The Falcons like to run combination coverages within their zone coverage calls, where the passing strength (three-receiver side) is zoned off while the backside matches routes in man. New England picked on that tendency by lining up WR DeMario Douglas in the backfield to hunt a matchup on a linebacker. The Pats get what they want, with EDGE Jalon Walker dropping out of the rush into coverage on Douglas, and the Patriots wideout wins that matchup every time while Maye drops a dime.
“I’m in the backfield. We know they kind of go man here and there. So, me in the backfield, I could line up with the linebacker. So, Coach [Josh] McDaniels did a great job of scheming that play up. As I come off, I see a D-end on me. That might be a backer lined up at the end. As soon as I saw him try to connect with me, I just ran past him, but that’s a good play called by Coach McDaniels,” Douglas said post-game.
The first-quarter touchdown catch was one of four for Douglas, who had his first career 100-yard receiving game. Douglass has had a smaller role than some anticipated, but the third-year wideout added that he’s “trusting the process” while finding his niche in the offense.
Douglas also played Sunday’s game with a heavy heart due to a death, something he shared with childhood friend and teammate, Terrell Jennings. Despite playing with heavy hearts, Douglas and Jennings both scored touchdowns in Sunday’s win, which was a cool moment for them.
2. QB Drake Maye Says He Needs to ‘Play Better’ Following Up and Down Performance
If this is his floor as a second-year quarterback, it’s pretty remarkable for Maye, who still played winning football for large stretches of Sunday’s victory against a stingy Falcons pass defense.
Although he turned the ball over twice, Maye extended his streak of having 200-plus passing yards and a 100-plus passer rating to eight games, tying the second-longest streak in NFL history within a season. The Patriots quarterback went 19-of-29 for 259 passing yards, 20 rushing yards, two touchdowns, and two turnovers (interception, fumble). Due to the mixed results, Maye was hard on himself after the game.
“I’ve got to play better for this team down the road. It’s tough in a game where you win, and you can feel in that locker room that these guys know we can play better. I think it’s a good feeling to have, but also at the same time it’s tough to win in this league, so you’ve got to enjoy it,” Maye said. There’s so many things to learn from this game, and I’m just proud of this team for — it doesn’t matter if it’s 24-23 or 3-2. Proud we got the win.”
In the advanced metrics, Maye added +0.02 expected points (42nd percentile) with a 64% drop-back success rate on third down (91st percentile). The Pats QB was still money on third down, and the big plays were there against a pass defense that came in allowing just 11 explosives all year. Atlanta allowed 1.5 pass plays over 20-plus yards per game in their first seven games. On Sunday, the Patriots doubled that average with three chunk plays.
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