Taking a closer look via video at three key Patriots plays from Sunday's win over the Jets, which include:
- Kendrick Bourne's TD pass to Nelson Agholor;
- Lawrence Guy and Christian Barmore stuffing the Jets;
- Patriots executing two pick plays.
1-10-NYJ 25 (12:49) (Shotgun) K.Bourne pass deep right to N.Agholor for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Backward pass from NE 10-Jones to NE 84- Bourne.
When it comes to offensive plays on the first drive of the game, most if not all of them are scripted — they're calling them regardless of down and distance, but with some flexibility (like being in 1st and 20 ... again). They are at least repped in practice more than other plays and there's a high level of confidence they are going to be executed properly.
For the Patriots' offense heading into this game, not even that has mattered. The Patriots have tossed in some complicated plays into the first drives of the season and ... they have not worked well.
That's why the execution on this play — a couple we'll go over in a minute — should bring some level of confidence to the unit. These plays need multiple players to do their job for this play to not be a trainwreck:
- Mike Onwenu has to cut the end. The play basically rests on this. He has to get the end on the ground for Jones to be able to throw the lateral to Bourne. Trust me, this has not gone well this season with other players, but Onwenu gets the job done well. Making this even more difficult is that the end is extended from the line, so Onwenu has to really get out there to cut him. Again, not easy and shows that he continues to be on his way to being a career tackle and not guard.
- Protection needs to hold up. Patriots go max protect with only three players outside the tackle box. Just this fact alone makes it mind-boggling the Jets didn't have someone deep to the right side of the field. Of course, good protection has not been a given on any plays this season.
- Agholor has to sell the fake run, and release at the right time. Agholor does a great job to engaging the CB and then tossing him to get those few extra steps.
- Bourne has to make a good throw against pressure. Not exactly sure how Bourne threw it over the defender, but he did it and the timing was perfect.
For this group to execute all this, it shows they are making substantial progress as far as execution.
3-2-NE 29 (2:11) (Shotgun) Mi.Carter up the middle to NE 28 for 1 yard (L.Guy).
4-1-NE 28 (2:00) T.Johnson up the middle to NE 28 for no gain (C.Barmore)
Nothing really all that fancy here, just Lawrence Guy and Christian Barmore both beating the bag out of Jets RG Greg Van Roten on almost the same plays to take points off the board and get the team the ball back before halftime,
I will say, I hate the guard tapping the center for the silent count for this very reason — Van Roten is obviously not ready to go on the snap. I wouldn't be surprised if the Patriots saw this on film and decided to kill that gap. If you're going to do that as an offense, you need more time for the guard to be set.
4-1-NYJ 35 (1:10) M.Jones pass short right to J.Meyers ran ob at NYJ 32 for 3 yards (M.Carter II).
3-3-NE 32 (10:31) (Shotgun) M.Jones pass short right to B.Bolden pushed ob at NYJ 48 for 20 yards (M.Maye)
Two more examples of great offensive execution, with bodes well for the offense in the future on plays that I've seen them screw up a ton in the past.
They're both pretty simple pick plays against man coverage. In the first, Agholor picks for Meyers. In the second, it's a different formation and personnel (Hunter Henry and Brandon Bolden) but it's essentially the same play from a different look.
Both Agholor and Henry have to make sure they don't purposely contact the defender outside the legal 1-yard zone, and they do a pretty good job (Henry pushes it). Henry does a nice job because those picks are almost read plays: you aren't sure what the defender is going to do, so you have to be ready to adjust and do it legally.
Not the most explosive of plays, but these keep the offense on the field and moving the chains — something the Patriots have struggled at for much of this season.