Welcome to the Friday Five!
Each week during the NFL regular season, I’ll drop five Patriots-related thoughts on Friday to recap the week that was in Foxboro and look ahead to kickoff.
Ready, set, football.
#### 1\. Run, Drake, run?
There’s an old saying among offensive coaches.
If you can’t block ’em, read ’em.
Meaning, if your offensive line can’t block an edge defender or defensive tackle well enough, don’t. Leave him deliberately unblocked on an option run, where the quarterback can either hand the ball off or keep himself based on his read of the defender. If the defender pursues the running back at the snap, the quarterback keeps the ball and runs the other way. If he freezes, the quarterbacks hands the ball off and let his running back burrow behind a double-team working the other side of the defense.
Down two starting offensive linemen for the foreseeable future, calling more option runs with Drake Maye could help the Patriots in two ways.
No. 1: It might jumpstart a suddenly stalled run game that averaged 3.5 yards per carry last weekend versus a Bengals defense that had allowed more than 250 rushing yards in two of his last three games. The Patriots currently rank fifth-worst in the league by rushing DVOA.
No. 2: Option runs could heat up a suddenly cold red-zone offense that’s slipped to 20th in the league in touchdown percentage (55%) and has converted 44% of drives into touchdowns the last three weeks. In Cincinnati, the Pats were stuffed six times at the 1-yard line, including a few times on traditional handoffs.
Maye’s legs might also offset protection issues in the passing game, though offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will have more levers to pull there. McDaniels can call short passes, misdirection plays or keep a running back or tight end in to block. Or both. The Patriots can go no-huddle to tire out the defense or dial up screens.
For now, it sounds like Mike Vrabel would prefer the Patriots not involve Maye as a runner, no matter how their rush offense is struggling.
“We’ve had some of those (option) plays, and we’ve called some of those plays. And so, you kind of want to be careful,” Vrabel said Wednesday. “Guys are going in concussion protocol left and right. Again, we’ll be willing to do anything to win a football game, but I think being smart is probably the biggest thing.”
But with five games left and a potential first-round bye at stake, if another battle comes down to the 1-yard line, might the Patriots be tempted by the reward of Maye running, risk be damned?
#### 2\. Pro Bowl Patriots
AFC quarterback Drake Maye, of the New England Patriots, passes during the flag football event at the NFL Pro Bowl, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, in Orlando. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
The NFL opened voting for the Pro Bowl on Thursday. So who in New England will make it?
Maye, for starters. He’s a lock.
None of the Patriots’ running backs warrant serious consideration. Stefon Diggs deserves a hard look, with 61 catches for 679 yards and three touchdowns this year.
How about Hunter Henry? Henry is second in the AFC in receptions and touchdown catches among tight ends.
Defensively, nickelback Marcus Jones should be a no-brainer. He might make the Pro Bowl as a returner, but he’s one of four defenders in the NFL with 50-plus tackles, three interceptions and a sack this season. Jones took one of those picks back to the house last Sunday.
The bet here is Maye, Diggs and Jones get the call. Shutdown cornerback Christian Gonzalez has not dominated like he did last year, and still doesn’t have an interception. Rookie kicker Andy Borregales can argue a strong case, but falls short in the name-recognition department, which makes Chargers veteran Cameron Dicker and Houston’s Ka’imi Fairbairn more likely selections in a fan vote.
Special teams ace Brenden Schooler could also make the cut, but he’s tied for 16th in special teams tackles through Week 12.
#### 2\. Vederian Lowe, better, stronger
The last time you saw Vederian Lowe playing left tackle for the Patriots, he had a torn labrum.
Lowe revealed Wednesday he tore his labrum in October 2024 during a win over the Jets and continued to play through the injury, which contributed to some of his worst games of the season.
The 26-year-old is now back in the starting lineup due to another injury, Will Campbell’s hurt knee, and feeling much stronger heading into his first start of the season; especially in his shoulder.
“If I had days rehabbing where I could pick and choose if I want to go upper or lower (body), I was going upper,” Lowe said Wednesday. “You know, getting the shoulder stronger, I wanted to come back better than how it was before. So that’s kind of the mindset I’ve been on, trying to get the shoulder as strong as I can, get it back, even stronger than I had it before.”
Lowe’s recovery extended into the summer, when he did not practice right away. He nonetheless made the team as one of the Patriots’ top offensive tackles behind Campbell and veteran right tackle Morgan Moses. Lowe may replace Campbell for the rest of the season, with the rookie going on injured reserve Wednesday in a move that will at least cost him the next four gmaes.
#### 4\. Barmore’s strange season
Let’s start with a reminder.
Sacks are not a perfect metric for pass-rushing impact. Every defender wants sacks, but the best pass-rushers don’t necessarily lead the NFL in sacks every year. They do, however, rank among the league leaders in pressures and pressure rate.
That said, while Christian Barmore ranks seventh among defensive tackles this season in total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, does that match the eye test?
No. Barmore has just one sack and six QB hits this season over a dozen games; numbers that more closely resemble his stat line from a year ago when he was limited to four games due to two bouts of blood clot-related symptoms. He’s logged a QB hit in just one of his last seven games. So what gives?
Hard to say. It would be unfair to allege Barmore is underachieving in light of his health situation, though the 26-year-old has often maintained he feels good. The Patriots have done well managing his workload to keep him available.
Perhaps the best way to describe Barmore’s lack of traditional rush is soft pressure. Not because he’s not there, but quarterbacks don’t feel him the way you would expect an $84 million defensive tackle to be felt. Basically, he’s in the neighborhood, just not knocking down the door.
#### 5\. Vrabel low on Thanksgiving
In a light moment at the end of his Wednesday press conference, Vrabel revealed Thanksgiving is not among his favorite holidays.
“Christmas is No. 1,” Vrabel said. “Fourth of July is a close second. (I’m a) big firework guy. And then it’s a toss-up: St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween.”
Still, Vrabel said he was plenty thankful.
“My family. I think that having them here this week is going to be good, going to be nice,” he said. “And then I would say the opportunity to coach this team. I think the players, the coaches, the staff. That’s what I’m thankful for. Got some good friends that have helped along the years.”