New England Patriots
The Patriots had their share of ups and downs against the Bills. Here’s who stood out.
Romeo Doubs AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes
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As we look ahead to Sunday’s matchup with the Raiders, here’s a look at the Patriots who stood out in both directions in Week 4.
QB Drake Maye
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Maye’s performance against the Bills was his perseverance. While he completed six of his first seven passes, a pair of first-half turnovers suggested the Patriots were in for another shaky performance from the franchise QB.
They weren’t. Maye elevated his game to a level we haven’t seen since the end of last year’s regular season. He made plays with his legs, stepped up into the pocket confidently, and hit Efton Chism with a well-placed throw for the go-ahead touchdown. A big-time performance led to a much-needed divisional win.
LB Elijah Ponder
Ponder has produced at least half a sack in each of the Patriots’ last three games, bringing his total to a team-high 2.5 on the season. He also leads the team with 4.5 tackles for loss.
The second-year linebacker has filled in nicely for the injured Harold Landry on the edge. The group had a nice day overall on Sunday: Gabe Jacas nearly forced a safety by tossing Dion Dawkins, and Dre’Mont Jones hit Josh Allen right before the Buffalo quarterback threw the game-sealing interception in the fourth quarter.
WR Romeo Doubs
Doubs has continued to show improvement week by-week after his catchless start in Seattle. He snagged his first two touchdown catches against Buffalo, including a one-handed snag on a fade.
There were certainly signs of growing pains – the interception that slipped out of his hands into Dee Alford’s waiting arms was certainly one. But, with A.J. Brown out, the Patriots have needed Doubs to take a step forward and he has so far.
Three down
DL Milton Williams
Searching through the old memory banks here … when was the last time we’ve heard Milton Williams’s name called in a game?
He has no sacks through the first four games. No tackles for loss either. Pro Football Focus has him graded 72nd amongst 129 qualified defensive linemen.
The Patriots did enough to win last week, the defense has generally been good, and Williams certainly does things that don’t show up on the stat sheet. However, his stat sheet is looking pretty empty right now.
CB Charles Woods
The perfect passer rating for a quarterback is 158.3. According to Pro Football Focus, Woods tied with Sauce Gardner for the highest passer rating against a cornerback in Week 4 (156.3).
Playing the Bills without Christian Gonzalez was always going to be a tough proposition. Woods really struggled in his absence.
RB TreVeyon Henderson
Henderson’s speed makes him a big-play threat, but he has lacked the every-down consistency needed from a back who plays that much.
He had the 39-yard touchdown against Pittsburgh in Week 2. He hasn’t scored since, and outside of that run he has 37 carries for 102 yards, averaging 2.75 yards per carry.
He hasn’t been much of a threat in the passing game either, with one catch on three targets for six yards this season.
And the extra point is …
Through the first four games, Henderson (141) has only five more rushing yards than Drake Maye (136) despite having 15 more carries than the quarterback. Rhamondre Stevenson, who has 44 carries, has 161 yards.
This will probably change given Henderson’s ability to make explosive plays, but we’re nearly a quarter of the way through the season and the Patriots haven’t produced much on the ground.
Maye rightfully took heat for his performance over the first three games, but the running game simply has to be better. It’s not just on the backs. The offensive line has improved significantly in pass-protection, but the run-blocking has to get better too.
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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