Breaking down four key sequences from the Patriots' victory over the Falcons, mostly through video analysis, including:
• The 58-yard pass to Demario Douglas, a play Josh McDaniels came back to after just missing earlier;
• The strip/sack fumble of Drake Maye that changed the game;
• Maye rebounding from another sack to complete a ridiculous pass on 3rd and 12;
• Jack Gibbens ruining a potentially great screen, and the Falcons lying about a simulated snap on the grounding penalty.
3-7-NE 31 (6:19) (Shotgun) D.Maye pass deep left to D.Douglas to ATL 11 for 58 yards (M.Hughes).
Josh McDaniels and the Patriots love this play, which features a nod at the top of the route to put the safety in a twist, and then running to the flag. They tried it earlier in the end zone, got the safety to bite, but Robert Alford made a great play. McDaniels came back to it with more max protection — everything he does on shot plays starts with how to protect it — and features three wide open receivers: Douglas, Stefon Diggs and Hunter Henry late. Diggs might have been more open than Douglas. But it started with great protection.
1-10-50 (:32) (Shotgun) D.Maye sacked at NE 38 for -12 yards (J.Walker). FUMBLES (J.Walker) [J.Walker], RECOVERED by ATL-J.Pearce at NE 33. J.Pearce to NE 6 for 27 yards (W.Campbell).
Just had to look at it because it was so big. Patriots again max protected, which makes Mike Onwenu's overset on the game even more puzzling. Drake Maye didn't stand a chance, but he needs to just eat this and be content to start the second half with the ball. Even if this was protected, Maye wasn't going to have anything. The Falcons showed blitz but backed out, and everything was well covered.
1-10-NE 36 (12:43) (Shotgun) D.Maye sacked at NE 34 for -2 yards (B.Dorlus).
2-12-NE 34 (12:02) (Shotgun) D.Maye pass incomplete short middle to H.Henry.
3-12-NE 34 (11:58) (Shotgun) D.Maye pass deep right to S.Diggs pushed ob at ATL 45 for 21 yards (J.Bates).
One of the biggest sequences of the game, and what Maye did on 3rd and 12 is the biggest reason why I'm not worried about his second-half struggles lingering into the Bucs game.
On first down, TreVeyon Henderson whiffed again in pass protection, and split this sack with Will Campbell, who was beaten on a spin move.
On second down, Maye was a little late and off-line to Henry due to his little hitch and elongated motion that only now shows up when he's tentative/unsure on a read.
But Maye made up for all of it by stepping up in the pocket and delivering a perfect ball to Stefon Diggs (great catch) on 3rd and 12.
The Patriots didn't score, but that conversion allowed them to flip field position (Falcons would start the next drive at their 15).
1-10-NE 48 (2:13) (Shotgun) M.Penix pass incomplete short left.
2-10-NE 48 (2:09) (Shotgun) M.Penix pass incomplete short middle. PENALTY on ATL-M.Penix, Intentional Grounding, 10 yards, enforced at NE 48.
3-20-ATL 42 (2:07) (Shotgun) M.Penix pass incomplete deep right to D.Sills.
Jack Gibbens made a great play to find Bijan Robinson and stay velcroed to him to ruin a screen that appeared to be set up for a big play.
The Falcons made some noise after the game by claiming the Patriots simulated their snap count, leading to an enormous grounding penalty that basically determined the game.
Q: We heard on the grounding play that they were clapping and Ryan [Neuzil] thought it was your clap. Walk us through that whole thing.
Penix: Yeah, supposedly they were clapping. For us, whenever I’m clapping, that means I want the ball. Neuz [Ryan Neuzil] said he heard them clapping, he thought it was my clap and he snapped the ball. I threw the ball in KP [Kyle Pitts]’s direction. He had just released on a route, so I thought I was going to be okay with the grounding part, but obviously that wasn’t the case.
Maybe Penix is talking about clapping to beat the playclock, but that wasn't a factor here. The Falcons don't use clapping on a normal snap. They use a silent snap count where Penix lifts his left leg to signal the left guard, who then taps the center, which you can see on the first down play. On the play in question, the LG is looking, but the center snaps it before the LG touches him. Their explanation makes no sense.