Patriots stock watch: Who stood out and struggled in a wild win against Miami
Drake Maye's stock is up after an efficient performance leads to a close divisional win.
Mike Vrabel’s first win as Patriots head coach came on a bizarre Sunday in Miami that featured back-to-back special teams touchdowns, a late surge by the Patriots’ pass-rush, and flashes of potential from Drake Maye.
The Patriots prevailed 33-27, stealing a divisional win on the road against the Dolphins.
Marte Mapu snagged an interception. Rhamondre Stevenson had a very productive day. Andy Borregales found redemption after missing a pair of extra points.
Here’s who stood out and struggled during the Patriots’ victory.
Stock up
QB Drake Maye
Maye looked way more comfortable this week than last week. The jitteriness and high throws were gone. He got his share of layups early and used his running ability to compliment his solid decision-making on throws.
He scooted away from ex-Patriot Matthew Judon for a touchdown run. He hit Kayshon Boutte for a 16-yard touchdown pass, and also got Mack Hollins involved for his first Patriots touchdown.
Maye spread the ball around efficiently and effectively, finishing the game 19-of-23 for 230 passing yards, all without a turnover.
DT Milton Williams
Williams clinched the win, sacking Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on 4th-and-12 with less than a minute to go.
The Patriots went with a four-man rush, and Williams got home, bursting right up the middle for a sack.
It was his second sack of the game, and it came when the Patriots needed it most. New England’s $104 million man delivered with a divisional game on the line.
RB Rhamondre Stevenson
Stevenson led the team in rushing yards and receiving yards.
He ran with power and aggression, helping the Patriots establish the run early which led to a more balanced offensive attack.
He also hauled in a 56-yard catch from Maye, marking the most explosive play of the day from the Patriots’ offense.
RB Antonio Gibson
Gibson showed off his speed during what was, perhaps, the wildest sequence of the game.
The very next play after Miami’s Malik Washington run a 74-yard punt return back for a touchdown, Gibson took off for a 90-yard kick return touchdown of his own.
Gibson has been impactful in the return game, and he got more touches on offense this week too. He only had one carry in the opener and showed today what he can do with more opportunities.
Stock Flat
WR Kayshon Boutte
Boutte had a spectacular diving grab on the touchdown in the first quarter, but he was pretty much invisible for the rest of the game.
It was his only target on Sunday, and he made the most of it by putting points on the board.
After a 103-yard performance in Week 1, more was expected out of Boutte in Week 2. But, the touchdown grab was a difference-maker in a close game.
LB K’Lavon Chaisson
Chaisson had a sack, but he also got whistled for a couple of penalties.
It was the first full sack of the year for the former first-round pick. It was, for the most part, a quiet day for the Patriots’ pass-rush until the end.
Every bit of pressure helps, and Chaisson got to the quarterback on a big play.
K Andy Borregales
Borregales got off to a rough start at Hard Rock Stadium, where he played his college games at Miami. He missed two extra point attempts in the first quarter, making what should have been a 14-0 Patriots lead a smaller 12-0 advantage instead.
He nailed his only field-goal attempt, but this marks the second week in a row he has missed a chip shot.
However, Borregales gets credit for nailing a 53-yard field-goal with 1:47 remaining that put the Patriots up by six.
Stock Down
Brenden Schooler and Charles Woods
The Patriots just can’t afford multiple missed tackles on special teams, and Malik Washington broke three on the same play.
Brenden Schooler, the Patriots’ special teams ace, was the first to reach Washington. He lunged forward, but the returner was able to bounce off and spin away. The angle that Woods took in his pursuit of Washington left a whole lot of green space open. Woods dove at Washington’s legs but couldn’t wrap him up and Washington was off to the races.
Gibson’s return erased the deficit that Washington’s touchdown caused, but those missed tackles almost led to disaster for New England.
CB Alex Austin
Christian Gonzalez’s absence was noticeable on Sunday. Tagovailoa had his share of mistakes, but for the most part, he carved up the Patriots’ defense.
Austin was in coverage on Miami’s first touchdown, an 18-yarder where Jaylen Waddle appeared to have a couple of steps on him. Tyreek Hill snagged a 47-yarder with Austin in the vicinity.
DT Christian Barmore
Barmore had just one tackle, which happened to be a tackle for loss. It was a quiet day by his standards.
Tagovailoa had time to throw, completing 26 of his 32 passing attempts for 315 yards and a pair of touchdowns against one interception.
The defense did a good job bottling up the run, and Barmore was a part of that. But his name wasn’t called much today and that’s generally not a good thing for a player of his caliber.
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