NFL Notebook: A scout assesses the Patriots' possible postseason matchups

In this week’s edition of the NFL Notebook, we hand out some regular-season awards for the Patriots, take a look at the flag-filled run New England has been on the last five games, examine the local legacies of two notable players who announced their retirements this week, and figure out how James White’s workload fits in with some Patriots’ backs of the past. But first, we wanted to get a sense of how New England might stack up against the AFC playoff field, so we got a quickie preview of what to watch for down the road.

1. With the postseason looming, we wanted to get a sense of how the Patriots match up against the rest of the AFC playoff field. So we asked an opposing scout about each potential postseason matchup for New England. Obviously, these are thumbnail sketches, but consider it a basic playoff primer for the Patriots.

Chiefs: “Kansas City’s inability to stop the run will play a huge factor in any playoff matchup between these two teams, but the Patriots’ struggles with coverage lead me to believe the Chiefs can get this one into a shootout quickly. Could come down to two pretty good special teams’ groups.”

Chargers: “I think the Patriots’ defense handles the Chargers’ offense very well. They’d be built for a game like that. I think New England is a really good matchup there. The Chargers' defense will have issues -- LA isn't phased by much, but I think they'd be out of their league here.”

Ravens - “This is the one the Patriots don’t want, in my opinion, with Baltimore’s ability to run the ball and play defense at a really high level. This is the one New England would struggle with. The biggest difference here for New England is that it would have to get an early lead, because the Ravens play well with the lead. The Patriots would also have to get turnovers to win a game like this one.”

Colts - “I think the Colts are a fun team to watch, but they’re not quite there yet. Indy is still kind of percolating, and a little inconsistent. Their defense is streaky and their offense is streaky. A methodical team like the Patriots would be a problem.”

Titans - “Right now, I think the Patriots line up well with the Titans. New England has learned the lessons from earlier this year — I have to imagine the Patriots’ spreading things out would make it tough on the Titans.”

Steelers - “I don’t know if they’re even going to make it, but they have all the tools. They have the run game and ball control offense, and the ability to limit (Tom) Brady and his throws. They’re just finding ways to lose games.”

Texans - “This would be a fun game to watch, because the Texans are built to beat the Patriots. I’m not sure if they can pull it off, but that team was built to play New England. Their safeties are strong, their corners are good cover guys, and they have that pass rush. Can the Patriots’ challenge and stop that offense, especially (Deshaun) Watson and (DeAndre) Hopkins? If New England can keep Watson in the pocket and limit his escapes — even if they’re not sacking him — that would dictate that game.”

2. There’s still one game left in the regular season, but we wanted to hand out a few team awards before the beginning of the playoffs:

a. MVP - James White: This one was never really in doubt, at least since the Buffalo game. An offense that has struggled to find consistency at times has been saved by the likes of White, who will set a new franchise record for receptions in a season by a running back, and reach a new career high for touches in a season. A great regular-season run for the Wisconsin product.

b. Rookie of the Year - Sony Michel: The first-year running back out of Georgia has had injury issues at times over the course of the 2017 season, but he has a shot at 1,000 rushing yards as a rookie. In a year where not a lot of first-year players have stood out, he narrowly gets the call over cornerback J.C. Jackson, who has come on strong over the second half.

c. Coach of the Year - Chad O’Shea: The Patriots don’t hand out a staff-wide honor, but it seems fitting to create an award for the likes of New England’s wide receiver coach, who has seen almost unprecedented turnover at his position this year. He’s done well to create some semblance of stability at a position that has seen plenty of chaos since the offseason. On a staff of professionals, O’Shea’s commitment to guidance and good humor stand out.

d. Biggest surprise - Trent Brown: We’ve written about Brown on a number of occasions, but it’s worth repeating here — he stepped into one of the key spots on the offensive line and exceeded expectations. He’s struggled a bit as of late, but his overall body of work has been impressive. He gets the nod ahead of Cordarrelle Patterson and Jason McCourty.