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For all the issues with the New England Patriots of their season-opening, 20-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, none is extra necessary than the struggles of the offense.
Certain, the protection and particular groups had some points, too. However the Pats offense barely looked better than the bottom-five items they’ve trotted out on that facet of the ball in recent times. In order we glance again on some big-picture takeaways from the opener, let’s begin there.
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Coach Mike Vrabel and the Patriots deliberate on having a balanced offense. The considering was that they had been going to run the ball greater than most groups in a league that has more and more been outlined by the way you move the ball.
So how, then, did they find yourself sending Drake Maye again to move 53 occasions, essentially the most dropbacks of any quarterback in Week 1?
You possibly can argue that the working recreation wasn’t adequate to depend on. The rating additionally performed a job.
Vrabel admitted that the group’s lack of success on the bottom was a think about calling that many passes. However the Patriots aren’t constructed to drop again 50-plus occasions on a wet afternoon and count on success.
It is a group that should maintain lengthy drives with a troublesome working recreation, then complement it with play-action passes. Should you’re in search of a constructive from Sunday, Maye was 7-of-10 for 71 yards on play-action. That space works.
However Sunday confirmed that Maye isn’t able to be the focus of an offense, commanding a unit that’s based mostly on the passing recreation. He wants assist. Which leads us to …
The Patriots had one run of greater than 7 yards, and it got here on a play when TreVeyon Henderson bounced what appeared like a tush push out large for 14 yards. Outdoors of that, there was little room for a gaggle of working backs that must be among the many group’s high playmakers.
It’s simple to say that Rhamondre Stevenson was the issue since Henderson affords extra juice to a hapless offense, however Stevenson did all he might Sunday behind dangerous blocking. He completed with seven carries for 15 yards, 17 of which got here after contact.
Briefly, the run blocking was an enormous subject. Will Campbell was the Patriots’ lone offensive lineman who completed with an above-average run-blocking grade from Professional Soccer Focus. For an O-line whose energy is meant to be in that space, this was a tough debut.
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Coordinator Josh McDaniels’ offense is complicated. It asks the quarterback to run the present. Make checks on the line of scrimmage. Transfer run performs. Name audibles.
Usually final yr, the Patriots stored coaching wheels on Maye and restricted what he might do on the line.
This season, they’re taking the other method. And after Maye struggled within the opener, it’s price questioning if he has an excessive amount of on his plate?
“I feel we now have to judge that,” Vrabel stated. “We’ve got to seek out out, is there one thing there? Or we’ve simply obtained to determine what our guys do greatest and try this. … We simply make it possible for we’re giving him solutions by making an attempt to not give him an excessive amount of. I feel that’s at all times the stability and the effective line.”
The primary recreation steered an fascinating depth chart at large receiver. The 23-year-old Boutte performed 82 % of the offensive snaps in comparison with 63 % for DeMario Douglas, 56 % for Mack Hollins and a mere 41 % for Stefon Diggs.
And it wasn’t simply the enjoying time that informed the story of Boutte being the Patriots’ No. 1 receiver. He had six receptions on eight targets for 103 yards, all group highs.
Diggs had six catches for 57 yards, however the huge query is whether or not he’ll proceed to be the No. 4 receiver when it comes to enjoying time.
The Patriots despatched a blitz on 16 of 40 Raiders dropbacks Sunday, a surprisingly excessive 40 %.
Throughout Vrabel’s time with the Titans, Tennessee had the second-lowest blitz fee within the league. When Vrabel confronted Geno Smith in 2023, he solely blitzed 15 % of the time.
So this was a shock, and it’s in all probability not one thing Vrabel desires to proceed. The guess right here is that it was necessitated by the absence of Christian Gonzalez exterior, hoping that stress on Smith would velocity up his decision-making whereas the Pats patched issues collectively on the again finish.
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Whereas the blitz did yield 4 sacks, Smith additionally averaged 12.2 yards per move towards it in comparison with 9.7 when he wasn’t blitzed.
“You may’t stay in a blitz world,” Vrabel stated.
Rookie free security Craig Woodson had a powerful debut, exhibiting why the teaching workers was keen to chop Jabrill Peppers as they search to present the fourth-round decide loads of enjoying time.
Jaylinn Hawkins, alternatively, struggled because the starter reverse Woodson and was overwhelmed badly on the sport’s first landing.
So long as Gonzalez is out, the Pats want extra from Hawkins.
“He blitzed effectively, discovered the quarterback and was in nice place on the tip ball (interception),” Vrabel stated. “Then some missed tackles confirmed up, and people issues we now have to appropriate.”
The excellent news in move safety from the offensive line? Garrett Bradbury didn’t permit a stress in his first recreation because the beginning heart, and rookie Will Campbell surrendered 4 (which might’ve been so much worse in his first recreation at left deal with).
On the opposite finish of the spectrum, third-round rookie left guard Jared Wilson gave up six pressures, based on PFF, a reasonably poor efficiency contemplating guards normally permit fewer pressures than tackles.
Christian Barmore performed 47 of 63 defensive snaps. Milton Williams performed 49.
There was no easing within the group’s high-priced defensive tackles, and the early returns had been constructive.
Barmore had a pair of run stuffs and a QB hurry. Williams had 4 pressures, the second most on the group behind Harold Landry.
(Photograph: Mike Stobe / Getty Pictures)
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Chad Graff is a senior author for The Athletic protecting the New England Patriots since 2022 after 5 years on the Minnesota Vikings beat. Graff joined The Athletic in January 2018 after protecting a little bit of all the things for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He received the Professional Soccer Writers of America’s 2022 Bob Oates Award for beat writing. He is a New Hampshire native and an adjunct professor of journalism at Northeastern College. Comply with Chad on Twitter @ChadGraff
