New England Patriots
The Patriots gained their fourth recreation in a row Sunday, taking all suspense out of the affair early within the second half in a 31-13 win over the Titans.
Welcome to the Unconventional Evaluation, an instantaneous response to standouts, stats, and story traces from the Patriots’ most up-to-date recreation …
Positive, there are most likely pace bumps forward. The Patriots’ schedule, with Myles Garrett and the Browns up subsequent, isn’t as smooth because the notion. And we’re not fairly certain what their margin for error really seems like in opposition to a superb crew. That’s one thing we will solely be taught alongside the best way, as this season performs out and we get a full sense of how they measure up in opposition to each degree of competitors.
However we will’t enable the longer term to distract from the wonders of the second. The Patriots’ progress from the sloppy Week 1 loss to the Raiders that commenced the Mike Vrabel period is exceptional, a best-case state of affairs, a soccer daydream that has really come true.
The Patriots gained their fourth recreation in a row Sunday, taking all suspense out of the affair early in the second half in a 31-13 win over Vrabel’s silly former employer, the Tennessee Titans.
Drake Maye, who has ascended to famous person standing in stunningly fast style, accomplished 21 of 23 passes — a extra environment friendly day than Tom Brady ever had — for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns, whereas additionally working for 62 yards.
The protection was relentless and opportunistic in opposition to rookie quarterback Cam Ward, and the Patriots took care of enterprise, simply as they’ve finished for 4 straight weeks because the mistake-addled loss to the Steelers, which abruptly seems like a turning level.
The Patriots have been a multitude final season. They have been a multitude within the opener. And now, seven video games in, they give the impression of being each bit like among the finest groups within the AFC. It truly is exceptional. All of it.
Some additional ideas, upon quick evaluation …
Three gamers who have been price watching
Gamers prompt within the Unconventional Preview: Kayshon Boutte, Craig Woodson, Jeffery Simmons.
Milton Williams: Inform me if I’m alone right here: Is Williams even higher than you anticipated? He’s exceeding my expectations. Like everybody else determined to see a greater product on the sector this season, I used to be thrilled when the Patriots signed the previous Eagle and Tremendous Bowl standout to a $104 million deal within the offseason. However it was honest to surprise how he would fare with extra duty (he performed simply 48 p.c of the snaps final season for Philadelphia) and with out monster Jalen Carter alongside him. Because it seems, Williams’s Tremendous Bowl dominance was not a mirage. He’s a pressure in his personal proper, and that was as evident as ever Sunday, when Williams tallied 5 tackles (one for a loss), a sack (he appeared like a one-man swarm in chasing down Ward on that third-down play), and a quarterback hit.
Rhamondre Stevenson: If Vrabel’s choice to face by the veteran working again after his three early-season misplaced fumbles wanted validating, effectively, consider Stevenson’s 18-carry, 88-yard performance Sunday the full validation. He was a pressure from the get-go, carrying the ball on the Patriots’ first 4 performs from scrimmage for 8, 14, 8, and eight yards. He had 71 yards after his first 9 carries, his most punishing run an 11-yarder with rather less than 11 minutes left within the second quarter by which he dragged a few Titans alongside for the experience. His 4-yard landing halfway by the third, a breeze into the tip zone off proper sort out, gave the Patriots a 24-13 lead.
Kayshon Boutte: Boutte’s emergence as a extremely environment friendly downfield risk has been some of the vital developments this season. In opposition to the Titans, he caught each of his targets — a 16-yarder within the second quarter alongside the left sideline with three defenders within the neighborhood, and a stunning, full-extension 39-yard landing after flying by the center of the protection to offer the Patriots a 17-13 lead with 49 seconds left within the first half. Boutte is averaging 17.8 yards per reception this season, with 20 catches on 25 targets. Possibly it’s not precisely Stanley Morgan-level stuff, however that form of effectivity whereas making massive performs down the sector is uncommon.
Grievance of the sport
The offensive line wants to guard Maye higher. And although he’s improved on this regard this season, Maye wants to guard himself higher.
The Titans sacked Maye 4 instances and registered one other 4 quarterback hits. He was sacked twice in a row (working out of bounds on one) on the early drive that ended with Andy Borregales’s 36-yard discipline objective to tie the rating at 3. However probably the most troubling stuff got here within the second half, even because the Patriots have been seizing management of the sport.
Maye acquired buried blindside by Dre’Mont Jones on third and seven with rather less than 4 minutes to play within the third quarter, and he acquired crunched once more on a first-down go by 366-pound nostril sort out T’Vondre Sweat at 10:24 of the fourth quarter. Rookie left guard Jared Wilson was overwhelmed on each of these performs. He spent method an excessive amount of time on this recreation peeling his blocking project off of his flattened quarterback.
However the scariest play occurred at 12:27 of the third, when Maye banged his head on the turf upon being tackled by Roger McCreary after a 6-yard scramble. Maye instantly shook his head like he was attempting to eliminate some cobwebs, an alarming visible contemplating he acquired knocked out of a Week 8 recreation vs. the Jets final season with a concussion and has taken a few hits this season that have been worrisome.
Maye went to the medical tent momentarily, and if for some cause you had simply turned on the sport close to the 11-minute mark within the third quarter solely to see Joshua Dobbs in at quarterback, you had an expertise no Patriots fan needs. Dobbs really threw a dart to DeMario Douglas — among the finest throws of the sport by any quarterback — to transform a 3rd down earlier than Maye returned. However it wasn’t a second that might be loved on the time. There was no time to exhale till we knew Maye was all proper.
Three notes scribbled within the margins
Predicted closing rating: Patriots 38, Titans 10
Closing rating: Patriots 31, Titans 13.
We’ve written an excessive amount of right here with out acknowledging Okay’Lavon Chaisson, who collected two sacks and ran in a Ward fumble for a landing in a dominant efficiency. He didn’t fairly get Williams cash within the offseason, however he has been a terrific addition in his personal proper on a discount one-year, $5 million deal …
You realize, I believe I’ll pause my near-weekly declarations that TreVeyon Henderson is about to interrupt free till he can earn extra carries than Terrell Jennings in a cushty win. Henderson ran twice for five yards, whereas Jennings had 5 carries for 18 yards. I do have full religion that Henderson goes to be an excellent working again, however like many overwhelmed rookies, he wants the bye week to catch his breath and reset. Sadly, the Patriots’ break doesn’t come till Week 14 this yr.
Caught just a little of the Sports activities USA nationwide broadcast of the sport whereas doing a little driving Sunday. Former Patriots (and, for a season, Titans) kicker Stephen Gostkowski was the colour analyst. Not quite a lot of kickers find yourself the printed sales space, however he’s good. It was amusing to listen to Gostkowski combine in a number of acquainted expressions from his time with the Patriots, together with the Brady favourite, “My favourite ring is the following one.”
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