Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots headed into their Week 8 game against the Cleveland Browns as a touchdown favorite, but early on it appeared they were in for a dog fight. The first half was a struggle, particularly on the offensive side of the ball against a disruptive defense ranked among the best in football.
And yet, in the end, the team of head coach Mike Vrabel pulled away in the second half to win with a comfortable margin of 19 points. Along the way, the team saw some standout individual performances and — as a look at our weekly position grades shows — a good display from top to bottom.
Quarterback: The Browns managed to make life difficult for Drake Maye, but the second-year passer weathered the storm in impressive fashion as evidenced by his final stat line: he completed 18 of 24 throws for 282 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, posting his seventh straight game of a passer rating above 100. The numbers tell only part of the story, though: Maye did hold onto the ball a tad too long at times and his pick was unnecessary, but he showed that he can perform at a high level and play winning football even when finding himself in a challenging spot. Whether or not that makes him an MVP candidate, as fans were chanting, is up for debate. He certainly continues to show he is developing into a top-tier QB, though. | Grade: B+
Running back: Statistically, the Patriots’ run game had its best day of the season and TreVeyon Henderson was a large part of it. The rookie registered a career-high 75 yards on just 10 carries, even though he also lost a fumble near the goal line in the fourth quarter; nonetheless, the positives did outweigh the negatives for the second-round draft pick. The rest of the RB group was less productive, with Rhamondre Stevenson finishing the game with 34 rushing yards on 14 carries as well as a 15-yard reception. Terrell Jennings’ two carries for 15 yards came with the game already decided. | Grade: B+
Wide receiver: The Patriots’ wide receiver group continues to play at a high level, with the starting three all contributing. Mack Hollins had his best day with the team, catching seven passes for 74 yards; Kayshon Boutte again proved his playmaking potential going 3-75 with a touchdown; Stefon Diggs hauled in his first TD as a Patriot on a 3-14 day. In addition, you had DeMario Douglas bring in a 44-yard catch on his lone target. Douglas actually was out-snapped by Kyle Williams on the day, but the rookie did not see any targets. Overall, though, it was another good day for New England’s receiving group. | Grade: A-
Tight end: As receiving options, Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper continue to be reliable: the two veterans hauled in all three of their combined targets for a total of 45 yards and one...
