Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was in complete control throughout New England’s 33-27 victory towards the Dolphins at Laborious Rock Stadium on Sunday.
No play depicted that greater than Maye’s reference to operating again Rhamondre Stevenson in the course of the third quarter. Going through third-and-3 from the New England 24 yard line, and having watched the Dolphins rating factors on 4 consecutive possessions, Maye hit Stevenson down the sideline on a perfectly-placed ball. The 55-yard acquire marked the longest reception of Stevenson’s profession.
“This 55-yard catch and run from Rhamondre Stevenson modified all the things for New England,” Patriots insider Phil Perry mentioned on The Breakdown on Monday evening.
Patriots insider Tom E. Curran referred to the play as the very best of Drake Maye’s profession throughout the Patriots Talk Podcast. Perry echoed these sentiments whereas showing on The Breakdown alongside former Patriots linebacker and present analyst Ted Johnson.
Phil and Tom break down Drake Maye’s “finest play of his profession” on a brand new Patriots Discuss Podcast.
Johnson defined how the Patriots executed the momentum-changing play.
“The Patriots received precisely what they wished,” Johnson mentioned.
Maye and firm knew the Dolphins had been in a man-to-man protection after a Dolphins defender adopted Patriots receiver DeMario Douglas on a pre-snap movement. Maye alerted right into a man-beating play, a two-man recreation which put Stevenson and Kayshon Boutte towards Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks and cornerback Rasul Douglas, respectively.
Boutte picked Brooks, which allowed Stevenson to achieve outdoors leverage as he ran a wheel route down the sideline. Boutte’s positioning on the rub pressured Brooks to go below him versus over, which additionally helped Stevenson acquire a step.
“Kayshon Boutte does an awesome job of forcing him to go below,” Johnson mentioned. “That is precisely what you need as a result of as soon as that defender goes below the wash, Rhamondre out-leverages him to the skin and he is flat-footed so he (Stevenson) beats him by a pair steps.
“The rub-route by Kayshon Boutte on the bottom, exploiting the man-to-man protection proper there, getting him to go below so he (Stevenson) can get a step on him,” Johnson continued. “That was lovely.”
In the meantime, Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips beat proper sort out Morgan Moses off the road of scrimmage and compelled the pocket to shut rapidly on Maye. The second-year QB stepped up, saved his eyes down area and saved each palms on the soccer as he navigated the chaos. He then delivered the go to Stevenson.
“There’s stress from the skin very quick,” Johnson mentioned. “The quarterback (Maye) does an awesome job of climbing the ladder, climbing the pocket and avoiding the ball getting popped out of there, and makes a ravishing go over the protection on the sideline for a pleasant 55-yard acquire.
“This was an enormous momentum play,” Johnson mentioned.
The run after catch resulted within the Patriots getting a recent set of downs on the Miami 21 yard line. On the following snap, Patriots operating again Antonio Gibson ran it up the center for a 15-yard acquire. Maye capped it off as he scrambled for a six-yard landing two performs after discovering Stevenson.
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