers' defense to respect a running game that was all but non-existent, and they obliged by playing in the nickle and turning loose their pass rushers, nailing Brady six different times - and while they only sacked him once, that one time was in the most critical time of the game: In the red zone with less than four minutes to play.

Still, miraculously, the Patriots were in position to take the lead on their final drive until the sack of Brady by Mike Daniels forced them into a 4th and 19 from the 29, where Stephen Gostkowski shanked a field goal attempt.  On that drive, the Patriots' got where they needed to be on the strength of Legarrette Blount's hard running, which opened up the play action for Brady - yet when they reached the red zone, the running game disappeared.  Again.

The entire point of the four minute offense, which the Packers ran to perfection while the Patriots only toyed with it, is to run time off the clock while moving the ball methodically down the field.  It isn't fancy and not aesthetically pleasing in any way other than the fact that it works.

So forget that New England produced over half of their rushing yards on the final two drives of the game, one of which ended in a touchdown to slice into the Packers' lead.  Forget that up until the point that the Patriots drove into the Packers' red zone with three and a half minutes to play, the Green Bay pass rush was abusing the Patriots offensive line and beating Brady like he stole something, because New England had a first and 10 from the Green Bay 20 with a chance to take the lead.

The goal at that point should have been to run as much time as they could off the clock, running the ball right at the Packers who had not shown that they could consistently stop the run, and passing only if it became necessary, because the ideal situation would have been to score and not leave Green Bay's terrific quarterback Aaron Rodgers any time to mount a game-winning drive...

...but one run, an ill-advised heave into the end zone for a well-covered Rob Gronkowski and the Daniels' sack left them having to try a field goal that did them absolutely no good at all in that situation.

So instead of running the four-minute offense, McDaniels calls two pass plays, one trying to mismatch Gronkowski on rookie safety HaHa Clinton-Dix, who had tight coverage, and the other ending in a sack.  The Packers took over with just under three minutes to play and the Patriots never saw the ball again.

And even if they had scored and taken the lead on the pass to Gronkowski, there would have been far too much time on the clock for the Packers to drive down the field, needing only a field goal to wrap things up.

With football being a team sport, there is plenty of blame to go around for a loss, just as there is praise to go around with a win.  That said, many thought the offensive line was to blame for the loss, but nothing could be further from the truth.  When a team eschews the run like the Patriots did on Sunday, it puts the linemen at a disadvantage.  Without the defense having to respect the run, the pass rush can pin their ears back and come after the quarterback...

...while establishing the running game makes the defense have to respect the play action and gives the linemen that extra split second at the snap of the ball to set and anchor themselves against the rush. That didn't happen and the Patriots took a frustrating loss that woulda, coulda, shoulda been a great triumph.

Because as Brady eluded to, it all goes hand-in-hand.

Patriots' running game, defense give them edge over Packers

The mystique surrounding the Green Bay Packers seems to precede their physical presence.

And why not?  Perhaps one of the most storied franchises in National Football League history, it is the Packers - not the New England Patriots - whose logo arises in the psyche of football fans everywhere when considering that history.

It has been said that if one listens very carefully within the confines of Lambeau Field, you can almost hear Vince Lombardi giving the business to a referee and Bart Starr's gruff cadence - and with the notoriously frigid temperatures that invade Wisconsin from the arctic, the perception is that the Packers are invincible, particularly at home...

The power duo of Gray and Blount are key against Packers' defense

...which is bullshit, of course, but not a bad image to carry into a game, particularly a marquee contest such as when they host the Patriots on Sunday afternoon - but reputation and image gets one only so far.

Similar to the Patriots, the Packers struggled out of the gates to start the 2014 season, beginning the year losing two of their first three games before righting the ship and going on a tear that has seen them win seven of their last eight, making them the second hottest team in the league.

The hottest? Right, those dastardly New England Patriots.

The Patriots have won seven straight heading into Lambeau Field late on Sunday afternoon - running the table in impressive fashion, which includes blowout wins over six different division leaders and all three of Green Bay's NFC North division rivals.  The Patriots offense leads the league in points scored, while the Packers are right on their heels, so there is no doubt that both offensive entities are able to put up points.

But that is where the similarities end.

The focus in this contest will be on the defensive side of the ball, where the Patriots have an emerging beast of a secondary that can take away the opposition's top two targets, forcing the opposing quarterback to go to his third and fourth reads, many times having to scramble from the pocket to give himself enough time to do so.

Having cornerbacks like Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner and an over-the-top safety presence like Devin McCourty gives head ball coach Bill Belichick flexibility that he hasn't had in the past, and a direct beneficiary of that is that it allows the Patriots' "Cloud" defense both the ability to disguise where their pass rush is coming from, while leaving the box heavy in run support.

How fortuitous is it for the Patriots to have Revis and Browner in coverage?  Through 11 games, New England has allowed only two quarterbacks to throw for over 300 yards, and both of those signal callers - Denver's Peyton Manning and the Colts' Andrew Luck - enjoyed most of that success in garbage time as the Patriots had big leads and backed off in coverage to make sure neither could could beat them deep for a quick score.

As a result, New England has been able to utilize the base Cloud, rotating in a combination of coverage 'backers and the big nickle to also shut down the opposition's ground game.

Akeem Ayers' pass rush, edge-setting vital against Rodgers

New England's defense has given up over 100 rushing yards just four times this season, and the results have been predictable.  In both of their losses, a narrow win over the Jets, and a blowout of a terrible Bears' team, the Patriots surrendered an abysmal 192 rushing yards per game - in their other seven wins, a stout 60 yards per game.

Obviously, stopping the run coincides with New England's overall success.

That said, it should be noted that, after a slow start, Green Bay's Eddie Lacy has been the catalyst for a Packers' ground attack that has averaged 126 yards per game - but even that comes with a caveat in that Green Bay is renowned this season for jumping out to substantial leads in the first half of their ball games on the strength of quarterback Aaron Rodgers' arm, then they turn to the four-minute offense to to run down the clock...

...so the key for New England is to not allow the Packers to jump out to a quick lead through the air by forcing them to become one-dimensional - and the Patriots have the talent on defense to take their pick of which area to shut down at any given time.

But if there is anything that the Patriots' defense hasn't figured out yet is how to cover the bigger, more athletic tight ends and containing the quarterback when the pass rush forces him to leave the pocket.  Against the Packers, the former isn't as much a concern as the latter, as Green Bay's tight ends are used sparingly in the passing attack, but Rodgers has a knack for extending drives with his legs.

But if Revis and Browner effectively shut down the dynamic pass catching tandem of Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, tight ends Andrew Quarless and Richard Rodgers become underneath options, as does Lacy out of the backfield.

This makes the Patriots' linebackers the key to this game.

Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins provide solid interior presence in the 5-2 Cloud, and rue the pass catcher who attempts to slither across the middle - but the mid-season acquisitions of weaksiders Akeem Ayers and Jonathan Casillas have strengthened the corps on the edges, with Ayers playing a stand-up, end-of-the-line role that sees him rushing the passer and setting the edge...

...while Casillas handles running backs swinging out of the backfield most often, but has also been used as a shadow on mobile quarterbacks on occasion, something that will most likely be employed by Belichick on Sunday afternoon.

Green Bay's slot receiver Devante Adams becomes important in this scenario as a third option, but the combination of slot corner Kyle Arrington and Logan Ryan have proven to be able defenders in this area as well, and give up very little to a linebacker or safety in run support.

Conversely, the Packers' defense is not even in the same class as what New England brings, though their secondary should not be overlooked.

Cornerbacks Sam Shields and Tramon Williams are a terrific duo of cover corners and are baked up with decent safeties in Morgan Burnett and Micah Hyde, with rookie Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in the mix as well - but after them, there is little imposing in regard to what the Packers' will be able to match up with what the Patriots bring to the field.

At least one of those safeties and a linebacker will be occupied with Patriots' All-World tight end Rob Gronkowski, leaving holes underneath and in the intermediate areas for receivers Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell to settle into, and with the added presence of emerging tight end Tim Wright and with the always dangerous Shane Vereen curling out of the backfield, they force the opposition to play in sub-packages for most of the game...

...setting up a light box for New England's power running game to take advantage of.

Most of Green Bay's opponents have run right at weakside linebacker Julius Peppers and defensive end Mike Daniels, taking advantage of Peppers' aggressive pass rush and beating him between the left guard and tackle to the tune of a whopping 5.25 yards per carry.  Opponents are also finding room up the middle to maneuver for 4.25 yards per carry.

Trying to go right on Green Bay is little more difficult, as they have surrendered only 3.2 yards per carry to that edge - but fortunately for New England, most of their running plays go left or straight up the gut, which means that the power back tandem of Legarrette Blount and Jonas Gray could have a field day against the Packers' weak front seven.

So this gives the Patriots a choice of how to approach the game offensively.

The age-old standard of establishing the run to set up the play action pass doesn't necessarily apply to New England, as quarterback Tom Brady can sell the play action better than anyone else in the NFL, and on more than one occasion offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has approached an opponent by going up top to help set up the powerful four minute offense.

This is the hallmark of the Erhardt-Perkins offense that the Patriots employ, the mantra being "Pass to score, run to win.", so it goes to figure that Brady will come out slinging, softening up a Packers' defense that will be struggling to stop the running game as it is, forcing them into a sub nickle or dime, then running straight into the teeth of their lighter box.

But all of this means nothing if New England turns the ball over.  The Packers lead the league in turnover differential, causing 23 turnovers - though ball security hasn't really been an issue with the Patriots this season, with only Brady and Edelman putting the ball on the ground - meaning none of the running backs have fumbled at all.

All of this said, the Patriots appear to have a solid chance of winning handily, even on the intimidating frozen tundra of Lambeau Field - just running the ball with authority, stoping the run and hanging onto the football should ensure a convincing New England victory.