FOXBORO, Mass. – Well that’s one way to go into the bye week.
The Patriots beat the Colts 26-3 on Sunday and for the second week in a row, they won ugly.
I said it after the Jets game that sometimes you have to be able to win ugly in the NFL. I didn’t mean every week, but a win’s a win. Here’s a look a look at the scoring drives from Sunday afternoon:
Patriots 3 – Colts 0 | 6 plays, 42 yards – Nick Folk 49-yard FG
Patriots 6 – Colts 0 | 7 plays, 19 yards – Nick Folk 43-yard FG
Patriots 13 – Colts 0 | 2 plays, 3 yards – Rhamondre Stevenson 3-yard TD
Patriots 13 – Colts 3 | 8 plays, 18 yards – Chase McLaughlin 40-yard FG
Patriots 16 – Colts 3 | 8 plays, 42 yards – Nick Folk 43-yard FG
Patriots 19 – Colts 3 | 10 plays, 45 yards – Nick Folk 28-yard FG
Patriots 26 – Colts 3 | Jonathan Jones interception return TD
Here are my five takeaways from the Patriots week nine win over Indianapolis:
5. Matthew Judon deserves serious consideration for Defensive Player of the Year.
New England’s got a good one in this Matthew Judon fella:
The Patriots linebacker finished Sunday with four QB hits, three sacks, three tackles for loss, and six tackles. He is the NFL’s sack leader, and is the first player to hit double digit sacks in 2022.
Judon’s value to this Patriots defense is extraordinary, and if they keep winning these games on the backs of their defense, he’ll have a real shot at winning Defensive Player of the Year come seasons end.
4. Adam Vinatieri, Stephen Gostkowski, Nick Folk.
Throughout the Patriots Bill Belichick era, there has always been one constant: excellent kicking.
When Adam Vinatieri left for Indianapolis, we all wondered how they’d replace him. They did it rather easily with Stephen Gostkowski. Then when he retired, we asked the same question.
As it turns out out New England is just a kicking factory. Nick Folk is the most consistent kicker in the NFL. After a 5-for-5 performance last week against the Jets, Folk went 4-for-4 on field goals of 49, 43, 43, and 28 yards. He and Rhamondre Stevenson continue to carry the Patriots offense.
3. Speaking of Stevenson, he might be the best running back in the AFC.
Emphasis on might be, but Rhamondre Stevenson is a clear cut top-3 back in the conference. It’s him, Austin Ekeler, and Derrick Henry.
Stevenson was great when he had to be again on Sunday despite an abysmal offensive line. He paced the Patriots offense with 15 carries for 60 yards, and added 3 catches for 10 yards and a one-handed touchdown grab, New England’s only visit to pay dirt on the afternoon. They need him desparately.
2. Forget the play calling and skill players, this offense will go nowhere until the offensive line is healthy.
Just like every Sunday, it’s easy to criticize both the Patriots play calling and the lack of separation they get from their wide receivers. However, regardless of this, Mac Jones isn’t going to be able to get anything going for his team’s offense until their offensive line gets healthy.
With David Andrews out with a concussion and Marcus Cannon placed on IR, New England started the game with a line of Trent Brown – Cole Strange – James Ferentz – Mike Onwenu – Yodny Cajuste.
They then had to once again bench their first round pick Strange for Isaiah Wynn, and it was ugly no matter who was along the line. Jones was sacked four times on Sunday and was hit seven times. They’ll need to keep him upright in order to get anything going on offense after the bye week.
1. Once again, we’re yet to see what the Patriots can do against a real opponent.
The Patriots have five wins this year. They’re against the Steelers, the Lions, the Browns, the Jets, and the Colts.
That’s Mitch Trubisky, Jared Goff, Jacoby Brissett, Zach Wilson, and Sam Ehlinger.
New England has won the games they should have this year, and it’s hard to critique getting a win, but we’ve yet to truly see what this team can do. They’ll have plenty of tests coming up against the Bills, the Vikings, and the Bengals.
The Patriots head into the bye week 5-4 and will welcome the Jets to Foxboro for week 11 on Sunday November 20th.
I’ll have you covered throughout the bye week – debuting a brand new mailbag, publishing a State of the Patriots Address, and more. Keep it here at CLNSMedia.com for all the latest coverage from Foxboro!
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