Week 11 Patriots positional report card

Following the Patriots’ 10-3 victory over the New York Jets, I take a deep dive into which position groups excelled. The defense had its best game yet, limiting the Jets to only 103 yards. Here is a look at position grades from Week 11:

Quarterbacks: B

It was tough to grade Mac Jones as he quietly put up a nice stat line. He completed 23 of 27 attempts for 246 yards and averaged 9.1 yards per attempt. However, some plays resulted in a sack because Jones held on to the ball for too long, including one late in the first half, which led to a missed field goal for Nick Folk. It is concerning that the Patriots’ offense seemingly stayed the same after their bye week. The game’s first play was a sack that backed New England up 7. After a rough first half of the season, Mac Jones is still searching for his breakout game. Although Mac Jones has gone two straight games without throwing an interception, an accomplishment for the sophomore, he still has a way to go. A big problem with the offense is the lack of touchdowns. New England’s drives were sustainable yesterday, often moving the ball downfield, however they couldn’t convert those drives into points. The Patriots’ opponents only get more challenging down the stretch. New England will try and compete for a playoff spot, but without a confident and competent offense, they won’t go far.

Running backs B+

The running backs did their job yesterday, even if their stats didn’t pop out. Damien Harris had a bounce-back game after a rough few weeks. Harris had large gains going for 22 and 30. His 22-yard run was through the gap in which the offensive line did a tremendous job blocking the first and second levels. Harris’s 30-yard run was also up the gut, but he cut space. Harris averaged 8.1 yards per attempt, finishing with 65 yards on eight carries. Rhamondre Stevenson continues to dominate with his pure talent. Stevenson is becoming one of the toughest backs to tackle. He caught a check down on third and 16, picking up the first down while breaking four tackles. New England is starting to return to its two-back set-up featuring Harris and Stevenson. It will be interesting to see if Harris stays with the Patriots during the offseason.

Wide receivers C+

The Patriots’ receiver core started strong but, as of late, has decreased in production. The rookie Tyquan Thornton has had a tough time adjusting to the NFL, commiting another drop in addition to almost fumbling. Kendrick Bourne was with an illegal formation penalty, and DeVante Parker was flagged for a block in the back. However, Jakboi Meyers still is reliable, as he caught multiple passes in must-have situations. The receivers combined for ten receptions on 102 and 14 targets. Furthermore, this has been the second game in which a running back had more receiving yards than a receiver.

Tight ends B-

The highest-paid tight ends in football continue to show why they shouldn’t be the highest-paid tight ends. Jonnu Smith looked like he would score his first touchdown as a Patriot this season, but he fumbled the ball in the red zone, almost turning the ball over. However, Smith ended up with four receptions on four yards, which is manageable. Meanwhile, Hunter Henry finished with one catch and 22 yards. Both tight ends were often used as fullbacks and lead blockers. This resulted in more significant gains, especially for Harris with his 22 and 30-yard runs. Both tight ends contributed, but New England is still overpaying based on performance.

Offensive line D

It was another challenging game for the offensive line, as they had trouble keeping Mac Jones clean. On the game’s first play, Yodny Cajuste and the right side of the line were overwhelmed by blockers, and Jones was quickly swallowed up. The bigger concern was the left side of the line, thinking the play was a screenplay. Later Cajuste was flagged for holding and let up another sack. Again in the second half, Cajuste contrived another sack. Trent Brown also had a rough game, in which he let up two sacks. James Ferentz took over for the injured David Andrews and was penalized with a holding.

Isaiah Wynn left the game with a foot injury, but the more significant concern is David Andrew’s health after his recent return from concussion protocol. Andrews has been absent the last two games due to a concussion, and he seemed to suffer a left leg injury during his return. Later the team announced Andrews was out with a thigh injury. The Patriots did not practice Monday but released an injury report, as required by the league because they will play Thursday. The veteran wouldn’t have participated, and later NFL insider Ian Rappaport said Andrews could return later in the season or the playoffs.

Defensive line A

Ladies and gentlemen, the Patriots have themselves a pass rush. Led by Deatrich Wise and linebacker Matthew Judon, the Patriots often create pressure and make opposing quarterbacks have trouble. The defensive line limited the Jets to 33 yards on 19 carries. That’s 1.7 yards a carry, which resulted in the Jets averaging 2.8 inches per play in the second half. Wise is adding to his career year as he had another sack, a tackle for loss, a batted pass at the line, and a quarterback hit. Lawrence Guy and Davon Godchuax helped and created pressure situations. The question is will the pass rush hold up during the late end of the season as the Patriots match up against tougher offenses in the Vikings, Bills, and Bengals?

Linebackers A

Matthew Judon. There is a reason why the Patriots’ defense is so good, and it’s partly due to the dominance of Matthew Judon. Judon now has 13 sacks on the year, which is good for first place in the NFL and is helping make the case for him to be named Defensive Player of the Year. Although Judon will often credit his teammates in his post-game presser, the talent he brings to the defense is top tier. Meanwhile, third-year linebacker Josh Uche is suddenly flashing his talent. Uche has been inactive for some games this season, but as of late, he is creating pressure and often tallying up sacks. Against the Colts in Week 9, Uche had three sacks, and he added to his stats with big run stuff on third down. The speedy linebacker Matthew Judon was often used as a quarterback spy. Raekwon McMillan also contributed with a tackle for loss and played nine snaps.

Secondary A

The secondary did a good job limiting Zach Wilson to 9 completions on 22 attempts and 77 yards. The cornerbacks did catch some breaks as Wilson missed wide-open receivers on multiple occasions, but they did just enough to seal the deal. Jack Jones struggled a bit in this game and gave up a deep ball down the sideline, and Jonathan Jones dropped an interception and got called for a holding. To his credit, if Jonathan Jones had made that interception, it would have been the play of his career. On the other hand, Devin McCourty dropped a pass from Wilson, which was right in the bread basket, and missed the opportunity to give the Patriots great field position. That is an uncommon error from the veteran who picked off Wilson twice in their last meeting. Kyle Dugger had a great game, as he had multiple tackles for losses and made a big play on a wheel route in which he tipped the ball away. The secondary will be tested again this week against a tough receiver group. Dugger limited T.J. Hockenson to one reception for six yards in Week 5, but this time, Hockensen gets a rematch in a Vikings uniform.

Special teams A

THE PLAYER OF THE GAME GOES TO MARCUS JONES. The rookie returned a punt 84-yards for a touchdown with seconds remaining on the clock as he earned his first touchdown in the NFL. The rookie is known for his return skills and was bound to break free one time. It couldn’t have come at a better time, as he became the first player since DeSean Jackson against the Giants to return a punt for a touchdown with seconds left on the clock. There were many key blocks on the return from Jonathan Jones, Jabrill Peppers, and Raleigh Webb. However, before Jones crossed the goal line, there appeared to be a block-in-the-back penalty from Mack Wilson, which would have blown the play dead. The officials didn’t call anything, and the score sealed the win for the Patriots.

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