Giardi: Mike's Musings on the trade deadline; plus, an unheralded player stars in Sunday's win

We are just hours away from the NFL's Tuesday 4 PM trade deadline. If anything happens, we will have it covered here. As of the writing of this week's Mike's Musings, the Patriots remain active, looking to make a deal or two that can address areas of concern: pass rush and RB depth, primarily. One league source told me Vrabel and company have also kicked the tires at wide receiver. That would make sense if a) Kayshon Boutte's hamstring is not a short-term issue (and I have no insight on that other than what Vrabel provided Monday) and/or b) the team is ready to shelve the Kyle Williams project for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. I was also told there has been some conversation league-wide that Tennessee might be unwilling to make deals with New England because the owner, Amy Adams Strunk, continues to think too much about how things ended with Vrabel and is not inclined to help his new team. We'll find out soon enough with the likes of edge Arden Key, RB Tony Pollard, and even WR Calvin Ridley available. Onto Musings...

THUMBS UP

I have been impressed by the maturity and professionalism shown by Pop Douglas. To play just hours after learning his uncle had been shot and killed, and then to have his first career 100-yard game (on just 16 snaps), wow. Just, wow.

"I wish I had known," Vrabel said on Monday. "Credit to Pop, he was like, 'I just didn't want to be a distraction, Coach.' So, it kind of breaks my heart a little bit that he had to wear that on his heart and in his mind until after the game. We'll continue to support him every chance that we get, his family and our condolences to them. Pop is just one example of many that exhibit the type of camaraderie and togetherness that we want to create. He's always got a smile on his face. He'll do whatever you ask him to do." Douglas is finally showing the explosiveness we saw consistently in training camp, when the Pats accessed him at all three levels. 

There was one player who consistently showed up as a pass rusher against Atlanta, and that was Milton Williams. His quickness is undeniable, and I had him for 5 pressures (and debated a 6th). Williams' motor is constantly revving, and his ability to move laterally against the Falcons' outside zone runs and screen game is proof that, in year one, this has been money well spent.

I know he surrendered two touchdowns in unfavorable matchups, but Marcus Jones deserves to be here because of how relentless he is as a run defender. There are countless examples of Jones attacking gaps and either taking down Bijan Robinson solo or being part of a gang-tackling group that has yet to surrender the opposing team's primary ball carrier 50 yards rushing in a game. I do wonder if his body can withstand this type of punishment, but there's a reason the Pats paid Jones. He's a gamer.

Jack Westover is becoming a good fullback before our very eyes. He played a career-high 42 snaps and had a handful of plus blocks, including on the 12-yard run by Terrell Jennings and on the very next play when Jennings scored his first NFL TD. Westover also took some snaps at tight end ahead of Austin Hooper (Hooper may have been nicked up). 

The Pats may be looking for an upgrade at running back, but Jennings did what was asked of him against the Falcons. He had several dirty runs and didn't have a negative play. On a handful of Jennings' carries, there was no movement up front, and he burrowed his way for a yard or three. 

THUMBS DOWN

Mike Onwenu has played a lot of football over the years, but his inability to handle two-man stunts with Morgan Moses is maddening. The biggest fail happened right before the half - the 24-yard sack/fumble of Drake Maye. That play changed the game. Maye has to do a better job protecting the ball  - one hand, Drake? - but Jalon Walker was an unimpeded freight train through Onwenu's gap. There was another failed pickup against a two-man game that led to another sack. At this stage of the season, with all that experience, this shouldn't be a weekly thing, and yet it is.

Maye now has 7 fumbles this season. He also threw an interception. He was also responsible for three of the six sacks he recorded. That tempered another really good day throwing the football, especially in the first half (+16% CPOE/completion percentage over expected). The touch and placement on the Pop touchdown was perfect. Maye's third-down completion to Hunter Henry on the Pats' second scoring drive was also clinical, moving away from pressure off his left side then throwing a dart to the tight end in the tightest of windows for a chain-mover. 

The Pats are having more and more issues pass protecting, and it goes beyond Maye's responsibility for some of those sacks. I charged every single lineman with at least two pressures/hits/sacks, and there were a few other occasions where the quarterback had to navigate muddy pockets. That group faces another big test this weekend in Tampa.

I might get some pushback from those within the walls at One Patriot Place, but TreVeyon Henderson is still having all kinds of problems in pass protection. I had him down for a couple of pressures, including one where he belly flopped, and another where he was on roller skates and dumped in Maye's lap. Rhamondre Stevenson, hurry back.

Interim defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr needs to reassess the way the Pats play coverage in the low red area. The Falcons became the latest in a long line of teams that have been clued in to the Pats' bumping their man coverage, and in doing so, left 5'8" Marcus Jones trying to cover 6'5" Drake London on the first touchdown (I don't believe they were in the same coverage on the 2nd London TD). The Bills did this to NE earlier in the year, and I'd bet the Bucs will be all over this should the situation present itself.

A pass rush pressure rate of just over 20% is not good enough. I wrote about this yesterday. I feel no better about it today, and neither should the Pats. K'Lavon Chaisson was a house of fire on the first couple of drives, then went quiet. Christian Barmore was a non-factor. In the 4th quarter, on a critical drive, the Pats had Anfernee Jennings and Elijah Ponder out there trying to rush off the edge. It went about as well as you would think it would. This group needs help.