How Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel can win their 6th in a row

Can anybody decelerate the NFL’s midseason MVP?

Till that reply is sure, the Patriots ought to proceed to cruise by the guts of their schedule with a uncommon go to from the Falcons this Sunday. Drake Maye simply disposed of the most effective protection he’s ever seen over one other three-touchdown efficiency final weekend in opposition to the Browns. The Pats are slated as 5.5-point favorites in opposition to Atlanta.

The Falcons (3-4) will convey much less defensive expertise to Foxboro than Cleveland, however much better offensive weapons. The Pats (6-2) will possible key their defensive recreation plan round explosive star operating again Bijan Robinson and Falcons main receiver Drake London, a former top-10 choose. Offensively, Maye can be with out his prime rusher, Rhamondre Stevenson, who has been dominated out with a brand new toe damage.

Who will step up in his place? And who else would possibly get away for a giant recreation? Right here’s what to observe for in Foxboro:

When the Patriots run

TreVeyon Henderson, it’s your time.

Rhamondre Stevenson has been dominated out with a brand new toe damage, and Henderson is coming off a season-high 75 speeding yards final weekend in opposition to Cleveland. The second-round rookie additionally fumbled on the finish of that win, which can trigger him to be on a brief leash Sunday. Behind him, the Pats stocked up on operating backs this week, selling Terrell Jennings from the follow squad and filling his place with ex-Browns/Jaguars/Cardinals operating again D’Ernest Johnson, plus two others.

Up entrance, the Pats have blocked much better the final two weeks, which has immediately led to back-to-back video games with at the least 175 speeding yards. The Falcons, in the meantime, ought to supply a runway to proceed that streak, contemplating they rank within the backside half of the league by yards per carry allowed, DVOA and EPA.

When the Patriots move

Halfway by the season, the Patriots have confirmed they’ve solutions it doesn’t matter what protection is known as.

5 totally different gamers have led them in receiving this season. Maye can strike deep in opposition to single-high protection. Stefon Diggs and the tight ends carve up the center of the sphere versus two-deep. Maye is killing man and zone virtually equally, and even a perfectly-covered move play isn’t secure as a result of then he’ll scramble for a primary down.

Atlanta majors in the identical coverages most weeks: a mixture of single-high zone and one of many league’s greater charges of man-to-man. Stud cornerback A.J. Terrell threatens to remove one receiver or aspect of the sphere, which ought to lead Diggs or Kayshon Boutte to see a lot of the perimeter targets.

Maye is aware of he might want to strike in opposition to man protection like he did in opposition to Cleveland, which saved a lid on his offense by permitting 9 factors at halftime. Ultimately, although, he broke by, because of some prolonged scrambles. If Maye can sift by the Falcons’ handful of disguises and punish their man protection, he ought to roll once more.

“They’re disruptive, they make you form of play in your toes,” Maye stated. “And I feel the largest factor about them is that they transfer in the course of the cadence, transfer in the course of the snap. They do job of blending issues up. They’re younger up entrance, and I feel they’re beginning to have some gamers make performs.”

When the Falcons run

So far as operating backs go, Robinson is possibly probably the most gifted in the complete league. However his manufacturing received’t be a given Sunday.

The Patriots’ protection is the one protection since 1950 to not permit a operating again to file 50-plus yards in a single recreation by Week 8. The Pats have shut down opposing speeding assaults with early leads and a swarm mentality that restricted Browns rookie Quinshon Judkins to 19 yards final weekend. Robinson was held to simply 25 yards on 9 carries in his final outing, however nonetheless averages 5.2 yards per carry with above-average energy, lengthy velocity, imaginative and prescient and quickness.

Once more, the bellwether of the Patriots’ run protection ought to be their tackling. If they will convey Robinson down on first contact, as they’ve most ball carriers the final couple of weeks, they need to be positive. If not, he is likely to be off to the tip zone.

“I feel if there’s any crack, he’s going to check our edge. He’s going to check our wall, and he’s going to check all the things we do about having guys swarming to the soccer,” Vrabel stated. “There have been some good defenses that he’s been in a position to achieve yards in opposition to. Of their three victories, they averaged 186 yards a recreation on the bottom.”