Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots are in a comfortable position heading into their bye week. Not only are the 11-2 and the owners of the best record in football, they also kept their 10-game win streak alive in impressive fashion on Monday night: hosting the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium, the team of head coach Mike Vrabel celebrated a 33-15 victory that was not as close as the final score would indicate.
The game saw plenty of impressive individual outings, but as a look at our weekly grades shows, it also was well-earned across the board.
Quarterback: The Drake Maye MVP campaign is officially back on. Against the Giants, in front of a national audience, the Patriots’ second-year quarterback played another impressive game. Lining up behind an offensive line introducing two new starters, Maye looked his usual calm self while spreading the ball around to eight different receivers. On the day, he finished with 24 completions on 31 attempts for 282 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also posted an EPA per play of 0.31 while hitting the 98 percentile with a +15.8 completion percentage above expectation. Regardless off opponent, this was a quality outing. | Grade: A
Running back: The Patriots did lose their third running back early in the game, but Monday was always going to be the Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson show at the position. The pair indeed looked good, with the former gaining 40 yards on 12 carries and the latter putting up 67 on 11. Both also contributed in the passing game, catching three passes apiece for 40 and 19 yards, respectively. And while Henderson gave up a sack in his lone pass protection rep, the overall body of work was a solid one. | Grade: B
Wide receiver: Drake Maye keeps spreading the wealth in the passing game, and his receivers are making the most of the opportunities they are given. Against the Giants, Kayshon Boutte led the group with four catches for 35 yards and a touchdown. DeMario Douglas, Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins each caught three of the passes thrown their way — gaining a respective 33, 26 and 23 yards in the process — while rookie Kyle Williams hauled in a 33-yard touchdown in the second quarter. It was another productive day for a group whose depth continues to be one of its best qualities. | Grade: A
Tight end: Hunter Henry continues to be one of Drake Maye’s favorite targets, and on Monday he hauled in four more catches for a team-leading 73 yards. While a 30-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter was taken off the board by offsetting penalties, the team captain continues to be a crucial and productive part of New England’s passing attack. He also remains heavily involved as a blocker, something that is also true for Austin Hooper. New England’s TE2 went catchless on the night, but he had his hand in New England going above...
