Midway via the season, let’s hand out some {hardware}.
The Patriots are among the many greatest surprises and greatest groups within the NFL via Week 8, a time when contenders and pretenders are likely to reveal themselves. The Pats already stand among the many contenders, regardless of the very fact they’re actively rebuilding underneath Mike Vrabel. How?
Begin with Drake Maye, then a bevy of spectacular veterans, like Stefon Diggs, who’ve match completely round him. No staff can shock and not using a supporting case exceeding expectations, which is strictly what’s occurred in New England. That goes for the coaches, too.
From the Patriots’ MVP to greatest assistant, it’s time for the Herald’s midseason awards.
MVP
QB Drake Maye
Who else?
Maye is essentially the most correct quarterback in soccer by completion proportion and superior metrics. He ranks second by EPA per play and passer ranking, third in landing passes and fifth in passing yards. Maye can be beating defenses along with his legs, dashing for 250 yards to defeat sticky man-to-man protection.
There isn’t a fixing him. No excellent name. Maye can thread deep passes and lengthen completely defended performs till a receiver pops free, or a dashing lane seems. The rookie seen scrambling for his life final yr is gone. It is a quarterback in management and in command.
When you think about the Pats’ bottom-10 run sport, nobody is doing extra with much less throughout your complete league. Maye is not only the Patriots’ midseason MVP. He’s the NFL’s, too.
Honorable mentions: N/A
Greatest offensive participant
WR Stefon Diggs
The times when Diggs was restricted and, at instances, invisible throughout Patriots coaching camp practices appear to be ceaselessly in the past.
Diggs is monitoring for the seventh 1,000-yard season of his profession, and main the Pats in all main receiving classes besides touchdowns. He is probably not the prototypical No. 1 receiver he as soon as was, however Diggs is the very best receiver to name Foxboro dwelling since not less than prime Julian Edelman. His really feel for locating holes in zone protection helped him quickly develop chemistry with Maye, and his versatility makes him a risk each exterior and within the slot.
He performed his greatest when his greatest was required throughout a Week 5 journey to Buffalo, the place he posted season highs with 10 catches and 146 receiving yards. The Patriots’ youthful receivers have additionally touted Diggs’ management and presence, one thing Vrabel additionally talked about after the staff’s newest win when the 31-year-old scored his first landing this season.
“He’s vocal, he cares, he’s an amazing teammate,” Vrabel stated. “He’s been actually good for that place and a number of the youthful guys’ growth. So, I’m completely happy to have the ability to get him in the long run zone. It was lengthy overdue.”
Honorable mentions: WR Kayshon Boutte, C Garrett Bradbury
Greatest defensive participant
CB Marcus Jones
The AFC’s Defensive Participant of the Month for October isn’t getting slighted right here.
Jones has been in every single place, tallying 36 tackles, two interceptions, seven move deflections and a sack. He’s one among eight gamers within the NFL with two picks and a sack, and amongst that group — which incorporates Patriots inside linebacker Robert Spillane and security Jaylinn Hawkins — Jones leads in each move breakups and tackles for loss.
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By eight video games, he is performed 76% of the Patriots’ defensive snaps, most of which have come at nickelback. He intercepted Josh Allen within the second half of a vital win at Buffalo, and has gotten his arms on the ball in each sport since. It is unlikely Jones will end the season because the Patriots’ most impactful defender, however proper now, there is no contest.
That is why, amongst a number of different causes, the Patriots signed him to a recent contract extension this week.
“I feel he embodies every thing that we’re in search of right here in a participant, in a teammate, on the sector, locally,” Vrabel stated. “It’s one thing that we have been enthusiastic about doing and glad that he needed to get that completed and be with us transferring ahead.”
Honorable mentions: DL Milton Williams, Spillane
Greatest rookie
LT Will Campbell
Who noticed this coming?
Campbell not solely ranks among the many league’s simplest pass-protectors at his place, he is been one of many higher offensive tackles within the NFL. He ranks within the prime 30 amongst offensive tackles, per PFF grades, and has logged a number of video games with out permitting a single stress. Campbell’s athleticism has additionally shone via on some perimeter runs, the place he is served as a pulling lead blocker for fellow rookie TreVeyon Henderson.
With out Campbell measuring as much as not less than substitute degree, the Patriots would subject one of many least imposing left tackle-left guard combos in soccer; an actual danger to Maye’s safety. As an alternative, the 21-year-old has not solely carried his personal weight, he is thrown his weight round.
Honorable mentions: S Craig Woodson, Ok Andres Borregales
Greatest play
Antonio Gibson’s kickoff return TD at Miami
Think about the place the Patriots could be with out this play.
Trailing 27-23 halfway via the fourth quarter after taking a intestine punch on Malik Washington’s punt return landing, Gibson scored what stays the one kickoff return landing within the NFL. That play hoisted the Patriots again into the lead, a lead they saved for his or her first win underneath Vrabel, first win in South Florida since 2019 and the start of a particular begin to the season. Gibson later received AFC Particular Groups Participant of the Week.
The Patriots have made splashier performs since, and Maye nailed two spectacular completions on his game-winning drive at Buffalo, however arguably none of these moments would have been as significant had the staff not received first at Miami.
Honorable mentions: Borregales’ game-winning 52-yard subject aim at Buffalo, Maye’s 53-yard landing to DeMario Douglas at New Orleans
Largest shock
WR Kayshon Boutte
Even the optimist’s optimist could not have anticipated this from Boutte.
The third-year receiver has completed a 180 from the place his NFL profession began as an expert wholesome scratch. He is a few video games away from setting a brand new profession excessive for receiving yards in a season, and already previous that mark in touchdowns scored. Boutte is extra mature, constant, productive and downright harmful on deep routes.
He ranks third within the NFL at 18.7 yards per catch, having piled up 431 yards on 23 catches. He leads the Patriots in receiving touchdowns. Maye loves focusing on Boutte any time he is 1-on-1 down the sector, explaining this week the 2 constructed chemistry by beating star cornerback Christian Gonzalez in apply final season.
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The stats bear that out: Boutte has scored 4 touchdowns within the final three weeks, all on deep throws.
“All people simply assumes all receivers can monitor the ball the identical,” Pats offensive coordinator Josj McDaniels started this week, “A few of them can, a few of them do it a bit bit higher than others, however (Boutte) definitely has had a possibility to make some catches the place the ball’s going a special path, completely different angle. … And to run full velocity with a defender close to you, look again for the ball, have to regulate to it, after which have robust sufficient arms to finish the play, I feel that speaks to why he is been so profitable.”
Honorable mentions: Campbell, OLB Ok’Lavon Chaisson
Largest disappointment
RB TreVeyon Henderson
A sufferer of his personal summer time success, Henderson has underwhelmed in nearly each sense.
He is struggled mightily in blitz pickup, regardless of thriving as a pass-protector in school. He is breaking roughly one deal with per sport. And he is leaving dashing yards on the sector, per Next Gen Stats, which ranks Henderson as a bottom-5 runner relative to expectation; which means he is gaining 0.64 yards fewer per rush than a median rusher based mostly on the quantity and proximity of his blockers and field defenders.
Henderson, nonetheless, stays one of many Patriots’ most gifted weapons. His 4.3 velocity lastly popped final Sunday in a win over the Browns, when he pocketed a season-high 75 dashing yards. Then once more, he additionally fumbled on the finish, which leaves some uncertainty about how he’ll carry out because the staff’s No. 1 again this Sunday versus Atlanta; an surprising growth for a participant many considered the Patriots’ greatest offensive performer in coaching camp.
Honorable mentions: RB Rhamondre Stevenson, CB Alex Austin
Greatest assistant coach
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels
It is laborious to ask far more from an offensive coordinator.
Elite offensive manufacturing? Verify.
The Patriots rank eighth in scoring and sixth by offensive EPA.
Improvement of a younger quarterback? Verify.
Maye owns the third-best odds of turning into the subsequent NFL MVP, based on most sportsbooks, the place he trails solely the reigning MVP, Josh Allen, and two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes.
Downside-solving with mid-game changes? Verify.
McDaniels orchestrated three straight landing drives within the second half of final Sunday’s win over the Browns, when the Patriots broke from a 9-7 sport at halftime and pulled away with a blowout win. As a lot as these collection could have impressed followers, McDaniels’ No. 1 fan was taking orders and dealing with him on each drive en path to a fifth straight win.
“He is simply dialing it up a number of instances and getting guys open and actually making it simple for me,” Maye stated after final Sunday’s win. “He is completed it his complete life, and I really feel like he was placed on this earth to be an offensive coordinator. It was enjoyable to be within the headset with him.”
Honorable mentions: Large receivers coach Todd Downing, offensive line coach Doug Marrone
Quote of the Week
“I keep in mind in highschool, we had massive crowds at highschool again in – I went to Myers Park [High School] in Charlotte – and I simply keep in mind throwing deep balls and the group would gasp. Simply listening to that gasp was fairly cool. Whether or not it is incomplete or not – hopefully we accomplished greater than we did not – however I feel listening to the group get into it, I feel you all the time get excited. Coach (McDaniels) was speaking about how one can hear sort of the gasp – on the trick performs too, you all the time hear it.” — Patriots quarterback Drake Maye on his deep passing
