The New England Patriots have put together their first win streak of the 2026 NFL season, following their surprising win in Buffalo with a 45-17 rout of the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
Drake Maye’s stellar performance stole the headlines, but there were plenty of positives to take away from the Patriots’ Week 5 victory. And despite the lopsided final score, there are still areas to improve heading into next Sunday’s clash with the New York Jets.
Here’s our “Stock Up, Stock Down” for Week 5:
Stock Up
Drake Maye, QB
By the eye test, this was one of Drake Maye’s best games going back to the start of his MVP-caliber 2025. By the numbers, it was perhaps the best game played by any quarterback this season.
From an EPA standpoint, this was the best performance of any passer in 2026. It was a 98th percentile game when it came to EPA per dropback (0.74), and his total EPA (27.96) was more than any quarterback through nearly five weeks of play, per Sumer Sports.
Maye was excellent throwing down the field, connecting on 67 percent (four of six) of his deep passes (20 yards or more beyond the line of scrimmage), a significant improvement over his deep-passing completion percentage going into the Raiders game (41 percent).
Maye was also especially effective from the pocket on Sunday while being given plenty of time to throw thanks to some sound protection. While he sported a 27th percentile EPA/play from the pocket through the first four weeks of the season, per Sumer, he had a 99th percentile EPA/play from the pocket against the Raiders. He completed 23 of 28 attempts for 346 yards and a touchdown without being moved off his spot behind center.
Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry break down the Patriots’ DOMINANT win over the Las Vegas Raiders
Elijah Ponder, LB
It was yet another strong performance from the second-year outside linebacker. He was a consistent pest for Kirk Cousins throughout the afternoon, racking up five pressures, two sacks and a 26.1 pass-rush win rate, per Pro Football Focus.
Ponder’s strip sack at the end of the first half nearly created a turnover and put on display the physical skill set that has allowed him to be arguably the team’s most consistent defender through five weeks. He engaged in hand-to-hand combat with left tackle Kolton Miller, shed Miller’s hands from his shoulder pads, and flattened at the top of his rush to give him a better angle to hit Cousins. Then Ponder went high with his outside arm to Cousins’ throwing shoulder and forced the football out.
The Patriots faced questions all offseason for the way in which they built their edge-rusher group, but Mike Vrabel and his staff remained firm. They liked what they had. And so far they’ve been proven right.
Elijah Ponder closing out the first half with a SACK
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— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026
Kindle Vildor, CB
What a day for the 28-year-old who is on his sixth team since 2020. Along with Charles Woods, Vildor filled in on the outside admirably with top corners Carlton Davis and Christian Gonzalez out injured.
He had a perfectly timed “Peanut” punch, named for former Bears defensive back Charles “Peanut” Tillman, that forced a fumble on all-world tight end Brock Bowers. He also recorded a pass breakup and allowed just two catches on five targets for 27 yards while in coverage.
His performance earned him a game ball inside the locker room after the fact, where he told his teammates, “Hey, I’m just happy to be a part of the team. Grateful and thankful for the opportunity. Been through a lot. Happy I can come out here and help ya’ll win.”
There’s a standard. There’s an identity. https://t.co/PaogUExZPA
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 11, 2026
Stock Down
Ben Brown, OL
Though there was plenty of good in this game for New England, as Mike Vrabel pointed out afterwards, it wasn’t perfect. Brown had a better game than he did the previous week in Buffalo, it seemed, but he was flagged for a pair of penalties and was the team’s lowest-graded run blocker, per PFF.
Cory Durden, LB
The Patriots created all kinds of problems for Kirk Cousins, but they weren’t immaculate along the line of scrimmage throughout. Durden missed two tackles, according to PFF, and was the group’s lowest-graded run defender.
Team health
The Patriots came into this game with Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis unavailable due to injury. Receivers A.J. Brown and Mack Hollins were on injured reserve. And then they lost some key contributors mid-game against the Raiders on Sunday.
Will Campbell suffered a right knee injury that knocked him from the game. TreVeyon Henderson endured an ankle injury that forced him from the game just before halftime. Durden got banged up, as did Dre’Mont Jones, who missed time earlier this season with a shoulder issue.
Reinforcements could be coming. Vrabel indicated Monday that Brown has “a chance” to return to the field this week — the first he’s been eligible to come off of IR — and he wouldn’t rule out Campbell or Henderson for long periods of time until learning more about their injuries. But there is no doubt their depth is being tested.
