.png)
New England Patriots
defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr., left, celebrates with teammates after he
recovered a fumble for a touchdown in the second half of an NFL football game
against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP
Photo/Charles Krupa)
By ANDREW CALLAHAN | acallahan@bostonherald.com |
PUBLISHED: September 29,
2020 at 6:00 a.m. | UPDATED: September 29, 2020 at 8:12 a.m.
Prior to Sunday’s win, Rex Burkhead could fairly
be described as an unsung hero of the Patriots.
He can play any down at running back and quietly
logs starting snaps on special teams plays. He’s taken goal-line handoffs in
championship games and caught passes on key third downs. Most of his efforts,
because Burkhead is solid but unspectacular, went unnoticed.
That all changed this weekend, with three loud
touchdowns and a team-high seven receptions. If you watched the game, you saw
Burkhead and marveled. He was outstanding.
But you
may have missed a few other unsung heroes in Burkhead’s shadow, who also drove
the Pats’ 36-20 blowout win of the Raiders.
Here are
the position-by-position grades from their latest win:
Quarterbacks: D+
Superman
crashed to earth Sunday. Hard.
His
interception was an early birthday gift to Raiders safety Jonathan Abram, who
otherwise may have been the worst player on the field. Newton fired twice into
triple coverage, both times endangering Julian Edelman’s health against a
head-hunting Las Vegas secondary. He missed N’Keal Harry with two bad throws in
the red zone and almost got picked on a screen to Burkhead.
Newton
even made a rare questionable run read in the first quarter, keeping possession
instead of ceding it to Burkhead, who was taking off around an open left end.
His 21-yard scramble in the fourth quarter that preceded the offense’s final
touchdown was his only highlight.
Running backs: A
It’s hard to ask much more of Burkhead than a
career day and of Sony Michel his best game in two seasons.
They
combined for 238 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. Michel’s vision was
excellent, particularly on his 48-yarder, the longest rush of his career, where
he slipped back to the middle in the face of a crowded edge and broke into the
open. He also took no prisoners in pass protection, eviscerating any blitzing
Raiders hunting for Newton. This may have been Michel’s best all-around game as
a pro, including a first-quarter reception.
Undrafted
rookie J.J. Taylor also provided a spark with 43 rushing yards sprinkled over
the middle quarters. He proved particularly effective outside, taking two crack
tosses for good gains, as the Pats ran on the edges of Las Vegas’ defense at
will.
Wide receivers: C-
By
himself, Burkhead had as many catches as Patriots wideouts Sunday.
N’Keal
Harry and Edelman both finished with two, while Byrd silently led with three.
Harry’s 27-yarder, where he shed two tacklers, was the best play made by any
receiver. But the fact is, he’s still prone to inconsistencies as a pass
catcher and ball carrier. His best work came as a blocker. Perhaps Harry’s
ankle injury is bothering him more than he’s let on, but opportunity lay
everywhere against a spotty Raiders secondary, and he couldn’t find many
openings.
Practice-squad
rookie Isaiah Zuber, who was promoted to the active roster Saturday, flashed
his long speed on a 13-yard jet sweep in the first half.
Tight ends: D+
Two tight
ends, one target, zero catches. That’s a bad day.
Ryan Izzo
earned the one target, which Newton rifled to him from close distance during a
broken play inside the red zone. It shot off his hands.
As
blockers, Izzo and Devin Asiasi were responsible for one run-stuff apiece,
though they generally competed in the run game. They played better over nine
combined snaps of pass protection. Most notably, Asiasi’s snap count almost
tripled, shooting up to 29, but he failed to generate many looks as a receiver.
Fellow rookie Dalton Keene was a healthy scratch.
Offensive line: A
This group
is bordering on special.
In his
starting debut at center, Joe Thuney was the only lineman to post a clean
sheet, yielding zero pressures or run-stuffs. Rookie Michael Onwenu pulled off
an equally impressive performance, slotting in at left guard after a two-game,
part-time stint at right tackle. Onwenu played left guard for most of training
camp and was at fault for only a single hurry. He was unsung hero No. 1 on
Sunday.
His
movement skills at 350 pounds are unbelievable, and his raw power will be a
problem for any defender aligned across from him. To his left, Isaiah Wynn
played a clean game for three quarters, then surrendered a QB hit and a hurry.
Right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor dominated as a run-blocker, but yielded a sack
and a hurry. Shaq Mason allowed two hurries and one run-stuff.
Defensive line: C+
From a run
defense standpoint, production was scarce for this front. But in terms of
pressure, the Patriots D-linemen did more than enough.
Deatrich
Wise accounted for a half-sack, a hurry and one flag drawn en route to
recovering a fumble for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. He dominated as a
pass rusher in multiple alignments, which made up for being successfully
targeted in run defense. Defensive tackle Lawrence Guy also added a QB hit, and
Adam Butler mustered one hurry.
John Simon
set a soft edge early in the game, then settled in and tackled as well as any
other Patriot the rest of the game. The Pats allowed a survivable four yards
per carry between the tackles.
Linebackers: B
Chase
Winovich continued to rack up pressures at an elite level, totaling three with
a sack, a QB hit, and a hurry. Shilique Calhoun forced two fumbles in his best
game with New England, gaining a modicum of revenge on his old team that also
yielded a half-sack, a hurry, and a QB hit at his hands. Derek Rivers added a
pair of QB hits off the edge.
Inside,
Ja’Whaun Bentley struggled mightily for the second straight game. His run
defense was misplaced, and he got worked on the edge on a couple of snaps,
while bringing little as a blitzer. It will be interesting to see how many
snaps he takes at Kansas City, given their collective track speed and his lack
of sideline-to-sideline range.
Defensive backs: B+
The Pats
outright eliminated Darren Waller, Las Vegas’ top weapon, who wasn’t targeted
in the first half. Waller finished with two harmless catches for nine yards
against zone coverage. The combination of heady safety play and man-to-man
coverage provided primarily by Joejuan Williams, Kyle Dugger and Jason McCourty
took him out. In all, seven Patriots lined up on Waller.
Stephon
Gilmore’s defensive pass interference penalty late in the first half was the
secondary’s worst mistake. Jonathan Jones played the worst game, getting worked
by Hunter Renfrow for five catches on six targets, though he was step for step
with Renfrow on his near touchdown and batted away another sideline throw
intended for him late. Adrian Phillips played his best game as a Patriot,
another unsung hero, who covered Waller early, made a game-high seven tackles
and provided enough resistance against the run playing inside the box.
Special teams: B+
Only one
of Las Vegas’ 11 drives started outside the team’s 25-yard line: their first.
The Pats
controlled field position through strong kick and punt coverage, plus their
turnovers. On one of the day’s best plays, Justin Bethel drew a penalty while
making a tackle at the Raiders’ 11 on the kickoff that preceded Wise’s
touchdown. Matthew Slater was a magnet to Renfrow on punt returns, forcing him
into two fair catches. Nick Folk missed a kick for the third straight week, and
Kyle Dugger took the Patriots only punt return for 17 yards.
Coaching: A-
The
Patriots were not whistled for a single offensive penalty for the third
straight game and took only two penalties on defense. That’s outstanding
coaching.
Schematically,
they induced several check-downs from Raiders quarterback Derek Carr by
dropping eight consistently in obvious passing situations and blanketing Waller
downfield. The Pats caused him to hesitate with their pre-snap disguises and
allowed only two touchdowns on five red-zone trips. On offense, Josh McDaniels
caused an undisciplined Las Vegas front to self-detonate by calling a
season-high seven screens, plus draws and other misdirection plays.
Head
of the class
RB Rex
Burkhead Three
touchdowns? Enough said.
OL Michael Onwenu He may prove to be a special, special lineman,
which will leave the rest of the NFL to wonder how the heck he was allowed to
fall into the sixth round.
OL Joe Thuney There’s no position he can’t play at a high-level up
front. Thuney, somehow, has become even more valuable to the Patriots.
Back of the pack
TE
Ryan Izzo If Asiasi or Keene can’t pass him soon, the
Pats may explore options on the trade market.
QB
Cam Newton It would be surprising to see him play this
poorly again.
CB Jon Jones If it weren’t for Renfrow’s success, the entire Vegas
passing game would have been locked down.
