A win is a win.
That appears to be the mindset for the New England Patriots after nearly blowing Sunday’s road game against the New York Jets.
Buy Patriots TicketsThe offense failed to close the game on multiple drives, leaving a last-minute opportunity in the hands of Jets quarterback Zach Wilson on a seemingly impossible Hail Mary throw that nearly ended in a touchdown.
Fortunately for the Patriots, the ball narrowly missed the awaiting hands of Randall Cobb, and the clock ticked to zero for a New England 15-10 victory. Patriots Twitter seemed a bit uneasy after the game with another tough matchup against the Dallas Cowboys slated for Week 4.
There were both good and bad moments on the field for the Patriots against the Jets. Let’s take a look at the studs and duds from their first win of the season.
Pharaoh Brown: STUD
Everyone came into the season thinking it would only be about Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki at tight end, but on Sunday, Pharaoh Brown had his coming-out party as the legitimate third option for the Patriots.
He was completely uncovered on this 58-yard touchdown catch and run that put the Jets in an early hole in the first half.
Pharaoh in the air!@MacJones_10 | @PharaohsDream
📺 on @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/x5jgLZE8rK
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 24, 2023
This was the sort of game where even a single touchdown felt like a punch in the gut.
Brown had a strong showing with two receptions for 71 yards and one touchdown. Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien loves to utilize tight ends, and adding another weapon to the mix should open up his offensive game-planning even more.
Joe Cardona: DUD
A couple of poor snaps from long snapper Joe Cardona led to two missed kicks by Patriots kicker Chad Ryland.
It was one of those rare instances where Cardona seemed to be off his game. To be fair, it was a wet and messy game with both teams showing issues with ball security and footing. Perhaps the conditions played a role in Cardona’s struggles in this matchup.
But it doesn’t change the fact that the Patriots left potential points on the field, which allowed the Jets to stay in the game longer than they probably should have.
Matthew Judon: STUD
Matthew Judon and the defense is the only reason why Patriots fans will be sleeping easier tonight.
When a play needed to be made, the man with the red sleeves stepped up and drove Jets quarterback Zach Wilson into the dirt with a safety in the fourth quarter. Judon finished the game with two sacks, two tackles for a loss and three quarterback hits.
He had Wilson running for his life on Sunday, and it kept the Jets offense from ever establishing a rhythm. It’s going to take herculean efforts just like that one the rest of the way for the Patriots to have any hope of competing with the rest of the league this season.
JuJu Smith-Schuster: DUD
Mac Jones went to JuJu Smith-Schuster late in the fourth quarter twice on pivotal third downs, and the two failed to connect on both plays.
The Smith-Schuster experiment in New England has been a complete failure up to this point. He was targeted three times for one reception for five yards. Those struggles have come in a Patriots offense that desperately needs somebody, anybody, to step up and make plays on a more consistent basis.
So far, Smith-Schuster just looks out of place on offense. It will be interesting to see if the Patriots consider giving rookie Kayshon Boutte more reps at some point in place of the struggling veteran.
Christian Gonzalez: STUD
For a third straight week, Patriots rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez drew the toughest assignment on the field, and he kept things in check for the most part.
Jets star receiver Garrett Wilson was held to five receptions for 48 yards against the Patriots’ secondary. Gonzalez didn’t flinch at the challenge, and he continued to step up and make plays against one of the league’s best young receivers.
He didn’t have a big interception, and he didn’t lead the team in tackling. But he had a stellar effort in a game where the Patriots were missing Jonathan Jones, Jack Jones and Marcus Jones.
Ezekiel Elliott: STUD
This was the game where the rushing offense finally got off the ground for the Patriots. It was like we stepped into a time machine with Ezekiel Elliott pounding his way for a team-high 80 yards on the ground.
Rhamondre Stevenson got the most carries, and he’s obviously the lead running back for the Patriots. But on Sunday, Elliott looked like the more efficient option in the offensive backfield. He was seeing the holes well, and he continuously made an effort to grind out the tough extra yards.
If Elliott continues to pound the ball with this amount of effectiveness, it shouldn’t come as any surprise if he gets even more carries in Week 4 against his former team in Dallas.
Jabrill Peppers: STUD
Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers was all over the field throughout the entire game.
He was tied for the most tackles for the New England defense, and he also dominated on the backend in pass coverage. He finished the game with seven total tackles and one tackle for a loss.
With Devin McCourty gone, Peppers has been one of the defensive players on the Patriots’ roster that has stepped up the most. He looks like a completely different player than the one he was a year ago, and he was still a really good player back then as well.
Christian Barmore: STUD
The Patriots’ defensive front turned MetLife Stadium into “A Nightmare on Elm Street” for Jets quarterback Zach Wilson.
Along with Matthew Judon, defensive tackle Christian Barmore had a major hand in playing spoiler for Wilson and company on Sunday. He dominated at the point of attack and forced his way up the gut on multiple plays. It was a brilliant performance from a player that should have plenty of them this season.
Barmore racked up two total tackles, one sack, one pass deflection and one quarterback hit in the game. If he can become a constant disruptor up front, the Patriots could keep every game close this season.
Kyle Dugger: STUD
To no one’s surprise, safety Kyle Dugger has been solid through the first three games of the season.
Like Jabrill Peppers, he held up in pass coverage and as a reliable would-be tackler with seven total tackles on the day, which tied for the most for the entire defensive unit. Dugger also added a pass deflection to what was a stellar performance overall.
The emergence of Christian Gonzalez, along with the strength of the Patriots’ safety group is the reason why the team has been so successful at shutting down some of the best receivers in football.
And Dugger has a starring role in all of it.
