Phil Perry is back with another edition of Stock Watch after the Patriots’ Week 12 loss to the Giants
The Patriots have allowed 40 points total over their last three games. They've given up just 10 points in each of their last two. And yet they're 0-3 in that span and now 2-9 on the season.
It's been that kind of year in New England, where complementary football has been lacking since Week 1. Sunday's 10-7 loss to the Giants followed a familiar script, with the defense (mostly) locking up its opponent and the offense actively hurting the team's chances to win with head-scratching mistakes.
That script is reflected in our Week 12 Report Card, which features high marks on defense and very, very low marks elsewhere. To the grades...
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Quarterback: F
On the first pass play of the game, the Patriots botched the snap. A significant loss on the play was prevented only by a delay-of-game penalty. It was a harbinger of what was to come throughout the course of the remainder of the afternoon.
Mac Jones got the start -- something that some other offensive starters weren't sure would happen until Sunday -- and his best throw of the day might've been a four-yard completion on third down while under pressure. He threw one seemingly-accurate slant over the middle to DeVante Parker that was dropped, but Parker may have been expecting the ball elsewhere because Jones threw multiple slants in the game that were either late or thrown behind the intended target or both.
Jones' two interceptions were ugly. The first was squeezed into Demario Douglas on a two-man route concept with seven players in pass protection. On second down, Jones probably should've thrown the ball away to live to see another down.
His second pick might've been avoided had Douglas handled his route as if he were "hot" with a free rusher running right by him and into the backfield, but with Douglas turning his head around late, Jones should've simply eaten the ball and taken the sack. That was a third-down play, but the sack would've still given the Patriots a 49-yard field-goal try.
Jones seemingly was frustrated with Mike Gesicki on two occasions, with the tight end running similar routes in the flat that Jones seemed to think should have been fades along the sideline based on the coverage. On the second, Jones passed up a wide open Tyquan Thornton on a shallow cross to sail the football out of bounds. Jones also fumbled on a third-down late in the first half, which hurt this grade.
Bailey Zappe gave the Patriots some life in his first drive of the game to start the second half. He hit a checkdown for five yards after having to reset his feet due to pressure, and he used a lower arm angle to find Thornton for a 15-yard screen. Those qualified as highlights.
His pick looked much like Jones' first, targeting JuJu Smith-Schuster despite a safety crashing down on the route. He nearly threw two more picks -- one to a defensive end who sniffed out one of several throws at or behind the line of scrimmage, and another to a linebacker who saw an in-cut coming -- which lowered this mark.
Running back: A-
For the second consecutive week, this group averaged nearly five yards per carry thanks in large part to some hard-charging running. Rhamondre Stevenson continues to look strong, grinding out 98 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries (4.7 per carry). His 13-yard run to start the third quarter was one of his hardest runs of the season. He had another 13-yarder late in the game on an inside-zone run that saw him refuse to stop churning his legs.
Ezekiel Elliott got a much lighter workload but was productive as well with 46 yards on nine carries (5.1 per carry). His second-down run for six yards in the first quarter was aggressive. His 13-yarder on a "split-flow" zone carry in the third quarter had him feeling good, too.
Hard to give this unit a straight "A" based on a Ty Montgomery drop and just 15 yards receiving on seven catches, but still a strong day nonetheless.
Wide receiver: B-
This might've been one of the better games of the season for this unit.
DeVante Parker ripped off a 19-yard screen early in the game. He also picked up 17 yards on a pass thrown behind him over the middle. Pop Douglas picked up 14 on a screen later in the first quarter and gobbled up nine yards in a third-and-6 spot in the third. Even Tyquan Thornton got into the mix on a 15-yard catch-and-run screen from Bailey Zappe that helped set up the only touchdown of the day for the Patriots.
It was far from perfect, however. Parker dropped a slant. Douglas didn't seem to know he was "hot" on one Giants pressure that resulted in a poor Mac Jones throw that was picked off. Thornton almost ran into Stevenson during a scramble drill situation that led to a sack.
But 128 yards receiving, for this group, in a game where the Patriots almost refused to throw the ball down the field -- New England's average completed air yards figure was -0.4, per Next Gen Stats -- suffices as above average.
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Tight end: C-
This unit gave the Patriots nothing in the passing game. Mike Gesicki was targeted twice -- the only two targets for the position on Sunday -- and both plays went down as some of the latest examples of miscommunication in the Patriots' passing game.
Did Mac Jones believe that Gesicki's route should be taken up the sideline in both instances? Felt that way. Jones gestured to the sideline after the first and later found Gesicki to talk it over.
Hunter Henry and Pharaoh Brown's work in the run game elevates this grade. Both players were used on "wham" and "split-flow" inside zone calls, getting on the move to take care of unblocked defenders both on the interior and on the backside edge of the defense.
Early in the fourth quarter, Brown took linebacker Micah McFadden for a long ride against his will. In a lost season, that was the kind of impressive effort that could encourage the Patriots to make a commitment to Brown beyond this season.
Offensive line: B-
The Patriots' issues are not in the running game right now. Outside of one Thornton end-around run that went for three yards, Elliott and Stevenson averaged 4.8 yards per attempt. And in the screen game, this unit has the ability to get out on the move -- as they showed on the first play of their second drive, helping to spring Parker for 19 yards.
It wasn't always pretty. They allowed two sacks and multiple other pressures that Jones and Zappe had to try to side-step. Cole Strange seemed to miss a block on Jones' first pick that was picked up by Stevenson but altered Jones' footwork. And there weren't all that many straight drop-backs for the line to protect for an extended period.
But this unit still appears to be giving good effort -- Trent Brown didn't start but played through injury and hung in -- and has had multiple consecutive weeks of being able to push around an opposing defense in the running game.
Special teams: F
Chad Ryland's missed chip shot to lose the game. A muffed punt in the first quarter. A declined delay-of-game penalty during a punt from the New York 37-yard line. A 40-yard punt by Bryce Baringer when a bomb would've been preferred. An unnecessary-roughness call on Keion White during a punt return.
This doesn't include the Douglas fumble, since he was clotheslined and suffered a head injury in the fourth quarter. But there was enough in the way of bad special-teams play in the first half alone to warrant a rough grade. Ryland's miss dropped it to as low as it could go.
Defensive line: A
Another week, another lock-down performance against an opposing team's running game. Saquon Barkley had just 46 yards on 12 carries (3.8 yards per attempt) and Matt Breida chipped in with just six yards on two carries.
Davon Godchaux had four tackles while holding up well along the interior. Christian Barmore checked in with a sack and a pass breakup on third down to force a Giants punt. Keion White, meanwhile, had one of his most productive games of the year with a sack and five total tackles. Deatrich Wise was in on a sack as well.
Running game... Passing game... This unit was right where it was supposed to be for the vast majority of this game and deserved to make the honor roll for the week.
Linebacker: A-
To hold a team to 3.1 yards per attempt on the ground is one thing. But between Anfernee Jennings (in on two sacks), Ja'Whaun Bentley (sack) and Jahlani Tavai (one tackle for loss), this unit also came up with some explosive plays to help a bad Giants offense struggle.
New York went just 4-for-13 on third down with Tommy DeVito behind center, and as a team the Giants averaged only 4.4 yards per play. One of the few drawbacks to the way this group functioned Sunday was that Josh Uche played just 18 snaps and did not register in the box score.
Secondary: C-
Jabrill Peppers did what he could to bolster this unit's grade with an early fumble recovery and a dominant pass-rush rep that led to a sack. Kyle Dugger showed up with a hard-hitting run-stuff. And Myles Bryant had two tackles for losses.
But both in coverage and in the tackling category, this group was lacking. J.C. Jackson missed a tackle during a third-and-8 situation that helped extend the lone Giants touchdown drive. Jonathan Jones missed a tackle later on the same drive that led to the score.
Jackson also had issues in coverage with receiver Jalin Hyatt deep down the field, as the rookie finished with 109 yards on five catches.
