At one point in the late second quarter of their game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, it looked like the New England Patriots were cruising toward a sixth win in a row. Up 21-7 and with a chance to add to their total ahead of intermission, they appeared to be in full control. And then, momentum took a swift turn.
In the end, the Patriots sill managed to hold onto a 24-23 advantage to improve to 7-2 on the year, but the 60-minute performance was far from their best. There were some standouts, but on the whole there also was plenty of room for improvement as a look at our position grades shows.
Patriots position grades from NFL Week 9
Quarterback: For the first time in a while, Drake Maye looked like the young quarterback that he is. He did finish with 259 passing yards — the most allowed by Atlanta this season — and a pair of touchdowns, all while combining several high-level throws with timely scrambles. However, his fumble on a strip sack late in the second quarter in particular seemed to disrupt him for the remainder of the game. He finished with two giveaways and four total plays graded as turnover-worthy and also did not look like his usual comfortable self, holding onto the ball too often, moving into traffic and not being on the same page with his receivers. | Grade: C+
Running back: No Rhamondre Stevenson, no problem? Going up against a run defense that had been average over the first eight weeks of the season, Patriots running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Terrell Jennings combined to finish the game with 90 rushing yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. Despite averaging only 3.6 yards per carry and finishing with 0.00 EPA, however, the team managed to make the most of its situation without the starter available due to a toe injury. It was a rather encouraging outing. | Grade: B
Wide receiver: Losing Kayshon Boutte and his deep field abilities to a hamstring injury in the second quarter negatively impacted the unit, but it still had a solid day overall mainly because of two men: DeMario Douglas and Stefon Diggs. The former had a career day despite losing his uncle on Saturday night, finishing with 100 yards and a touchdown on four catches. The latter found the end zone for a second straight week in a three-catch, 38-yard outing. The rest of the group, however, provided limited contributions: outside of Mack Hollins’ two receptions or 9 yards total, no other wideouts caught any passes. | Grade: B
Tight end: Hunter Henry continues to be possibly the Patriots’ most reliable offensive skill position player. On Sunday, he hauled in four passes for 51 yards with three of those receptions moving the chains on third down — including the game-ender in the late fourth quarter. He did have a miscommunication with Drake Maye on a fourth-quarter incompletion, but overall continued to play high-level football. The same is true for Austin Hooper, who looked good in the blocking department and turned his only target in the passing game into a 20-yard gain. | Grade: A-
Offensive line: Not all of the six sacks surrendered on the day were directly the offensive line’s fault, but the unit was again was inconsistent in pass protection. There were some terrific pockets to operate from at times, but also several quick pressures and quarterback disruptions. Mike Onwenu in particular appeared to have an off-day, losing on a twist that led to Maye’s fumble and also having other shaky moments. The unit’s highest-paid player did not look the part on Sunday, while the group as a whole had a rollercoaster ride of a day. | Grade: D+
Defensive line: The Patriots did keep their streak of holding opposing running backs below 50 yards alive for another week, but the total body of work along the defensive line was one of inconsistency. The pass rush in particular was on and off for much of the day. Sure, the ever-impressive Milton Williams was credited with seven pressures, but there oftentimes was no follow-up; Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had too much time on most of his dropbacks. Meanwhile, it is becoming increasingly clear that the edge rotation needs some extra juice beyond starters Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson. | Grade: C+
Linebacker: Despite losing Christian Elliss shortly before the half to a hip injury, the Patriots’ linebacker group managed to play a good game. The unit did its job in the run game, with Robert Spillane once again flying around and making some good open-field stops, while Elliss picked up a pair of quarterback pressures before getting banged up. Marte Mapu also seemed to bounce back, and was on the field for nine defensive snaps after playing only one last week. | Grade: B
Cornerback: Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to the opposition. Drake London was nearly unstoppable on Sunday, finishing with nine catches for 118 yards and three touchdowns. No matter who was on him, he made plays: he beat Marcus Jones for a pair of scores and Carlton Davis for another, while also managing to beat out Christian Gonzalez on a contested 40-yard catch. That said, Gonzalez did break up a pair of passes intended for London, came close to an interception, and was generally competitive in the matchup. Meanwhile, the non-London wideouts were held to one catch for 15 yards. So, it wasn’t quite as bad as it seems. | Grade: C+
Safety: Jaylinn Hawkins may or may not deserve some credit for accidentally spooking Falcons center Ryan Nauzil into an early snap on a crucial intentional grounding penalty in the fourth quarter, but his performance as a whole was good both in coverage and run support. The same can be said for fellow starter Craig Woodson, while the new No. 3 at the position, Dell Pettus, provided tight coverage in the end zone on his lone defensive snap of the day. Outside of a pair of catches being given up and Woodson getting stymied on a blitz, the group has a fairly solid day. | Grade: B+
Special teams: Andy Borregales made all four of his kicks; Bryce Baringer showed a strong leg and some decent ball placement; returners Marcus Jones and Efton Chism gained some hidden yards. And while, yes, punt coverage gave up a 15-yard return and Jahlani Tavai was flagged for a hold — the 20th special teams penalty against the Patriots so far this season — Jeremy Springer and company can feel good about the outing. | Grade: B
The Patriots did not play their best football against the Falcons on Sunday, and it nearly ended up costing them. However, over the entirety of the four quarters, they did make more plays than their opponent to secure a sixth victory in a row.
“It’s a funny league, and we’re going to learn from winning so that we don’t have to learn from losing about taking care of the ball and complementary football and how quickly things can change,” said head coach Mike Vrabel after the game. “End of the half, we take a nap … and they scored and made it a one-possession game. Give them a lot of credit, but give our guys credit there for finishing and coming up big when we had to in the fourth quarter with the pressure, the intentional grounding forced them to punt, and then offensively being able to finish with the football was huge.”
How would you grade the Patriots’ performance in Week 9, though? Do you agree with our assessment? Please head down to the comment section to discuss.