Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots faced one of their toughest tests of the season on Sunday, taking on a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team fighting for the top playoff seed in the NFC. Nonetheless, they were able to pass that particular test and ended up winning a competitive game with a final score of 28-23.
Despite their victory, the Patriots did not play a perfect game of football in any phase of the game. Our look at the game’s winners and losers shows this, as do our weekly position grades from the contest.
Quarterback: Going up against a pass defense that had ranked sixth in the NFL in EPA per dropback entering Week 10 (-0.012), Maye had a solid overall performance and made several clutch throws including his 1-yard touchdown to Stefon Diggs on 4th-and-goal to close out the first half. However, for a second straight week he also showed some ups and downs. His ball placement was not always up to par especially early on in the contest, and he threw an ugly red zone interception in the fourth quarter that could have become a turning point in the game. Ultimately, though, he made enough plays against a good opponent to put the Patriots on a path to success yet again. | Grade: B
Running back: Sunday’s game was a mixed bag for the running back group, despite TreVeyon Henderson scoring two long touchdowns. Obviously, those 55- and 69-yard scampers were among the most impressive plays New England’s ground game has had this season. The second of those scores, which helped ice the game, was aided by a pivotal block from defensive tackle/fullback hybrid Khyiris Tonga. Other that the home runs, however, the ground game — which was without starter Rhamondre Stevenson for a second straight week — was largely ineffective. Henderson averaged only 1.9 yards on his other 12 carries, while Terrell Jennings and D’Ernest Johnson were largely non-factors against one of the better run defenses in the NFL | Grade: B+
Wide receiver: Even with Kayshon Boutte sidelined because of a hamstring injury suffered the previous week, the Patriots’ wide receiver group brought the goods to Tampa. Kyle Williams’s 72-yard touchdown on the final play of the first quarter provided a much-needed spark for the team’s offense, while Stefon Diggs’ aforementioned grab on 4th-and-goal gave the team the lead entering the half. Mack Hollins, meanwhile, had his best game as a Patriot: he finished with six catches for 106 yards — his second career 100-yard game and first since the 2022 season — and also had a key block on TreVeyon Henderson’s first touchdown. DeMario Douglas also added a pair of catches for 34 yards, among them a big third down conversion on the second-quarter drive that ended with Diggs’ touchdown. | Grade: A
Tight end: New England’s tight end group had a relatively quiet day against the Buccaneers, at least as far as the receiving game is concerned: Hunter Henry...
