Team Grades: Offense Stalls, But Patriots Still Get Easy Win Over Titans
By Gregory Hunt
The New England Patriots took care of business at Gillette Stadium Sunday afternoon with a 33-16 win over the Tennessee Titans. That victory, combined with a 34-27 Denver Broncos loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers later in the day, means the Patriots have clinched a first-round bye for this season's AFC playoffs. With a 12-2 record, the Patriots currently hold the top position in the AFC, one game ahead of the 11-3 Cincinnati Bengals and two games ahead of the 10-4 Broncos.
Offense: C+
The 33 points on the scoreboard give the impression that the Patriots played a solid offensive game; but in reality the team scored only two offensive touchdowns, neither of which came in the final 40 minutes of the game. Quarterback Tom Brady completed his first seven passes, but from that point on he was only 16-for-28 (57.1 percent). Tight end Rob Gronkowski gained a modest 54 yards on five catches, although one of them was for a touchdown. Wide receiver Danny Amendola was a non-factor, catching only one pass for three yards before leaving the game with an apparent knee injury.
On the positive side, the Patriots got a productive day from their trio of running backs, veterans Brandon Bolden and James White, along with rookie Joey Iosefa, who made his NFL debut after getting promoted from the practice squad just days before. The three of them combined for 93 rushing yards and nine catches for 89 receiving yards and one touchdown. White turned a simple screen pass into a 30-yard touchdown reception, and Iosefa demonstrated an impressive ability to run through would-be tacklers.
Defense: B
Linebacker Jamie Collins had a big day, making four tackles including one sack on a delayed blitz. He also defended one pass and grabbed an interception on a tipped ball. Defensive end Chandler Jones performed nicely, getting two sacks include a strip sack where defensive end Akiem Hicks recovered the fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. Hicks also earned himself a sack, and the team made five sacks overall.
Cornerback Malcolm Butler had one of his best games of the season, making one interception and having another one negated by a holding penalty on cornerback Leonard Johnson. Butler also made an nice tackle on third down to keep a receiver one yard short of gaining a first down. On the next play, Tennessee's fourth-down rushing attempt was stuffed by safety Patrick Chung.
Cornerback Logan Ryan had a tough time covering Tennessee wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, who caught six passes for 113 yards. Green-Beckham made catches of 29 and 30 yards against Ryan. Tennessee tight end Delanie Walker made only two catches, but one of them was a 57-yard reception for a touchdown.
Special Teams: C
It was a rough day for kicker Stephen Gostkowski, who missed a field goal for only the second time this season when a 48-yard attempt went wide right. He did make four other field goals, but one of them glanced off an upright. The biggest special teams play of the game was a 75-yard kickoff return by wide receiver Keshawn Martin that set up New England's second touchdown. The worst play was a lost fumble by Amendola as he was tackled at the end of a punt return. Punter Ryan Allen had four punts, but none of them were downed inside the Tennessee 20-yard line.
Coaching: B+
Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia came up with some schemes that allowed New England to get pressure on the quarterback without blitzing very often. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels ran an offense with a running-back-by-committee that was surprisingly effective. Given the injuries the the New England running back corps, fans may see more of this committee in the coming weeks.
The Patriots will finish the regular season with road games against the New York Jets next week and the Miami Dolphins the following week. Regardless of what the Bengals do next week, a New England win over the Jets will clinch home field advantage for the Patriots in the AFC playoffs.
Gregory Hunt is a Boston native and a life-long fan of the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics. He's also particularly fond of lacrosse, IndyCar racing and women's college basketball. He currently works for Examiner.com where he serves as the Senior Manager of Content and Media Access. He also writes for Examiner.com as the New England Patriots Examiner. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
