Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots continue to look like one of the best teams in the NFL. On Sunday, they won their fourth straight game and third in a row on the road to improve to 5-2 on the year and stay in close contact with the top of the AFC playoff picture.
Their 31-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans saw several noteworthy individual outings, as well as a solid team performance across the board. As a consequence, our weekly positional grades look the part.
Quarterback: Seven weeks into his sophomore campaign, Drake Maye continues to play at a Pro Bowl level. He again distributed the ball well versus Tennessee, combined good decisions with outstanding throws to complete passes at a franchise record rate, and was in total command of the offense from start to finish even in light of increased pressure. Maye earned an A for his performance, and so did his backup. While Joshua Dobbs played only three snaps during the starter’s brief trip to the medical tent in the third quarter, he managed to keep an eventual scoring drive going thanks to a 12-yard pass to DeMario Douglas on 3rd-and-5. As far as backup play goes, Dobbs did his job. | Grade: A
Running back: Rhamondre Stevenson met the baseline for successful performance in a second straight game — not fumbling the ball — and then some. The veteran back finished with a season-high 88 yards plus a touchdown on 18 carries, looking quick through the hole and confident in his reads. It was a step in a positive direction for him and the running game as a whole. That includes practice squad elevation Terrell Jennings, who was solid down the stretch. On the flip side, second-round rookie TreVeyon Henderson continues to largely be a non-factor on offense. | Grade: B+
Wide receiver: Kayshon Boutte continues to make big plays for the offense, hauling in a 39-yard touchdown to give the Patriots their first lead of the day late in the second quarter. The rest of the wide receiver group also contributed in a positive fashion on Sunday. Stefon Diggs finished with seven catches for 69 yards, Mack Hollins with two for 49, and DeMario Douglas hauled in three passes for 17 yards, including an impressive one-handed grab on a fourth down conversion in the third quarter. The rookies — Kyle Williams and Efton Chism — were quiet, but New England doesn’t need them to step up yet. | Grade: A
Tight end: Besides helping the running game play its best game of the season, the Patriots’ tight end group also performed well in the receiving game. Austin Hooper made an impressive catch for an 8-yard touchdown in the second period, while Hunter Henry hauled in four of five targets for 33 yards. Fullback/tight end hybrid Jack Westover did not catch any passes, but he did play a season-high 19 snaps and served as a lead blocker on a majority of...
