Let’s talk about stats!
The Patriots beat the Jets by a score of 15-10 on Sunday, but those aren’t the only numbers that matter.
While the eye test is good, it’s stats and analytics that help truly tell the story of a football game - even if they’re simple.
6 rings postgame show: Mike Kadlick joins the show from MetLife Stadium
From here on out, every Wednesday for the rest of the regular season, win or lose, I’m going dive into some numbers from each Patriots contest on the 6 Rings and Football Things podcast in a segment called "Wednesday Stat Day". Here’s a primer for this week here on WEEI.com:
0
The Patriots offensive line allowed zero sacks during Sunday afternoon’s win versus the Jets. Their first sack shutout of the season. Something head coach Bill Belichick credited simply to them not having to chase points, like they did over the first two weeks:
“Well, one thing is not playing from behind and not having to throw the ball 50 times. It starts there.”
Quarterback Mac Jones also spoke about the performance after the game:
“Offensive line did a great job keeping me upright and really proud of those guys and the backs for running hard. When we had to make plays, we did, but definitely inconsistent. Got to be happy with the win. That's all we came here for.”
Obviously, they can’t keep him clean every game, but this was certainly an improvement from last week, especially against this vaunted Jets front.
157
New England rushed for 157 yards on Sunday, their highest tally of the season. Here were the numbers:
RB Ezekiel Elliott - 16 carries, 80 yards, 5 YPC
RB Rhamondre Stevenson - 19 carries, 59 yards, 3.1 YPC
QB Mac Jones - 4 carries, 13 yards, 3.3 YPC
WR Demario Douglas - 1 carry, 5 yards, 5 YPC
Bill Belichick spoke on their performance on Monday, with nods to both their rushers and the line in front of them:
“Well, I think the big thing for running backs is the amount of yards they can gain, let’s call it, on their own. That includes setting the blocks and using the blockers. So, any of us can run in there and get what the play is blocked for. The good backs get more than that, whether that’s, again, setting up blocks to create more space for themselves to run or breaking tackles and getting extra yards when the defense has a chance to get them down. Look, there can be great two and three-yard runs. Sometimes, there’s nothing there. There’s not even a yard there, and a back can get two or three yards out of it, and those are good runs. So, I think you just have to evaluate the plays and evaluate the way that the player is carrying the ball. You know, is he getting the most out of the way it’s blocked? He can’t do anything about the blocking other than use what’s there and make the most of it, and, of course, obviously, ball security is a big part of this.”
Longwinded, but the blocking was certainly there on Sunday and their success on the ground early allowed New England to set up play action. For their longest play of the game (and the season) Mac Jones faked a hand off and hit tight end Pharoah Brown for a 58-yard touchdown in the second quarter. It was the turning point in the contest.
6
The Patriots played six offensive lineman on Sunday. After starting the season with a smorgashboard operation, this weekend’s unit included four out of five of their projected preseason starters. Here’s what they rolled out with at MetLife:
T - Trent Brown
LG - Cole Strange
C - David Andrews
RG - Cole Strange
RT - Vederian Lowe
Chalk with the first four, and then Vederian Lowe, who New England traded for at the end of August, got the start over Calvin Anderson at right tackle.
“He’s picked up things pretty quickly here,” Bill Belichick said when asked about Lowe’s performance on Monday. “He has a lot of experience at tackle. He works hard, and he’s getting better. He’ll get better each week as we get more familiarity and more fundamental work with the techniques.”
So where’s the number six come from? It’s rookie Atonio Mafi, who rotated in at right guard for Cole Strange in the fourth quarter after Strange re-aggravted his knee injury. A potential cause for concern, sure, but it also adds to the portfolio of Mafi, who has shown over the first three weeks that he’s exactly what the Patriots drafted him to be: a swing interior offensive lineman on a rookie deal who they can rely on in a pinch.
As for Strange, he was tended to by trainers on the sideline and looked like he was trying to get back into the game. I wouldn’t expect this to be long-term again.
92.4
After suffering a concussion in New England’s Week 1, tackle Trent Brown returned to quarterback Mac Jones’ blindside on Sunday and kept his quarterback’s jersey clean all night. He earned a PFF grade of 92.4 during the Patriots win - the highest among tackles on the day. The 6-foot-8 bookend took 30 pass blocking reps and allowed zero pressures. He was outstanding.
Brown spoke to the media on Monday afternoon and answered several questions about his contract adjustment and upcoming free agency, saying that he’s “just trying to play football, really. I’m controlling what I can control in the meantime, and if God sees fit for me to be elsewhere, that’s just what it is.”
The main takeaway from Browns comments, though? His support for his quarterback:
“As you can see, when [Mac] has time, he can be special.”
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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