Xs/Os: How the Patriots toughed out a Jets upset after losing Drake Maye

Thank God for the Jets.

Even at 2-6, saddled with all the challenges of a rebuild, the future of football still feels brighter in New England than it does in New Jersey.

On Sunday, the Patriots paused questions about their toughness with a memorable come-from-behind win that also nuked the Jets’ season. More than overcoming Drake Maye’s exit, the best part of the Pats’ upset upon further review was this: they beat their longtime rivals straight up.

They dared Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson to throw against them 1-on-1, calling their highest rate of man coverage this season. Offensively, they executed a run-heavy plan. And in the end, the Jets pushed back by harassing Jacoby Brissett with blitz after blitz during his final drive.

That drive, you’ll remember, ended with Rhamondre Stevenson punching in a 1-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal, the ultimate display of football toughness. This isn’t to say the Jets didn’t help along the way. The Patriots may not even get to the goal line if not for New York’s missed kicks, eight penalties and poor game management.

But the Pats won. And they won by out-toughing a more talented team, which must be their calling card, especially after trading one veteran away Monday with more deals potentially on the horizon ahead of next Tuesday’s trade deadline.

Relatedly, Sunday may have marked the start of a new phase this season. Every Patriots player to suit up played, a first this year and a rarity across the league. That included eight offensive snaps for seventh-round rookie tight end Jaheim Bell, and rookie Javon Baker making his debut on kick return after hardly practicing returns in training camp.

The Patriots’ stated goal is to get younger, develop their rookies and second-year players as they try to lay a foundation for the future. So how did that future look, sans Maye?

Here’s what the film revealed about the Patriots’ big win:

Drake Maye

3-of-6 for 23 yards, 46 rushing yards

Accurate throw percentage: 83.3%

Under pressure: 0-of-1, 29 rushing yards, sack

Against the blitz: 1-of-1, 11 yards

Behind the line: 1-of-1 for 9 yards

0-9 yards downfield: 2-of-2 for 14 yards

10-19 yards downfield: 0-of-1 (drop)

20+ yards downfield: 0-of-2 (drop)

Notes: It’s impossible to know how Maye would have played had he finished the game, but the quality of his start isn’t up for debate.

This was another strong – albeit brief – showing from the rookie.

Maye read the field with crystal clarity, both pre- and post-snap, and made only one iffy decision. He played decisively and delivered a spectacular, pinpoint deep ball to Tyquan Thornton while on the run, only to watch Thornton drop it. Maye made five accurate throws in six attempts, which he dotted all over the field.

His scrambles were an instant antidote to the Jets’ man-blitzes, a staple of their Week 3 game plan versus Brissett. Maye rushed twice for 29 yards when under pressure, including one blitz he burned for 11 yards. His 17-yard touchdown was another case of beating the Jets’ man-to-man coverage. After breaking through an undisciplined Jets pass rush, Maye only had a linebacker to beat and did, cruising toward a delirious crowd at more than 20 MPH.

Jacoby Brissett

15-of-24 for 132 yards, 11 rushing yards

Accurate throw percentage: 73.9%

Under pressure: 4-of-7 for 43 yards, sack

Against the blitz: 5-of-7 for 61 yards,14 rushing yards

Behind the line: 3-of-3 for 14 yards

0-9 yards downfield: 10-of-12 for 72 yards (drop)

10-19 yards downfield: 1-of-5 for 12 yards (drop)

20+ yards downfield: 1-of-3 for 34 yards

Notes: A typical Brissett performance with an atypical finish.

Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt reined in the offense once Brissett replaced Maye early in the second quarter, choosing to live off quick pass concepts and a run-heavy plan. But Van Pelt eventually needed his nine-year veteran to take control on that final drive, and Brissett did, despite a late Jets changeup.

The Jets blitzed Brissett four times on his last drive, matching the number of blitzes they had called against him in the entire game to date. Brissett hung tough in the pocket and overcame early misses (a low incompletion to Hunter Henry), before scrambling 14 yards past Haason Reddick to beat one third-down blitz and firing deep to Kayshon Boutte to defeat another. Those two plays powered Brissett’s best drive of the game (he had just one completion that covered 10-plus yards in the air before that Boutte completion).

.@JBrissett12 threading it to @KayshonBoutte1

: CBS pic.twitter.com/oAgSg7YsTS

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 27, 2024

Brissett remains a caretaker and not a playmaker; a quarterback who reflects his surrounding cast rather than elevates it. But the toughness and calm he showed can’t be discounted. Beating the blitz – to initially keep the Patriots out of bad plays and then create good ones – was the best thing he did all game, and exactly what the offense needed from him Sunday.

Otherwise, this was the same fringe starter fans felt frustrated watching earlier this season, with a few mistakes that included a botched hand-off in the deep red zone and a few predetermined reads in the second half.

Critical areas

Turnovers: Patriots 0, Jets 0

Explosive play rate: Patriots 8.0%, Jets 10.5%

Success rate: Patriots 43.5%, Jets 50.8%

Red-zone efficiency: Patriots 3-4, Jets 3-5

Defensive pressure rate: Patriots 31%, Jets 30.5%

Offense

Game plan

Personnel breakdown: 60% of snaps in 11 personnel, 30% of snaps in 12 personnel, 5% of snaps in 21 personnel, 3% of snaps in 13 personnel, 2% of snaps in jumbo personnel.***

Personnel production: 37.8% success rate in 11 personnel, 47% success rate in 12 personnel, 50% success rate in 13 personnel, 66% success rate in 21 personnel, 100% success rate in jumbo personnel.

First-down down play-calls: 60% run (33% success rate), 40% pass (30% success rate)

Play-action rate: 19.4%

The Patriots returned to their roots.

Van Pelt deployed multiple backs or tight ends on 12 of 17 first-quarter plays. He dialed up play-action on almost half of Maye’s pass attempts. This was the run-first, play-action-heavy offense Van Pelt was expected to bring with him from Cleveland.

Anticipating blitz pressure from the Jets, the Pats called multiple toss plays and a wham run on the opening snap, with backup offensive lineman Lecitus Smith played fullback. Eventually, Van Pelt’s plan morphed after Maye took his exit and all off-script playmaking with him. Between Maye’s last drive and Brissett’s game-winner the Patriots’ first-down run rate jumped to 76% before their final drive, a concerted effort to play more conservative.

Player stats

Broken tackles: RB Rhamondre Stevenson 7, QB Drake Maye 4, WR Tyquan Thornton, TE Austin Hooper

Pressure allowed: C Ben Brown 4 (2 sacks, 2 hurries), LT Vederian Lowe 3 (3 hurries), RT Demontrey Jacobs (QB hut, hurry), LG Michael Jordan (QB hit), Team (hurry)

Run stuffs allowed: Team 6

Drops: WR Kendrick Bourne 2, WR Kayshon Boutte, Thornton

Notes

• For the first time this season, the Patriots fielded an offensive line that already started together. It showed.
• The return of left tackle Vederian Lowe allowed the staff to move backup Demontrey Jacobs to the right tackle, his best position, and kick Mike Onwenu inside to right guard. Onwenu played one of his better games of the year, allowing zero pressures.
• Overall, the Pats allowed their lowest pressure rate of the season at 30.5% (which is still below average, but better). Unfortunately, their run-blocking took a nosedive, unable to reaching the Jets’ fast-flowing linebackers at the second level.
• Lucky for the O-line, Rhamondre Stevenson continued to miss tackles at a high rate, and averaged 2.95 yards per carry after contact, per Pro Football Focus. Like Drake Maye’s scrambles, Stevenson’s ability to create yards from nothing sustained their running game.
• On his final carry, Stevenson powered through missed blocks by Onwenu and Jacobs with a little help from left guard Michael Jordan who threw himself in front of would-be Jets tacklers. Jordan also got whistled for a holding penalty, but allowed just one pressure total.
• Once Maye left with his concussion, the Jets crowded the box more often and blitzed at a higher rate, unafraid of Jacoby Brissett beating them deep or with his legs.
• The Patriots’ inability to generate explosive plays with Brissett at the helm left them waiting for short fields, which thankfully arrived twice. Brissett and Co. converted on both occasions, no thanks to the receivers.
• Combined, the wideouts dropped as many passes as they caught until late in the fourth quarter. Kendrick Bourne had two, but Tyquan Thornton’s deep drop in the first quarter may have been the worst considering the yards it lost.
• Kayshon Boutte, who also committed one drop, atoned by adjusting late to Brissett’s 34-yard pass on the final drive. Aside from that catch, he, like most receivers, have trouble unsticking from man coverage.
• The Patriots completed fewer than 50% of their passes versus man-to-man, including a couple drops. Hunter Henry had a team-high two catches against man, and continues to be a pro’s pro with his effort and consistency.

Defense

Game plan

Personnel breakdown: 37% three-corner nickel, 33% base defense, 13% three-safety nickel, 13% dime, 4% dollar.****

Coverage breakdown: 61% man, 39% zone

Blitz rate: 1.6%

Blitz efficacy: 0% offensive success rate and 4 yards per play allowed

Stealing elements of past game plans against Aaron Rodgers, the Patriots kept it simple.

They played a season-high rate of man-to-man coverage. They shadowed Davante Adams with their No. 1 corner. They sent one blitz all game on the Jets’ 2-point conversion, but feigned pressure in critical situations. And they led Rodgers into the matchups he knew he would pick on; namely, Marcus Jones covering Garrett Wilson.

That matchup, the Patriots knew, would tempt Rodgers into repeated deep throws for Wilson, even though such passes are low-percentage plays. Overall, while Rodgers did plenty of damage throwing at Jones (113 passing yards), he had a couple misses the Pats were counting on. Keeping matchups in mind, Rodgers also turned to his running backs and tight ends in key situations (6.25 yards per attempt), which the Pats preferred over Wilson and Adams, two of the best receivers in football.

Overall, the plan won out. Rodgers finished 4-of-9 for 73 yards and a sack versus man-to-man in the second half. He completed just 50% of his passes overall against man coverage, excluding two defensive pass interference penalties.

Player stats

Pressure: DL Keion White 3 (QB hit, 2 hurries), DL Jaquelin Roy 2 (2 hurries), LB Christian Elliss (sack), DL Davon Godchaux (QB hit), LB Anfernee Jennings (QB hit), LB Jahlani Tavai (hurry)

Run stuffs: White, Tavai, Team

Pass deflections: CB Christian Gonzalez, DB Marcus Jones, Elliss

Missed tackles: S Jaylinn Hawkins 2, Gonzalez 2

Notes

• No turnovers. An allowed success rate north of 50%. An explosive play given up once every 10 plays. This wasn’t a shutdown performance, but it was good enough.
• So what was the big difference between losing to the Jaguars and upsetting the Jets? Physicality and discipline.
• The Patriots missed eight fewer tackles and punched back at the line of scrimmage, particularly in the second half when their pressure rate almost doubled and they allowed just 3.0 yards per carry.
• More often than not, Keion White, Anfernee Jennings and Deatrich Wise won on the edges, which curbed the Jets’ run game. All three finished among the Pats’ seven leading tacklers, and White led everyone with three pressures.
• Off-ball linebackers Jahlani Tavai and Christian Elliss were far more assignment sound than a week ago, too, plugging holes instead of overrunning plays or getting knocked over. Tavai tallied one run stuff.
• Elliss’ activity was crucial, not only against the run but in pass defense. He effectively forced two punts with big plays on third down: a sack of Rodgers in the fourth quarter and a completion he ripped away from Breece Hall in the first half.

• Their collected efforts helped offset another so-so showing from the defensive tackles, who got pushed around for stretches. It was a tough day of run defense for Jaquelin Roy, who otherwise had two pressures.
• Credit to safeties Jaylinn Hawkins, Marte Mapu and Dell Pettus for collectively replacing veteran Kyle Dugger, a late scratch. Hawkins dropped a pick playing free safety in the second half, while Mapu and Pettus both  played more than 15 snaps in the box.
• Mapu also worked the slot and played deep safety, where Jonathan Jones moonlighted around his regular snaps at corner. Jones logged just 30 snaps, with Marcus Jones replacing him outside as Garrett Wilson’s full-time shadow.
• Among defensive backs, Christian Gonzalez deserves all the shine. He didn’t allow a single catch to Davante Adams, and after a highly questionable flag on the Jets’ second series, batted away the only target he saw while shadowing Adams. Gonzalez dominated.
• On the other side, Marcus Jones took his medicine, allowing five catches for 113 yards and earning two penalties in the process.

Special teams

• The Patriots don’t win without Marcus Jones’ 62-yard punt return early in the third quarter. That set up a go-ahead Rhamondre Stevenson rushing touchdown, the Pats’ last before their final drive.
• Jones is a natural with the ball in his hands, but even he admitted post-game he couldn’t have managed such a return without key blocks. Backup running back JaMycal Hasty, a core special teamer, threw one such block and took out multiple Jets near the sideline.
• Another down day for the Patriots’ punt team, allowing a 40-yard return and downing just one of five punts inside the Jets’ 20.
• Rookie receiver Javon Baker made his kick return debut and covered 17 yards on his only return.
• The Jets’ special teams blunders can’t go without mention. Greg Zuerlein’s missed 43-yard field goal and extra point were huge breaks for the Patriots, who hit their own field goal after Zuerlein’s miss.

Studs

CB Christian Gonzalez

Zero catches allowed in man-to-man coverage. That’s a No. 1 cornerback.

TE Hunter Henry

Henry was near automatic, especially in critical situations. He had at least two more catches than every other Patriots pass-catcher.

LB Christian Elliss

Shaking off a rough starting debut last week, Elliss posted a team-high nine tackles, one sack and a pass breakup. That disruption helped end two Jets drives.

Duds

WR Kendrick Bourne

Three targets, two drops, zero catches. Brutal.

C Ben Brown

Brown arrived and instantly became the Patriots’ best offensive linemen, out-performing his line mates versus Houston and then Jacksonville. But Sunday, he was the worst of the bunch, allowing two sacks and four total pressures.

*Explosive plays are defined as runs of 12-plus yards and passes of 20-plus yards. 

**Success rate is an efficiency metric measuring how often an offense stays on schedule. A play is successful when it gains at least 40% of yards-to-go on first down, 60% of yards-to-go on second down and 100% of yards-to-go on third or fourth down.

***11 personnel = one running back, one tight end; 12 personnel = one running back, two tight ends; 13 personnel = one running back, three tight ends; 21 = two halfbacks, one tight end.

****Base defense = four defensive backs; nickel = five; dime = six; dollar = seven.