On the touchdown, New England ran its version of the sail concept, where WR DeMario Douglas comes in motion from the opposite side of the formation to create the flat route, making it a three-level concept that pulls S Geno Stone down into the short zone distribution to account for the motion. WR Mack Hollins then clears out the deep-third defender for Henry, who runs the corner or sail route into the zone void for a wide-open touchdown.
Maye also worked several short crossing routes to Henry that hit for big plays, and the Patriots got a positive play to Hooper on their play-action spinner series, where Maye does a 180-degree spin in the pocket coming off a play-fake out of shotgun. Overall, Henry and Hooper were New England’s leading receivers in Sunday’s game (10 catches, 154 yards). As two experienced players on this younger roster, the veteran tight ends always seem to deliver.
4. CBs Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III Battle with Bengals WR Tee Higgins
On Sunday, the Bengals were down star WR Ja’Marr Chase (suspension), setting up a showdown between New England’s outside corners and Higgins, a great player in his own right.
Gonzalez shadowed Higgins for most of the afternoon, covering the Bengals star on 15 of his 25 routes (60%). Gonzo allowed three catches on three targets for 20 yards vs. Higgins, while Davis III allowed one catch for three yards and an iffy defensive pass interference call. The Pats also did a nice job of being aware when Higgins lined up inside the slot, which he did on three routes (zero catches). One coverage rep, in particular, that stood out was Gonzalez smothering a Higgins slant that allowed captain Harold Landry III to register an early sack.
Without his running mate in Chase, New England keyed in on Higgins, who had a modest five catches for 31 yards before exiting the game late in the fourth quarter.
5. Highlighting the Patriots D-Line Rotation Without Standout DT Milton Williams
Another area where the Patriots are overcoming a major injury is on the interior defensive line, where New England was without DT Milton Williams, who was placed on injured reserve due to an ankle injury. Then, NT Khyiris Tonga left the game early due to a chest injury. Alongside stud DT Christian Barmore, the Patriots leaned on DT Cory Durden (33 snaps), practice-squad elevation Jeremiah Pharms Jr. (20 snaps), and DT Eric Gregory (18 snaps). On a positive note, Durden continued to play well with three more hurries and two run stuffs, while Barmore had two pressures, and EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson led the team with four pressures.
However, the run defense continued to show some cracks on Sunday. Bengals RB Chase Brown became the first 100-yard rusher vs. the Patriots this season, carrying the ball for 107 yards on 19 carries. Over the last three games, New England has allowed 5.2 yards and +0.09 EPA per rush with a 58.3% success rate. In the first nine weeks, the run defense was shutting down opponents, holding them to 3.6 yards per rush, -0.14 EPA per rush, and a 38.1% success rate. Defensively, the run defense has shown some decline in recent weeks.
6. RB TreVeyon Henderson Continues in Lead Role in Patriots Backfield
With veteran RB Rhamondre Stevenson returning from a three-game absence due to a toe injury, the Patriots continued to ride the hot hand, featuring their rookie running back. Henderson played 65.2% of the offensive snaps, or 43 total, while leading the team with 21 touches. Henderson grinded out 66 rushing yards on 18 carries. In his 21 snaps, Stevenson had some struggles, rushing for just five yards on six carries, albeit in some short-yardage situations. The snap split sounds about right, but even with a banged-up offensive line, the late-down execution will hopefully improve moving forward.
7. OT Vederian Lowe and G/C Ben Brown Could Have Larger Roles Moving Forward
Returning to the big picture, the Patriots turned to two starters from the 2024 season, Lowe and Brown, to replace their two rookies on the left side of the offensive line. On Sunday, the Patriots managed the injuries with Maye under pressure on 35.2% of his drop-backs, with Brown and Lowe allowing two pressures each. That said, the offensive line shares in the struggles New England had on the goal line. When you have multiple tries to punch it in from the 1-yard line, you need to be able to get a yard for a touchdown. Brown and Lowe will be in the spotlight until the rookies return.
8. K Andy Borregales Makes All Six Kicks, New KO Return, Schooler (Ankle) Leaves Game
On an eventful day for the Patriots special teams, rookie K Andy Borregales continues to be Mr. Automatic. Although we don’t want to jinx him, Borregales made all six of his kicks, including going 4-of-4 on field goals of 52, 45, 41, and 19 yards. The 52-yard field goal in the fourth quarter proved to be a huge make, extending the Pats lead to six points.
Another positive takeaway was rookie WR Kyle Williams potentially finding a new role as a kickoff returner. Williams was called upon with WR Efton Chism III inactive and delivered with a 36-yard return. Williams’ straight-line speed fits well on kickoff returns, and with the Patriots now healthy at wide receiver, they can afford to put Williams on returns. Unfortunately, the Patriots special teams also suffered a key injury with coverage ace Brenden Schooler leaving Sunday’s game with an ankle injury.
Heading into the season, one area of concern for New England was its roster depth. The Patriots did a great job with improving the talent on the roster in the offseason, but now they’ll need to prove they’ve built up enough depth along the offensive line, interior defensive line, and other areas. Hopefully, they get some good news on the injury front. If not, it’s a huge test to see if they can overcome injuries to key players that have helped this team to a 10-2 start.
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