This was the third straight win on consecutive weeks. Only one other time in team History has this been accomplished – the 1961 Boston Patriots.Congrats to Mike Vrabel, and the members of his coaching staff who were with him in Tennessee and all the players that played for him there, that are now on the Patriots. You could see how enthused the players were in the Locker Room after the game when Drake Maye presented Mike Vrabel the game ball. Look for it on X or Patriots.com.Enjoy this remarkable run they are on. Yes, they have flaws, like not starting to play right out of the gate. Drake Maye again missed a downfield throw to Kyle Wiliams that was just Air Mailed over his head in the 1st quarter. Maye only missed one more pass after that.It’s well known they have an easy schedule, but you play the team that is in front of you and hopefully they get better every week. Up next is the Cleveland Browns at Gillette.The National media are catching on to what Vrabel is doing here and the remarkable progress that Drake Maye is making. Nate Burleson was talking about how nice a ball that Maye throws and how it just drops in the basket. His throw to Stephon Diggs (7 catches – 69 yards) that just dropped right over the defender is a perfect example. Diggs waited until the last second to let the ball drop in his hands and not give it away to the defender. Even his bomb to Boutte was a perfect spiral. That was 1-2-3 step drop, plant and throw in perfect rhythm.
(PHOTO: © Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Good
Drake Maye was 21 of 23, 222 yards, 91Comp% 2 TD No INTs. Zero turnover worthy plays. That is a new Patriots Franchise record (20 or more passes). Here are some of his other record-breaking stats:
Over a 6 games stretch – >150 Passing Attempts; Comp % 75.0; Passer Rating >125 and Rush Yards 150 yards -Drake Maye is the only QB in NFL History to accomplish this.
Only 4 players in League history have thrown 2 TD passes, 2 or less Incompletions and ran for 60 yards in a game (Lamar Jackson, Robert Griffith, Walter Payton).
Drake Maye missed time because of a concussion prompt from the medical people in the booth. We were all scared when he bounced his head on a QB scramble. He sat up and shook his head to get the cobwebs out, which is a clear signal that he needed to get checked out. I will add that Drake Maye looked like he had a swollen right eye in his post-game press conference.
Rhamondre Stevenson ran the ball 18 times for 88 yards (4.9 YPC) and a TD. As a team the Patriots had 175 yards rushing with Maye (62) and Stevenson (88). Stevenson was tough with yards after 1st By running the ball Tennessee had to come out of that two-high shell to help stop the run.
Josh Dobbs fills in with a clutch 12-yard throw for a 1st down in Maye’s absence.
I have been critical of the Officiating over the last few weeks. Let’s give credit to the Officials for calling a good game. They were not flag happy and I couldn’t argue with any of their calls, even the flag they picked up for a facemask that didn’t happen.
The Patriots didn’t call a single timeout or throw a single Challenge Flag
Austin Hooper TD grab, on an underthrown ball behind the defender’s back was magnificent. He snatched it and brought it over the DBs head and managed to get both feet down in the back corner of the End Zone.
Three Consecutive TDs sealed the game. After a Field Goal to put Tennessee up 13-10, Joey Slye kicks it out-of-bounds, and the Pats start at their own 40. With 1:48 left in the half and all three timeouts, Maye starts the drive. Needing just three plays Maye throws a 39-yard dime to a streaking Kayshon Boutte who snagged the back end of the ball with his fingertips for a TD with :49 left in the 1st Patriots got the kickoff to start the 2nd half and marched 88 yards in 12 plays and take 7:29 off the clock for another TD. Pop Douglas’ sticky fingered 4th down one-handed snag away from his body kept the drive alive before Rhamondre Stevenson strolled into the Endzone. After the kickoff, Cam Ward, who played the best he has all-season, when pressured by K’Lavon Chaisson, inexplicably dropped the ball while reaching back to throw. Chaisson scooped it up at the 4-yardline and walked into the Endzone – Game Over!
Patriots won the turnover battle 2-0, and the Time-of-Possession 37:12 to 22:48. On 3rd Down Patriots 5 of 12 and they held Titans to 3 of 10. Patriots 2 of 2 on 4th down, Titans 0-2.
Run Defense was very good again, holding Titans to 12 runs for 39 yards. Every game this season they have held the lead rusher under 50 yards.
The pass rush finished with 5 sacks on the day.
Marte Mapu led the team with 8 Tackles. However, 7 of those 8 tackles came withing the last 8:46 of the game when Tennessee ran 17 plays. He also had a key PBU in that stretch.
Marcus Jones came up with another INT and nearly took it to the house. He ran it back 32 yards.
Bad
Craig Woodson botched his deep safety coverage on Chimere Dike’s long TD pass. He was supposed to have deep coverage helping Marcus Jones and turned the wrong way and got beat by the speedy Dike for a 38-yard TD.
Jekyll and Hyde Defense surrender 255 passing yards to Cam Ward. Then they shut the Titans out in the 2nd
Patriots were called for 5 Penalties for 36 yards. A weekly pass interference penalty on Carlton Davis and Will Campbell leaving early.
Campbell gave a up a sack when he turned inside to double team a DT, letting a corner blitz come straight in. He also gave up 6 pressures.
Ugly
Jared Wilson was horrendous with 2 or 3 sacks and 5 pressures. I think it’s time to make Ben Brown the Left Guard.
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About Mark MorseMerrimack Valley native and lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. My earliest memories of the Patriots were attending as a child with my dad, the off-season practice at Phillips Academy. I was at the Patriots game at Harvard Stadium in 1970 where Bob “Harpo” Gladieux was called out of the stands by the stadium announcer over the PA to play in the game. Analyzing the draft since ESPN first started to televise it in 1980 and former writer for the Lowell Sun Newspaper.View all posts by Mark Morse
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Austin Hooper
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Cam Ward
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Kayshon Boutte
Kyle Williams
Marcus Jones
Marte Mapu
Mike Vrabel
Nate Burleson
Pop Douglas
Rhamondre Stevenson
Stephon Diggs
Will Campbell
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