The Patriots are back in the win column with a 25-6 victory over the New York Jets. Let’s take a look at yesterday’s Ups & Downs from Week 2!
Ups ⬆️
Damien Harris
After a disappointing end against Miami, Damien Harris came back with an encouraging performance against the Jets yesterday, which was capped off with an unbelievable touchdown run.
Harris led the carries out of the backfield, which saw Rhamondre Stevenson sit out and J.J. Taylor get minimal touches. He finished with 16 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown. His stats alone don’t get him on this list, but that touchdown run sure does.
The Secondary
Instead of listing them individually, I thought I would honor them as a collective unit, after all, their work as a unit was one of the deciding factors in the win overall. Their coverage was good enough to cause rookie Zach Wilson into early mistakes, which he never recovered from.
Wilson threw four picks, two for J.C. Jackson, who has the most in the league since he entered the league in 2018, one for Devin McCourty, and one for Adrian Phillips who had the pick of all four with an exceptional diving catch.
Jackson’s performance had me thinking about his future with the team after this season, for me, regardless of if he fits in a particular style or scheme, he’s shown the ability to find and intercept the ball on a regular basis, I think they should pay him.
Nick Folk
Big kick Nick, that’s how it goes right? Folk broke the franchise record for consecutive field goals made yesterday at 33. He has settled back into the starting kicker for the team, and even with a missed extra point in yesterday’s victory, he makes the up list.
Josh Uche
Uche still hasn’t quite been given the free reign I’ve been hoping to see, but he got after it against the Jets and managed to get to Zach Wilson for a couple of sacks. He was my noticeable stand-out on a quieter day for the pass-rush.
James White
Where to start, the double-pass? The touchdown run? James White proves time and again why he is one of the greatest Patriots ever. Mr Reliable has carried on his work to be a safety valve for Mac Jones, and he was active once again for the team, both on the ground, and in the air.
Downs ⬇️
Offensive Line
Again, I’ll cover these as a collective. Overall, the performance wasn’t great and the right tackle position is certainly a problem for the coaches to deal with. With Trent Brown missing due to injury, Yasir Durant got the start until he was benched and replaced by Justin Herron, the same thing happened last week, just the other way around.
Mac took more hits yesterday, against a Jets team that really didn’t have any business getting to the Patriots QB with the lack of blitzes they called. This needs fixing, and quickly. Don’t be surprised to see a move in the trade market for additional depth if they can’t sort this out with the players they already have.
Run-Defense
My concerns are also growing with the front seven and their inability to stop the run. How on earth the Jets found it that easy to move the chains yesterday on the ground I’ll never know, another thing to monitor going forward, especially with Alvin Kamara in town next week.