Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots were able to exorcise some playoff demons. After going one-and-done in each of their last two appearances, they finally earned a victory again. Beating the visiting Los Angeles Chargers with a final score of 16-3, they won their first postseason game since the 2018 season and are now on their way to a divisional round meeting with the Houston Texans.
Before our attention turns to that game, let’s tie up some loose ends from the contest that was — a process that will give us some clarity of where the team needs to improve moving forward.
Quarterback: Appearing in his first playoff game at 23 and with 29 career starts under his belt, Drake Maye looked a bit more jittery than usual. Whether it was the moment or the opposing defense, he started relatively slowly and had some plays he likely would want back — including an interception and a pair of fumbles while trying to make something out of nothing. Those were some uncharacteristically negative plays for the MVP candidate, but he also showed why he is deserving of that label. Maye made hay of some openings to finish with 69 rushing yards while his touchdown pass to Hunter Henry was as good as it gets. | Grade: B+
Running back: Rhamondre Stevenson continues to be a weapon for the Patriots, becoming just the third player in franchise history on Sunday to finish a postseason game with more than 50 yards both as a receiver and a runner. The veteran accumulated a combined 128 yards on 13 touches, despite New England’s blocking not always being up to par. Fellow running back TreVeyon Henderson was less actively featured, but still added 36 yards on 10 combined carries and catches and had a key blitz pickup on Maye’s touchdown pass to Henry. | Grade: A
Wide receiver: The Chargers dared the Patriots to beat man coverage on critical downs, and it proved to be a problem. Part of it was receivers getting open on a consistent basis, part of it was drops by both Stefon Diggs and DeMario Douglas. Against the Texans next Sunday, both will have to improve. It wasn’t all bad for the wideouts, though. Kayshon Boutte once again showcased his big-play abilities en route to a 66-yard outing, while Kyle Williams had a big blog on Rhamondre Stevenson’s 48-yard catch and run that helped set up the first field goal of the day. Efton Chism was quiet, but did catch a 20-yard pass on that same field goal drive. | Grade: C+
Tight end: Hunter Henry continues to be one of the Patriots’ most reliable performers, and he managed to haul in three passes for 64 yards and a touchdown against his former team. He also continued to look good as a run blocker, something that cannot be fully said about Austin Hooper. While New England’s second tight end had some tough moments and saw...
