2 weeks Ago By The Boston Globe
By Chad Finn, The Boston Globe Welcome to the Unconventional Review, an instant reaction to standouts, stats, and story lines from the Patriots’ most recent game . . .
In a broad and dispassionate sense, there’s really no such thing as a big win for the Patriots this season. It’s OK to admit that, I think, because it confirms a clear-eyed assessment of the State of Things. The Patriots are in the early stages of a rebuild , with a rookie coach.
A playoff berth is unrealistic, and their priority is developing the players on the roster that have a chance to contribute when they’re legitimately competitive again. The best thing for them is probably to have the highest possible draft pick come April. But in an emotional sense? And in a we-sure-needed-that sense? And in the it’s-always-worth-mocking-the-Jets sense? Oh, yeah.
That was a big win, big picture be damned. The Patriots beat the joke-of-the-league Jets , 25-22, when Jacoby Brissett — in for Drake Maye, who left with a head injury with nine minutes remaining in the second quarter — led a 12-play, 70-yard winning drive , culminating with Rhamondre Stevenson’s 1-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds left. Brissett — who fired a spectacular 34-yard pass to Kayshon Boutte during the winning drive — was one of many Patriots who deserve praise for their resilience in sticking together and snapping a six-game losing streak.
. @JBrissett12 threading it to @KayshonBoutte1 🎯 📺: CBS pic.twitter.
com/oAgSg7YsTS — New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 27, 2024 Coach Jerod Mayo — who found himself in a maelstrom of controversy after calling his team soft last week — also must be feeling some level of validation, if not outright vindication, given that his team responded well to his words. A big win? For those who played in and coached the game, absolutely. And maybe that in itself has some future benefit.
For us, it was as fun to watch as it was unexpected. Some further thoughts, upon immediate review . .
. Players suggested in the Unconventional Preview: Breece Hall, Kyle Dugger, Davante Adams. Christian Elliss: The Patriots have been desperate for a linebacker (or two .
. . or three) to emerge as stout and reliable since Ja’Whaun Bentley suffered a season-ending pectoral injury against the Seahawks in Week 2.
Against the Jets, that player was Elliss, who is in his second season with the Patriots after being claimed off waivers from the Eagles last December. Elliss filled out the stat sheet against the Jets, finishing with a team-leading nine tackles for a Patriots defense that held the Jets to 112 yards on 28 carries. (The Patriots had allowed at least 176 rushing yards to each of their last three opponents, so that does count as progress .
) Elliss, a four-year veteran, already has a career high in tackles this year, with 31. But Elliss may have been even more effective against the Jets’ passing game. He finished with a sack — which he collected on a third-and-8 play from the Patriots’ 18 early in the fourth, a play before Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein hooked a 44-yard field goal attempt — as well a pass defensed and two quarterback hits.
It was the first solo sack of his career, having split one with Marte Mapu in the loss to the Texans. His one mistake: He picked up a blatant pass interference late in the first quarter when he didn’t look for the ball and ran through Breece Hall on a deep throw down the left sideline. One play later, Rodgers hit Tyler Conklin for the Jets’ first touchdown.
Rhamondre Stevenson: His stats have been somewhere below spectacular — the Patriots’ lead running back finished 48 yards on 20 carries, which is 2 more yards than Maye ran for in a little more than a quarter of action. But those totals don’t matter, because Stevenson sure came through when the Patriots needed him most. He scored the winning touchdown, charging in from the 1 on fourth and goal with 25 seconds left, the ultimate score-now-or-lose play.
. @dreeday32 WITH 22 SECONDS LEFT 🤯 📺: CBS pic.twitter.
com/QTUC4h6w6p — New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 27, 2024 And that was his second touchdown of the day. His punctuated the Patriots’ first possession of the second half, which began with a dazzling 62-yard punt return by Marcus Jones (aided by a JaMycal Hasty block) that situated the Patriots on the Jets’ 26-yard line. Stevenson made a nice catch on that drive to pick up 14 yards on second and 15, then on the next play from the Jets’ 3, trucked Jets cornerback Isaiah Oliver to help give the Patriots a 14-13 lead.
Garrett Wilson: Kind of wanted to go with a third Patriot here, Hunter Henry, who proved his usual reliable self for both Patriots quarterbacks, finishing with five catches on six targets for 45 yards. But we’ll go with Wilson, the one Jet who came through over and over again. His five catches for 113 yards included receptions of 30, 27, 26, and 22 yards.
The Jets scored on three of the drives in which Wilson contributed a catch of 22 yards or more, including on their go-ahead touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter. Davante Adams is the bigger name and a well-established Friend of Aaron, but Wilson looked like the Jets’ No. 1 receiver Sunday.
Question: Is it a bad sign when a wide receiver — in this case, Kayshon Boutte — drops a pass early in the fourth quarter, and the broadcast on CBS immediately shows a montage of several other drops by New England receivers in the same game? It is a bad sign? OK, glad we’re in agreement. Boutte dropped a pair of passes, rusty Kendrick Bourne dropped another, and Tyquan Thornton was the one who got the Ballad of Stonehands started when a deep throw by Maye late in the first quarter bounced off his chest, forearms, and hands before settling safely on the turf. Thornton and especially Boutte (who caught that 34-yard dart from Brissett on the winning drive) redeemed themselves later.
But this might be the most unreliable receiving group the Patriots have had since Tom Brady was stuck trying to salvage Doug Gabriel and Reche Caldwell in 2006. Predicted final score: Jets 30, Patriots 17 Final score: Patriots 25, Jets 22 One of the pleasant surprises about Maye is his judgment. He’s willing to throw the ball away when there is no play to be made, which isn’t exactly a characteristic most inexperienced young quarterbacks have.
He also has a great sense for when to run. He probably needs to learn to slide a little sooner, though . .
. As determined as the Patriots’ run defense was to prove that it is not soft , I don’t get why the Jets didn’t run more. Hall had back-to-back runs of 9 and 16 yards on their second possession, but he had just 16 carries over the rest of the game .
. . Had to laugh when, midway through the third quarter, color analyst Adam Archuleta noted to play-by-play partner Spero Dedes that “we’ve done a lot of games with Brissett.
” No knock on Brissett, but he hasn’t exactly been on teams reminiscent of the 2007 Patriots in recent years. Sign up for Patriots updates🏈 Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during football season. Be civil.
Be kind..
