A few notes about the game versus Cincinnati. The Patriots weren’t nearly as good as it appeared, and they had to rely on a stingy and opportunistic Defense to win the game.
Patriots Offensive Line Got Low Grades
I was shocked to see the Ratings from Pro Football Focus. The shocker for me was the low grade given to RG Layden Robinson. He received a 17.4 (of 100) Pass Blocking Grade but had a strong 65.6 Run Blocking Grade. Taylor Kyles did a review of the all-22 game film and stated that Robinson missed two Linebacker blitzes when he was late in coming off a double team with Mike Onwenu. Later he also missed a couple of twists on the line with Onwenu. Let’s hope he has learned from his mistakes and doesn’t repeat them.
A key here is the communications with his linemates. That will come with time and experience. Robinson is a finisher in the run game. He had a +5 rating in Finished Blocks. Best rating on the line was Andrews with a 21st rank, Onwenu was 39th, Robinson 53rd, Lowe 57th and Jordan 62nd respectively. Not Good. This was against the poor front 7 of Cincinnati, the worst run Defense in the league last year. Rhamondre Stevenson’s had 118 yards after 1st contact and his 10 forced missed tackles were both the tops in the league by a Running Back. He as ranked #7 among Running Backs. Perhaps it was more about Stevenson than the O-line.
Another point that Taylor Kyles pointed out was the Zone Blocking scheme is still not working and that the Patriots switched back to an old reliable system called Duo. In this scheme, Robinson and Onwenu double team with the TE sealing. Stevenson bounced this to the outside with a jump cut and ended up one-on-one with a Cornerback. Total mismatch. Also on that play was a strong block by Ja’Lynn Polk on the Strong Safety. This is an underrated part of his game that doesn’t appear in the box score. His tape from college showed that he was very good in the blocking game.
It was reported that Stevenson went to Alex Van Pelt and asked to go to a more power game between the tackles. Jerod Mayo also said that Stevenson didn’t want to come out of the game. Nice thought, but this is game #1 and we don’t want to burn out Stevenson so early.
The Patriots left a lot of meat on the bone when they failed to score TDs in the Red Zone. They were 1 of 4 in TD conversions in the Red Zone. The big difference between this year and last is that Joey Slye made those FGs. If they had scored touchdowns instead of settling for Field Goals, it would have been a 28-10 blowout. I will also note that the Patriots were able to play with the lead and were never chasing the score.
Caeden Wallace played 18 plays at TE in a jumbo run package. There were no issues with Wallace coming in and reporting to the official that he was Tackle Eligible, allowing the Referee time to notify the defense. We haven’t seen it yet, but don’t be surprised to see Keon White line up in the backfield as a lead blocker.
Austin Hooper was a big surprise on Sunday with his 2 catches on 4 targets for 31 yards (15.5 YPC). Most fans forget that he is a former two-time Pro Bowler. For his effort he was ranked #6 among TEs by PFF.
I have no use for Chuks Okorafor. It’s time to cut our losses with him. I would rather see a young player like Trey Jacobs get the reps. Okorafor played just 12 plays and was beaten like a rug. Trey Hendrickson turned Okorafor inside out and put pressure on Brissett, hitting him as he threw. Unfortunately, because Okorafor played in the 1st game, his 2024 salary is now guaranteed. I would still cut him. I give the coaching staff credit for pulling the plug on Okorafor so early. I am not sure who was responsible for that decision, but it was a good and decisive decision.
The Defense was Immense
Christian Gonzalez had Jamar Chase one-on-one for just three plays. He made three catches for just 15 yards. Another crazy ranking by PFF has Gonzalez at #72. He had one Pass Interference called on him, but I thought that was a bad call. The other 3 catches that Chase had were in zone coverage. Among Chase’s 62 yards in receptions (10.3 YPC), was a 28 yarder that was against zone coverage. That 28 yard catch late in the games was the only chunk play (20+ yards) the Patriots allowed all day.
The overall tackling by the secondary was exceptional for the 1st game of the season. This is a direct reflection of the hard camp that Mayo imposed. They hit and tackled players to the ground, which is highly unusual for this kinder and gentler NFL.
Jon Jones received the highest PFF rating of any Patriot at #2. I still can’t believe he made that tackle on 4th down in the 3rd Quarter. He was 10 yards away, closed quickly and even had to move around a potential blocker to get to Iosivas to make that great open field stop.
Keon White received a 7th ranking for DE/Edge players. He had 2.5 sacks. Marcus Jones was ranked 8th among CBs.
You can’t count on a TE holding the ball like a loaf of bread, just asking for someone to knock it out. That killed what would have been a potential game winning scoring drive inside the 5-yard line.
I need to mention the Hunter Henry breakup of a sure Interception thrown by Jacoby Brissett off his back foot. Henry made a great play on the underthrown ball that should never have been thrown.
Kraft Pursuit for Hall of Fame
There is a very good article by Don Van Natta on the ESPN website about Robert Kraft’s pursuit of a gold jacket and induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This is some of what Van Natta has to say:
“The voters said the case for Kraft has been hurt by multiple Patriots cheating scandals, along with a selection system that until now has pitted coaches against owners. They even mention Kraft’s dismissed charges after two visits to a Jupiter, Florida, massage parlor.”
Curious whether those cheating scandals will have a similar impact on Bill Belichick candidacy when his name comes up next year?
Changes on the Practice Squad
The Patriots added DT Jaquelin Roy to the Practice Squad on Tuesday after he and others worked out on Monday. Roy was a 2022 5th Round pick (#141) by Minnesota. The former LSU Tiger declared for the draft as a true Junior and gave up two years of eligibility. He is just 23 and doesn’t turn 24 until October. Roy stands 6’3” 305 pounds and ran a 5.17 at his Pro Day. He is strong and put up 30 reps at 225#. This is what NFL Draft Buzz had to say about Roy.
- He’s extremely thick through the lower body, and Roy uses his natural leverage to win at the point of attack, often requiring a double team.
- Roy looks like a potential pro starter and top 120 pick, ideally suited for a team that utilizes a rotation-heavy defensive line.
- Good weight-room strength, which translates onto the field in terms of his anchor
- He’s very instinctive when it comes to countering and solid with overall hand usage.
- Has some positional versatility – has played a similar number of snaps as a nose tackle and as a DT in a 4-3 front
- Has an elite motor – gives constant effort and doesn’t seem to tire
At LSU, Roy played his last season (2021) at the Nose Tackle position and had 49 tackles. The Patriots do not have a backup Nose Tackle to Davon Godchaux.
Last season for the Vikings, Roy played in 12 games and started 1 game. He had 8 tackles in the season.
To make room for Roy, the Patriots waived G/C Jerome Garvin.
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Merrimack Valley native and lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. My earliest memories of the Patriots were attending as a child with my dad, the off-season practice at Phillips Academy. I was at the Patriots game at Harvard Stadium in 1970 where Bob “Harpo” Gladieux was called out of the stands by the stadium announcer over the PA to play in the game. Analyzing the draft since ESPN first started to televise it in 1980 and former writer for the Lowell Sun Newspaper.
Great article Mark. I always wondered if those stats rankings like PFF told an accurate picture. Based on this article the grades sorta seems generally correct in matching the eyeball test of what I saw on TV. Brissett did have to unload the ball quickly due to some pressures. But the pats did control the line of scrimmage running the rock for the majority of the game. Seems you find it to be a good tool. I always assumed it could not measure the intangibles like a NT that gets no tackles but anchors the line very well. Interesting. Seattles… Read more »