New England Patriots
Sure, the Panthers are a awful soccer group, but it surely’s been a very long time for the reason that Patriots breezed to a win. This was catharsis, and possibly actual progress, too.
Welcome to the Unconventional Assessment, an immediate response to standouts, stats, and story traces from the Patriots’ most up-to-date recreation …
In ripping off 42 unanswered factors in opposition to the Carolina Panthers Sunday, the Patriots did precisely what they needed to do, and what they’ve not often achieved since Tom Brady left city and Invoice Belichick misplaced his contact.
They dominated in a classy and inventive method, beating up on a have-not of an opponent and beginning to construct a case that they could simply have one thing satisfying occurring right here.
After falling behind, 6-0, on the Panthers’ first possession, the Patriots scored the sport’s subsequent six touchdowns. Six totally different gamers scored en path to the 42-13 win, a tribute to the flexibility and steadiness offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is set to determine.
The Patriots’ first landing got here on Marcus Jones’s bold and dazzling 87-yard punt return at 5:34 of the primary quarter.
McDaniels’s creativity — that is no shock, however good heavens is he an improve over final 12 months’s uninspiring OC, Alex Van Pelt — was most evident on the six-play, 80-yard drive that culminated with quarterback Drake Maye’s 5-yard TD run on the primary play of the second quarter.
That drive opened with a 24-yard completion to second tight finish Austin Hooper. It additionally included two extra 20-yard-plus performs – a 21-yard run by Antonio Gibson on a jet sweep, adopted instantly by a handoff to Rhamondre Stevenson after faking one other jet sweep, which resulted in a 22-yard run. The Panthers, who someway shut out the Falcons , per week earlier, had no clue relating to what the Patriots offense was doing from play to play.
The opposite Patriots to succeed in the tip zone included rookie working again TreVeyon Henderson (a 5-yard run, his first profession landing), Gibson (1-yard run), tight finish Henry (31-yard catch-and-run down the left sideline), and receiver Mack Hollins (4-yard catch).
Stevenson, Gibson, and Henderson mixed for 97 yards on 22 carries, with no again getting greater than 9 makes an attempt. Stefon Diggs led the receiving corps with a flashback efficiency (six catches, 101 yards), whereas Maye’s different eight completions went to 6 totally different receivers.
Excluding the vast promise of Maye, the Patriots nonetheless lack elite skill-position expertise — Henderson will likely be in that class sometime. However McDaniels is placing the receivers, working backs, and tight ends they do have into positions to succeed by enjoying to their strengths.
That has made life a lot simpler for the franchise’s most essential participant. Maye accomplished 14 of 17 passes for 203 yards and two TDs, whereas utilizing his mobility as a weapon quite than as a final resort. McDaniels has been precisely what he wanted.
Sure, the Panthers are a awful soccer group, but it surely’s been a very long time for the reason that Patriots breezed to a win. This was catharsis, and possibly actual progress, too.
Some additional ideas, upon fast evaluation …
Three gamers who have been value watching
Gamers urged within the Unconventional Preview: Rhamondre Stevenson, Christian Gonzalez, and Mike Jackson.
Marcus Jones: It’s simple to overlook the Patriots wanted a spark after falling behind proper out of the gate. Jones, a really dazzling punt returner, offered it, catching the Panthers’ protection group off guard by not calling for a good catch, then following a convoy of Patriots 87 yards for a landing. He almost had a second return for a landing within the second quarter, however punter Sam Martin tripped him up on the Carolina 14 after a 61-yard return. Jones completed the day with a franchise single-game report 167 punt return yards. Right here’s to McDaniels discovering the cornerback a play or two on offense because the season goes on.
Stefon Diggs: Amongst his six receptions have been a 33-yarder, a 30-yarder (on fourth and three), and a 22-yarder (on third and 15). He has an uncanny knack for locating a gap within the protection, and it’s clear that Maye already trusts him totally, throwing the 30-yarder earlier than Diggs had even rotated.
Jack Gibbens: The ex-Titan and formally One Of Vrabel’s Guys was second on the Patriots with 9 tackles, together with seven solo. The Patriots’ high three tacklers have been linebackers, with Robert Spillane contributing 10 and Christian Elliss additionally with 9.
Grievance of the sport
Some severe nitpicking is required to discover a gripe or two in a recreation that was successfully over at halftime. So nitpick we will.
Cornerback Carlton Davis theoretically ought to have had a neater day on the workplace with Christian Gonzalez making his season debut, however he managed to select up a go interference penalty on the Panthers’ second play from scrimmage, then acquired tagged with a maintain early within the second quarter after a Bryce Younger incompletion.
Each penalties — two of the Patriots’ seven for the sport, nonetheless too many — got here whereas overlaying lanky rookie Tetairoa McMillan, who completed with 4 catches for 62 yards however didn’t look all that occupied with taking up contact.
Three notes scribbled within the margins
Predicted closing rating: Patriots 31, Panthers 23
Remaining rating: Patriots 42, Panthers 13
Groups determined for a quarterback generally see a savior in a participant who can by no means be one. It boggles my thoughts that the Panthers not solely recognized Younger because the must-have No. 1 decide within the 2023 draft, however gave the Bears four draft picks — together with the one which become No. 1 decide Caleb Williams in ’24 — and receiver D.J. Moore so as to slide into place to draft him. Younger (18 for 30, 150 yards, TD) is simply too small to ever be a real franchise quarterback … Maye punctuated his speeding TD with Panthers legend Cam Newton’s trademarked “Superman” celebration, a nod to his favourite participant as a child. So somebody on the sector Sunday remembered when the Panthers have been really good … Chris Myers and Mark Schlereth are low on the Fox Sports NFL broadcast teams depth chart — sixth of six full-time groups, I imagine. My hope for the much less outstanding groups usually is that they don’t detract from the sport. Myers and Schlereth handed that check, although Schlereth’s shtick of blending Maddenisms (“Increase! Increase!) and a few Jon Gruden verbal tics (“That man is the final word soccer man proper there”) would get tiresome if these guys have been right here regularly.
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