Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots. took care of business against the New York Jets on Sunday, living up to their status as a 13.5-point favorites by completely dismantling their opponent. The Patriots jumped to a 42-3 lead midway through the third quarter and ended up winning 42-10 after taking their foot off the gas down the stretch.
The game did not only see several noteworthy performances on both sides of the ball, but an impressive all-around outing from the newly-crowned AFC East champions.
Quarterback: Even if we are regarding the quality of the opponent — or lack thereof — Drake Maye was outstanding. He led the Patriots to six touchdowns in his six drives, and when he was pulled after the final TD had completed 19 of 21 passes for 256 yards with five touchdowns to five different receivers. He also posted 1.24 expected points added per play, the highest such mark in the NFL this season for a quarterback. The new MVP frontrunner was spectacular, and even his backup fared well: Joshua Dobbs went 3-for-4 for 30 yards in his one-and-a-half quarters of work. | Grade: A
Running back: The first game between the Patriots and Jets in Week 11 was the TreVeyon Henderson show. On Sunday, Rhamondre Stevenson had his day in the sun: the veteran, who missed that November meeting with a toe injury, finished with 102 scrimmage yards and a pair of touchdowns on 14 touches. Henderson also remained actively involved, though, and led the team with 82 rushing yards. Even backup D’Ernest Johnson contributed 5 yards to what was a 156-yard outing on the ground for New England. | Grade: A
Wide receiver: Down starters Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins, the Patriots turned to rookies Kyle Williams and Efton Chism to take on a bigger workload. The pair delivered, catching a combined five passes for 50 yards and a Chism touchdown. The star of the show at wide receiver, however, was Stefon Diggs: the veteran caught all six of his targets for 101 yards and a score. The least prominently-featured of the bunch was DeMario Douglas, who played just nine snaps after carrying the questionable label into the game; he finished with one 10-yard reception. | Grade: A
Tight end: Facing some turnover at wide receiver, the Patriots decided to get both of their top tight ends actively involved in the passing game. They, too, rose. up to the occasion: Hunter Henry caught three passes for 49 yards and a touchdown, while Austin Hooper finished with two receptions for 11 yards and a score. The pair also looked good in the blocking department, with Henry in particular standing out. Fullback/tight end hybrid Jack Westover, on the other hand, was more hit-and-miss before exiting the game with an ankle injury in the early fourth quarter. | Grade: A–
Offensive line: Even with left guard Jared Wilson out, the Patriots offensive line did not skip a beat against the Jets....
