Mike Vrabel hasn’t been shy in latest weeks in acknowledging that the New England Patriots’ offense, whereas performing properly total, wanted to search out higher manufacturing throughout the run sport.
His offense responded with a season-high 175 yards dashing in Sunday’s 31-13 win over the Tennessee Titans, serving to New England’s prolong its profitable streak to 4 video games.
That’s the sort of run that the AFC East-leading Patriots (5-2) haven’t achieved since recording seven consecutive victories throughout the 2021 season. That was additionally the final time New England made the playoffs.
“All 11 guys on the identical web page,” mentioned working again Rhamondre Stevenson, who had 18 carries for a season-best 88 yards and a landing. “It begins up entrance with the safety. I really feel like they did an amazing job within the run sport and the go sport. Conserving (quarterback) Drake (Maye) clear for probably the most half and simply making an attempt to be environment friendly. Transfer the ball, get the primary, first down and preserve it rolling.”
Whereas a number of the postgame pleasure surrounded what New England was in a position to do working the ball, Maye continued to impress. He had certainly one of his most effective video games but, finishing 21 of 23 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns.
“These guys are making performs for me. These guys up entrance are blocking their butts off,” Maye mentioned. “And within the passing sport, they’re going to go make performs for me and I feel we’re simply making an attempt to remain forward of the chains and attempt to throw to the primary man open.”
One other component of Sunday’s win that was simply as encouraging was the play of the protection. It pressured Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward right into a pair of turnovers – an interception by Marcus Jones and a sack by Ok’Lavon Chaisson that prompted a fumble that he scooped and returned for a landing.
“We’re precisely who we are saying we’re,” Chaisson mentioned. “Simply proceed to imagine in what we reward inside our facility and simply preserve going. Each week is a brand new week.”
What’s working
The Patriots went their second straight sport with out an offensive turnover and have had only one giveaway since posting a season-high 5 of their Week 3 loss to Pittsburgh. Maye hasn’t thrown an interception since that sport.
Vrabel credited his gamers’ observe and consciousness for correcting the early season turnover points.
“Simply everyone else serving to,” he mentioned. “It’s good to see us doing the approach and the main points which are necessary for these varieties of issues. We’re not placing the ball in hurt’s method and guys are going and making performs and the quarterback throws it in tight home windows.”
What wants assist
It’s not an enormous trigger for concern, however receiver Stefon Diggs has but to file a landing by seven video games. The drought marks probably the most video games to open a season he has gone with out a TD catch in his profession. The one different time he went even two video games with out one was his rookie season in 2015 with Minnesota.
Top off
Stevenson was maligned after fumbling twice within the Week 3 loss to the Steelers. He then had one other two video games later in opposition to Buffalo.
However by the ball safety points, he continued to tell apart himself as a go protector and now appears to be returning to kind as a ball service.
Inventory down
Rookie working again TreVeyon Henderson completed with a season-low two carries for five yards. And he has simply 11 carries for 32 yards within the two video games since Antonio Gibson was misplaced for the season to a knee damage. It’s a missed alternative for Henderson to determine himself because the second again behind Stevenson. The within monitor for that may very well be shifting towards Terrell Jennings, who carried 5 instances for 18 yards after being elevated from the observe squad for the second straight week.
Accidents
Maye missed three performs within the third quarter after hitting his head on the bottom on the finish of a 6-yard scramble. He visited the medical tent, however returned and was on the sector for the top of the drive, which led to Stevenson’s TD run.
Key quantity
1 — The Patriots allowed the Titans solely 39 yard dashing and stay the one workforce within the NFL this season that has not surrendered 50 yards to a working again by the primary seven video games.
Subsequent steps
New England will search for its fifth consecutive win when it returns residence to host Cleveland (2-5) subsequent Sunday.
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