Gold Stars, Penalty Flags: Iosefa Goes From Practice Squad To Key Contributor
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots clinched a first round bye on Sunday thanks to their 33-16 win over the Tennessee Titans.
It's a remarkable accomplishment when you consider the amount of injuries the team has overcome, and still remain a dominant force in the AFC. Here are your Gold Stars and Penalty Flags from Sunday's win.
Gold Stars
- Joey Iosefa gets a gold star. Where do the Pats find these guys??? It seems like they can pluck anyone from the practice squad and have them go out and truck someone on the game day field. Iosefa's 15 yard run, where he blew up Coty Sensabaugh, was one of the lasting images of the weekend.
The rookie out of Hawaii also quietly helped out at fullback, something the Pats desperately need. He's not a quick fix for James Develin, but he's another guy off the scrap heap that the team can now count on.
- Akiem Hicks gets a gold star. Whenever a big man gets a fumble recovery for a touchdown, he's going to get a star. Hicks has done more than that. He's routinely put pressure on the quarterback and he's become a main cog in the middle of that defensive line. Sure, Chandler Jones got the party started, but Hicks finished the deal and put points on the board.
- Keshawn Martin gets a gold star. He's giving the Pats a solid option at receiver and this weekend he almost broke one in the kicking game for a touchdown. The Pats need to get something going in their return game and he helped with a 75-yard run. As much as the Patriots special teams has taken a hit recently, that was a welcomed sight.
Penalty Flags
- Stephen Gostkowski gets a penalty flag. It's hard to criticize Gostkowski this season but he missed a long field goal and banked in another. That's not like him. He's usually automatic. I don't think it's a concern but he didn't end the game with flying colors.
- OPI gets a penalty flag. The refs have no idea what offensive pass interference is and the call they made in Martin that negated a big play by James White got them an earful. They were dead wrong and Tom Brady and Bill Belichick let them have it. There is just no consistency with this call. The Pats have been called for this so many times that they don't even fight jams at the line anymore. Martin was engaged by the defender, slipped the containment and went on his route. That call was garbage.
