Following the New England Patriots’ 27-13 win against the Arizona Cardinals, I will dive deeply into how each of the position groups performed. Every unit played complementary football, but there were some flaws. Here is a look at position grades from Week 13:
Quarterbacks B
Mac Jones’s stat line didn’t stand out as he threw for 235 yards on 35 passes and 24 completions. Jones threw one interception and 0 touchdowns, bringing him to a 75.3 passer rating.
Matt Patricia dialed up a game plan, bringing back the notorious “quick game.” Jones threw 12 screen passes, which was the most in his career. The team had to lean on Mac Jones as their best offensive player, particularly after Rhamondre Stevenson exited the game due to an injury. However, there were some plays Mac Jones would have wanted back, including his lone interception off a pass that a defender topped.
Two of Jones’s best throws in the game were to Hunter Henry down the seam. The Patriots game was broadcasted on ESPN and ESPN2, which meant their game would be shown and narrated by Peyton and Eli Manning. Manning was impressed with Jones as he commented, “It’s been an impressive game by him {Mac Jones}. “
Running backs B+
The Patriots started off the season with a boatload of running backs, but their depth has gotten smaller as the season has progressed due to injury. Going into Monday night, the Patriots had Rhamondre Stevenson as the lead back and rookies Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong Jr. backing him up. Harris and Strong Jr. had only played a little before Monday. Although after Stevenson suffered an injury, it was the rookie running backs who had to take over.
Harris was the first running back on the field after Stevenson went down and saw the most work after Stevenson’s injury. His most impressive run of the day came on a 14-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, which gave the offense a much-needed boost. Harris contributed to a botched handoff at the end of the first half; he was a reliable back.
Pierre Strong Jr. was the more impressive back, as he averaged 14 yards a carry. Strong Jr. ran five times for 70 yards and a touchdown. The fourth-round pick also had the biggest play of the day, a 44-yard run where he showcased his speed.
Wide receivers C
The Patriot’s most consistent and reliable receiver, Jakbobi Meyers, was inactive due to a concussion, which shortened the receiver depth. Additionally, in the first quarter, veteran DeVante Parker exited due to a concussion and didn’t re-enter the game. Kendrick Bourne was the lead receiver, adding five receptions for 47 yards. Bourne also had a key block on Kevin Harris’s touchdown run. Bourne made questionable comments the week before about the dysfunctional Patriots’ offense, so his performance is noteworthy.
Besides Bourne, Thornton and Agholor were the lone receivers. Thornton took a step in the right direction, hauling four passes for 28 yards. Meanwhile, Agholor was unfortunately back to his old self, dropping key passes. Agholor almost cost the Patriots points when he fumbled, but the play was overturned. Meyers was seen at practice Wednesday, which is a strong sign he could play Sunday.
Tight ends C+
There was a lot of off-season talk about how involved Jonnu Smith would be in the Patriots’ offense. However, through 14 weeks, Smith remains nonexistent as Hunter Henry continues to impress. It wasn’t all pretty for Henry as he missed a block which led to Jones’s interception. However, he turned it around and led the Patriots’ pass catchers with three catches for 70 yards. Mac Jones’s two biggest plays involved Henry, including a 40-yard seam pass. If Parker and Meyers can’t suit up against the Raiders, look for more involvement with the tight ends.
Offensive line C+
The presnap penalties continue to be a problem for the Patriots, as Trent Brown was penalized with a false start on the first third-down of the game. However, even without Stevenson, the running game averaged 4.9 yards per carry.
The pass protection wasn’t pretty, as Mac Jones only had 2.37 on average to complete his pass, which was the quickest time out of all quarterbacks this week (per NextGen). The quick game helped ease the pressure off the line, but on longer plays, the pressure overloaded the line, which resulted in throwaways from Mac Jones.
Defensive line B-
The defensive line had a sub par game, as they had trouble defending the run game. The unit allowed James Connor to run for 85 yards on 15 carries, averaging an overwhelming 5.7 yards a carry. Throughout the season, the run defense has been inconsistent, and it won’t get easier this week as the Patriots go against Raiders running back Josh Jacobs.
However, the pass rush was dominant, with Daniel Ekule and Lawrence Guy tallying sacks, and Deatrich Wise had a couple of quarterback hits.
Linebackers A
For the first time since 2011, the Patriots have two defenders with double-digit sacks. Matthew Judon has a career-high 14.5, which ties him for first place in the NFL, while third-year rusher Josh Uche added three sacks of his own, bringing him to ten on the season. Uche didn’t have a sack in his first five weeks of the season, but the Michigan product has ten sacks in the last six weeks.
Before halftime, the defense had made it’s best plays as Matthew Judon had a run stuff on third-and-one to force a short fourth down. Jahlani Tavai tipped Colt McCoy’s pass on fourth down as he attempted to convert the fourth down. Furthermore, Raekwon McMillian scooped up Kyle Dugger’s forced fumble and returned 23 yards for the touchdown.
Defensive backs B
Kyle Dugger had the best game out of this unit, as he stripped DeAndre Hopkins and allowed the Patriots to score crucial points on defense. However, this group was hurt by injuries, as rookie Jack Jones suffered a leg injury in the first quarter and didn’t return. Due to his absence, versatile threat Marcus Jones saw increased playing time. Jonathan Jones and Myles Bryant both had strong games. Devin McCourty seemed to injure his shoulder while trying to sack quarterback Colt McCoy.
Special teams B
Nick Folk went 2/2 on his field-goal attempts, including a crucial 51-yard field goal to close out the first half. After a couple of rough weeks, the veteran looks to be back to his normal self. Meanwhile, punter Micheal Palardy is continuing his rough play. He shanked a punt that went 33 yards out of bounds and had a bad touchback. Marcus Jones returned kicks and punts and didn’t have many chances but made the most out of what was given to him. All in all, it was a solid performance by the special teams.
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My name is Ben Belford-Peltzman and I am the creator and writer of The Patriots Beat. I am a 17-year kid who is an optimistic pessimist about the City of Champions. I started The Patriots Beat in August of 2022 and never expected to grow so much but here we are. Feel free to email Thepatriotsbeat@gmail.com with any inquires.
