The Patriots gave up 337 yards in the air to the Bills in Sunday’s 37-31 victory, keeping them firmly rooted at the bottom of the league when it comes to passing yards allowed per game and reminding us why they traded a fourth-round pick for the suspended cornerback Aqib Talib.
Talib’s suspension is over as of Monday and the team made room for him on the 53-man roster by waiving linebacker Jeff Tarpinian. Tarpinian played in three games for the Patriots this year, recording one tackle, and started one game in 2011.
New England will get its first up-close look at Talib when they start practicing on Wednesday. The Patriots have mixed and matched what feels like dozens of players in the secondary over the last two years without finding any combination that works. They are looking for Talib to nail down one corner spot while they figure out the rest of the mix. He’s flashed the talent to take on that kind of role and the circumstances of the situation pretty much demand that he stay out of trouble off the field if he wants to hit free agency this offseason as a starting NFL cornerback.
We’ll likely start finding out how the Patriots’ gamble will pay off this Sunday against the Colts.