"Today, tell the truth," said Jaylinn Hawkins. "Look in the mirror day. Clean that up, first and foremost, before we move on. And as soon as we're done with the tape, flush it."
That's how the Patriots approach film study on Monday, and while Hawkins was specifically referencing the players, that message also holds for the coaching staff. Their debut together was less-than-stellar and contributed to the 20-13 loss.
Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly put first-time Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams in a blender at points in the second half. With the score 14-10, Vegas, the Pats began a drive in their base defense - a rarity at that point. Geno Smith quickly hit tight end Michael Mayer coming out of the backfield for 11 yards. The Pats stayed with that same group for the next snap, this time lining up in 5-2. Christian Elliss delayed to see if Ashton Jeanty was activated as a receiver, and when it was clear he wouldn't, attacked. That left three defenders to deal with a tightly bunched trips set on the opposite side, including the other linebacker, Robert Spillane, on Mayer. Mayer created enough traffic to successfully run Spillane into Hawkins, creating a massive void for Brock Bowers on an in-breaking route. That play went for 38 yards, pushing the Raiders into Pats territory and leading to another three points.
On the ensuing possession, the Pats once again broke out their base defense. I can't help but think Kelly and Smith smiled and said, "Let's attack.' And they did, attacking zone coverage on Carlton Davis' side for a 27-yard gain. The Pats went back to their small nickel and surrendered runs of six, five, and four yards, respectively, once again setting up another field goal.
There was also Williams' over-reliance on the blitz. Not that it was all bad. They affected Smith for stretches in the opening half with some borderline diabolical pressures. In fact, the Raiders had just 10 total yards on the first eight blitzes in the opening half. But living in that world against Smith is unwise. There are very few quarterbacks in this league who are willing to take risks like the veteran, and that approach helped lead to a league-high in explosive plays for Week 1 (9). The next closest team had 7. In total, the Pats blitzed on 43% of the snaps. Too much for my liking.
Meanwhile, unlike Kelly and the Raiders, the Pats decided to punt on the run game after the first half. For a team that didn't want to overload Drake Maye and play complementary and balanced football, that choice didn't jibe. Yes, Vrabel was right in that those runs were their "best" plays, but Vegas could say the same, and they had some effective if not explosive runs in the second half (as detailed above).
Finally, there was Vrabel's decision in the 4th quarter to punt on 4th and 10 near midfield, trailing by 10 points. In my view, it was the right decision at the time. Left tackle Will Campbell seemed to be melting down, allowing a strip sack and then false-starting when the team lined up on 4th and five to go for it. But then a) Bryce Baringer turned into Shankapotamus Rex, hitting a terrible punt that traveled 21 yards, and b) Davis fell for a double move on 3rd and 20, allowing an inexcusable 36-yard completion to rookie Dont'e Thornton. Inexcusable, and for all intents and purposes, the ball game.
THUMBS UP, THUMBS DOWN
Thumbs down for Maye. There were more plays to be made, and the second-year QB left too much meat on the bone. I will not overreact to one game, but
Maye's inability to pull the trigger on several occasions made me wonder if there's just too much going on in his head. He's got new voices in his ear - Vrabel, Josh McDaniels, QB coach Ashton Grant - and this was their first real game together. I counted 14 poor throws/decisions/inaccuracies. That's a big number, even on 46 attempts.
Thumbs up for Alex Austin. He got the start in Christian Gonzalez's absence and looked like the same guy we saw this summer. He's a starter in this league, and his development is massive for a team whose top three corners are all injury concerns (Gonzalez, Davis, and Marcus Jones).
Thumbs up for Kayshon Boutte. After getting called out by Vrabel for not being in the best shape this spring, Boutte came back this summer and looked as lean as we've ever seen him. He had a damn good camp and then recorded his second straight 100-yard game (6 rec, 103 yds). The trust Maye has in him, and Boutte's ability on tight-window throws, is a sight to behold.
Thumbs up for Harold Landry. The edge rusher says this is the fastest he's ever felt, and it's hard to argue with him. 2.5 sacks, and 5.5 total pressure by my count. The Raiders devoted a lot of attention to him as well.
Thumbs down for Baringer. That kick was gross, and it continues a pattern with him dating back to last year, where in the biggest moments he came up his smallest.
Thumbs down for Mike Onwenu. He and Morgan Moses didn't pick up the stunt on Maye's lone interception, and the hit the quarterback took on that play came off the big guard. Onwenu also struggled at times with power, and baby, if he can't anchor down, that's going to be a big problem.
Thumbs down for Jared Wilson. Adam Butler tortured him in the second half. I like Adam Butler, but let's be realistic, he's on the lower end of the players Wilson will face this season. After reviewing the pressures, I reduced them from 6 to 5, but that's still too many.
Thumbs up for Garrett Bradbury. No pressures. Based on his work as a pass blocker last year, I would have never guessed how the opener would play.
POWER RANKINGS
Bonus treat for you kiddos. The "You've never seen this anywhere at any time" power rankings. This is why you come to me. I am on the cutting edge...
1. Philadelphia - not perfect in the opener, but they are the top dog until proven otherwise.
2. Buffalo - McDermott's got to fix that defense, and I don't know if they have the personnel to do it, but Josh Allen is a freak of nature.
3. Baltimore (0-1) - Brutal loss. But the trio of Jackson, Henry, and Flowers was awesome (even with the Henry fumble)
4. Green Bay (1-0) - Most impressive win in week one.
5. Tampa Bay (1-0) - Overcame a weird day by Mayfield to see their QB come up big in the biggest moments.
6. Washington (1-0) - Didn't play its best and still steamrolled the G-Men.
7. LA Rams (1-0) - Defense was a thorn in the Texans' side all day.
8. Minnesota (1-0) - Don't doubt the clout of the O'Connell/Flores combo.
9. Denver (1-0) - Bo Nix didn't look particularly good, but that Vance Joseph defense sure did its job.
10. Kansas City (0-1) - They looked old and slow in the opener. The only reason I have them here is out of respect to Reid and Mahomes.
Bottom Dwellers
28. NY Giants (0-1) - The GMen became a sleeper pick this summer. Then they played a game for real, and Russell Wilson looked like he did late last year, which is to say, cooked.
29. New Orleans (0-1) - They didn't look as terrible as I thought.
30. Tennessee (0-1) - Brian Callahan didn't challenge a critical incomplete pass that, based on the rules, was complete. Not only that, but when asked about it, he clearly didn't know the rules. Gulp.
31. Carolina (0-1) - Bryce Young and all those good vibes were washed away in the opener. He threw two picks and fumbled. No bueno.
32. Miami (0-1) - They got torched by Daniel Jones. Enough said.