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The Patriots beat the Falcons, but they made it more difficult than necessary
Can’t learn from mistakes unless you make a few, right?
Welcome to the Unconventional Review, an instant reaction to standouts, stats, and story lines from the Patriots’ most recent game …
Here’s something that can be said, with a long exhale, only after the Patriots hang on for a more-difficult-than-necessary win.
Can’t learn from mistakes unless you make a few, right?
Actually, Mike Vrabel — whose patience with his mostly young team has turned out to be a surprising and admirable attribute — put that sentiment perfectly after the 24-23 victory over the Falcons on Sunday.
“We’re going to learn from winning,” said Vrabel, “so that we don’t have to learn from losing.”
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The victory was the Patriots’ sixth in a row, and the outcome makes it much easier to accept their sloppiest performance since the five-turnover Week 3 loss to the Steelers.
Drake Maye fumbled twice, losing one when the ball was poked from his grasp, and threw an interception after one of several miscommunications with a receiving target.
The Patriots scored just 3 points after halftime, and needed good fortune (former Patriot Parker Romo’s missed extra point that would have tied the game at 24) and a show of fortitude (Maye’s 17-yard completion to Hunter Henry on third and 5 to ice the game with 1:42 left) to lock down the win.
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Maye (who finished 19 of 29 for 259 yards, a pair of TD passes, and the pick while dueling erratic fellow 2024 first-rounder Michael Penix) made the most important play when his team needed it most. That’s a great thing. Coming through in that spot will benefit Maye and his teammates when they face similar situations in the future.
Some further thoughts, upon immediate review …
Three players who were worth watching
Players suggested in the Unconventional Preview: Christian Gonzalez, Bijan Robinson, Jaylinn Hawkins.
DeMario Douglas: Talk about seizing your opportunities and being rewarded for patience. Douglas, through the Patriots’ first five games, had just seven receptions for 30 yards, an average of 4.3 yards per catch, which is fine for a running back but almost unheard of for a speedy receiver. In the four games since, Douglas has 11 catches for 232 yards and a pair of touchdowns. In that span, he has raised his per-catch average by more than 10 yards, to 14.6.
Douglas’s four-catch, 100-yard performance Sunday was the finest of his career. He scored the game’s first touchdown on the Patriots’ opening possession, catching a perfect Maye throw for a 17-yard score. But his biggest play came midway through the second quarter, when on a third and 7 from the Patriots 31, he hauled in a Maye dart at the Falcons 40 and juked and weaved his way to the 11-yard line. The 58-yard hookup was the longest completion of Maye’s career, and Douglas’s longest reception, topping his 53-yarder against the Saints.
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Milton Williams: The Patriots’ stalwart defensive tackle didn’t have a huge statistical game, with just two tackles and no sacks. But Williams did force a crucial Falcons mistake. He burst through the offensive line with just over two minutes remaining in the game, forcing Penix to panic and chuck the ball at his feet, drawing an intentional grounding penalty. The Falcons ended up punting and never got the ball back. Williams also anchored a defense that bottled up Falcons star running back Bijan Robinson, holding him to 46 yards on 12 carries. The Patriots have not allowed a 50-yard rusher this season.
Drake London: Meet the reason the Falcons were in the game. The lanky receiver hauled in nine of 14 targets for 118 yards and three dazzling touchdowns, and he was so dominant that those statistics seem to be shortchanging him a bit.
The Falcons took advantage of the height mismatch whenever Marcus Jones was isolated in coverage — London beat him for a 1-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and a 2-yarder late in the second quarter to cut the Patriots lead to 21-14. But he also beat Carlton Davis for an 8-yard touchdown on fourth and goal for the Falcons’ final points at 4:40 of the fourth quarter. He even had success during an entertaining duel with Christian Gonzalez, including a 40-yard grab in which London landed on the star cornerback and knocked him from the game in the fourth quarter.
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Grievance of the game
For the second straight week, Maye was sacked six times — LaCale London, Jalon Walker, and Brandon Dorius each had two — which brings his season total to 34. For context, Tom Brady was sacked more than 34 times in a full season just four times during his Patriots career, with a high of 41 in 2001, his first year as a starter, of course.
Last week was somewhat acceptable given that human cyclone Myles Garrett collected five of the Browns’ half-dozen, but the Patriots are trending the wrong way in terms of protecting their franchise quarterback. Maye was sacked just six times total in the wins over the Panthers, Bills, and Saints.
Three notes scribbled in the margins
Predicted final score: Patriots 33, Falcons 16.
Final score: Patriots 24, Falcons 23.
The Patriots broke their habit of allowing points on an opponent’s first possession, forcing the Falcons to go three and out to open the game. K’Lavon Chaisson made the key play on the possession, sacking Penix for a 4-yard loss on second and 8 at the Falcons 34. The sack turned out to be the only one the Patriots had on the afternoon. Chaisson has been a find and Harold Landry has been steady, but another pass rusher would be a welcome addition before Tuesday’s trade deadline … Rookie running back and practice squad graduate Terrell Jennings scored the first touchdown of his NFL career with a 3-yard run in the second quarter, putting the Patriots up, 14-7. His TD immediately followed an impressive 11-yard blast up the middle. Jennings (11 carries, 35 yards) and TreVeyon Henderson (14 carries, 55 yards, plus another 32 yards on four receptions) kept the Falcons defense honest in Rhamondre Stevenson’s absence … I think we’re all in agreement now, if we weren’t weeks ago. Yep, the Patriots kept the right kicker.
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