Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte has emerged as a downfield threat able to haul in contested catches.
Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte has emerged as a downfield threat able to haul in contested catches.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
Let’s take a look at who’s up, who’s down, and whom to watch ahead of Mike Vrabel’s return to Tennessee . . .
Three up
Quarterback Drake Maye: Last Sunday’s win over the Saints was defined by Maye’s ability to throw the ball downfield. He aired it out on multiple occasions, with all three of his touchdown passes coming on explosive plays. Maye could have added two more — a 61-yard touchdown to DeMario Douglas and a 51-yard deep shot to Stefon Diggs — but both were nullified by questionable offensive pass interference penalties. According to Pro Football Focus, Maye has a league-best 156.3 passer rating on throws of at least 20 yards this season. Maye’s accuracy on such throws is not only a critical feature of New England’s passing attack but also an important step in his development.
Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte: Good things happen when Maye throws the ball to Boutte. On Sunday, Boutte caught all five of his targets, multiple in tight coverage, for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Maye’s average depth of target was 16.8 yards when throwing to Boutte, who has emerged as a downfield threat able to haul in contested catches. After eight targets in Week 1, when he eclipsed 100 receiving yards, Boutte recorded just 10 combined in Weeks 2-5. Although the Patriots like to spread the wealth within their offense, Boutte seems deserving of more targets.
Vice president of football operations and strategy John Streicher: Streicher made the decision to challenge two plays in the fourth quarter, helping seal the win. First, with the Saints driving at midfield, Spencer Rattler appeared to connect with Juwan Johnson for a 14-yard gain. Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss had punched the ball out, but officials ruled Johnson already was down. Vrabel threw the challenge flag, and the call was overturned, with the Patriots being awarded possession. Then, in the final minutes of the game, Boutte caught a third-down pass to convert a crucial first down. Officials ruled he went out of bounds, which stopped the clock ahead of the two-minute warning. After Vrabel challenged, it was determined Boutte had stayed inbounds, which meant the clock kept running. The Patriots, as a result, could end the game with kneeldowns.
Three down
Officiating: Through six weeks, the Patriots lead the league in penalties (52). Officials flagged the Patriots 11 times on Sunday for losses of 65 yards. But some of the calls, including the aforementioned pass interference penalties, seemed dubious. After the game, referee Adrian Hill participated in a pool report to explain the reasoning behind the call that wiped out Douglas’s 61-yard touchdown. Vrabel didn’t sound pleased Monday morning, saying the officiating “becomes comical at a point.”
Running game: The Patriots need to increase their production on the ground. On Sunday, the running backs combined for 45 yards on 22 carries for an average of 2.1 yards. Their longest run of the game was 7 yards. Vrabel acknowledged the intense focus on ball security may be making it more difficult to break free for sizable gains. Said Vrabel, “We’ve talked about that. I know when we don’t turn it over, we’ve won those three games, so there’s certainly a balance there. We have to give them a good plan. We have to block and execute that, and then we have to run, make people miss, and break tackles.”
Goal-to-go offense: The Patriots had only one trip inside the red zone, in part because all of Maye’s touchdown passes came on plays of at least 20 yards. At the beginning of the third quarter, on second and 1 from the Saints’ 1-yard line, Rhamondre Stevenson got tackled for a loss of 3 yards. Then, on third and 4, Maye got flagged for a delay-of-game penalty. The Patriots had to settle for a field goal. The lack of a running game certainly is a factor, but the offense cannot move backward in those situations.
Three to watch
Coach Mike Vrabel: Asked about facing the Titans, the organization that hired him for his first NFL head coaching job, Vrabel posed, “Is it interesting or important?” For the first time since getting fired in January 2024, Vrabel is headed back to Nissan Stadium. The Titans still have some draft picks from Vrabel’s tenure (e.g. defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, safety Amani Hooker, and cornerback Roger McCreary). Said Vrabel, “Having spent six years there, or seven years there, I think it’ll be nice to see some people that I haven’t seen in a few years that helped us win — players and staff. But we’ve got a huge job here to do as we prepare for them.”
Health of the defense: The Patriots already were without starting safety Jaylinn Hawkins and appeared to dodge a significant injury to Harold Landry in Sunday’s first quarter. Landry, who tweaked his right knee on a tackle, played his usual workload following a quick trip inside the medical tent. Cornerback Carlton Davis also visited the tent, after tackling Alvin Kamara in the third quarter. The Patriots don’t have much defensive depth, especially with linebacker Anfernee Jennings (ankle) and defensive end Keion White (elbow) also sidelined, so health will be paramount for the unit moving forward.
AFC East race: With the Bills losing to the Falcons on Monday night, the 4-2 Patriots sit atop the division. Based on the won-loss records of their remaining opponents, the Patriots have the easiest strength of schedule in the NFL. If they can take care of business against seemingly inferior opponents, starting with the Titans, the Patriots could be on their way to their first AFC East title since Tom Brady’s departure.
With the Bills losing to the Falcons Monday night, the Patriots sit atop the AFC East.
With the Bills losing to the Falcons Monday night, the Patriots sit atop the AFC East.Mike Stewart/Associated Press
Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com.Follow her @nicolecyang.