Pats Pulpit
The clocks fell. The New England Patriots did not.
A 24-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons followed Sunday at Gillette Stadium, where the closing minutes saw the streak extend to six games.
Here’s a glance back on the 1 p.m. ET kickoff as head coach Mike Vrabel’s side moves into November with a 7-2 record.
A smooth start did not end there for Drake Maye. The Patriots quarterback completed 19-of-29 passes for 259 yards with two touchdowns and two turnovers against the Falcons.
Breaking the huddle in “11” personnel, the offense’s opening drive spanned 10 plays and 75 yards. It was capped off by an over-the-shoulder touchdown on a certain slot receiver’s wheel route out of the backfield. A three-and-out followed on the next series. But the chains were soon moved through three conversions to New England’s veteran tight ends, sustaining a drive that produced a 14-7 lead. It swelled to 21-7.
Yet with 32 seconds to go before halftime, Atlanta’s first-round pash rush halted the search for more. A strip-sack by Jalon Walker was recovered and returned by James Pearce Jr. to the doorstep. That takeaway gave way to points. The same held true for another.
Maye stood 11-of-15 through the air for 173 yards with both of his touchdown tosses by intermission. Out of the break, versus post-safety coverage, past All-Pro selection Jessie Bates III fielded a sailing interception over the middle like a groundball. Closer things got from there.
Under duress versus a defense that ended daylight savings allowing 275.6 total yards per game, the Patriots went on to endure back-to-back punts. But with the chance to salt away a 24-23 lead with 1:53 left to play, the air was turned to. Maye hit fellow captain Hunter Henry for a 17-yard completion up the sideline on third-and-5.
A DeMario Douglas game was on deck.
The aforementioned slot receiver caught four passes for a career-high 100 yards against the Falcons, resetting his long from earlier in the fall with a rumbling, stumbling crossing route that gained 58 yards. That pickup was preceded by an in-stride, 17-yard touchdown with a rookie edge defender chasing a shifty mismatch out of the backfield and down the left sideline.
The depth chart’s eldest statesman hit a milestone, too. Stefon Diggs reached 900 career receptions before halftime at Gillette Stadium, becoming the 29th player in the NFL archives to get there. The 31-year-old got there while fighting for 11 yards on his initial target of the afternoon. His second touchdown in as many weeks was the result.
Fellow Patriots starter Kayshon Boutte was downgraded to out due to a hamstring injury on Sunday. That absence was felt vertically. It left the rest of the position in the hands of veteran Mack Hollins and rookies Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III.
A toe issue kept Rhamondre Stevenson sidelined for three consecutive practices...
