It's a Thanksgiving edition of Mike's Musings. While dreaming of cornbread stuffing and whatever my daughter dreams up for dessert (besides the traditional apple pie), I spent a lot of time working the rewind button while rewatching the Pats win over the Bengals. Before I get to thumbs up/thumbs down, I have some scattered thoughts on a defense that left me wanting more.
- Cincinnati had seven explosive plays on offense (not outrageous), but just one negative play. Out of 62. With 40-year-old Joe Flacco at quarterback, Ja'Marr Chase suspended, and an offensive line that isn't quite 2024-25 Patriots bad, but it's close.
The pass rush wouldn't have known whether Flacco was deodorized or not until the game's final drive. That caused interim defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr to dial up one blitz after another in the closing minutes, and even then, the Pats were holding on for dear life. In fact, one could say Marcus Jones got away with some sort of hold on Cincy's final offensive play, using his right arm to wrap around Mike Gesicki's hip (and - perhaps - pinning Gesicki's left arm by arriving before the ball did). No matter. The ref didn't throw a flag, and the defense celebrated their survival.
As for that vaunted run defense...it's taken a hit in recent weeks. Chase Brown ran for 107 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. That comes a week after the Jets went for 140 on the ground. Whether it's blown edges (K'Lavon Chaisson, Elijah Ponder), getting overpowered at the point of attack, or just a lack of flow to the football, the Pats have become vulnerable in that regard.
"Yeah, I mean, you’ve just got to build a wall, set edges and not let easy yardage off the edge on the first play," Mike Vrabel said on Monday. "Again, it's about building a wall, setting the edge and swarm tackling. They pushed a couple piles on us, or they had a couple runs in there. Just have to make sure that we're not giving them the easy ones and we're making them earn everything that they get. Sometimes we didn't do that, and sometimes when we trigger and we build a wall, no gain."
THUMBS UP
I was ready to launch Andy Borregales to the moon after that week two game in Miami. The Patriots didn't; instead, they gave him a game ball. The rookie kicker has been nails since, and hit all four of his attempts on Sunday. At 90.5%, he's got the 12th-best percentage amongst all NFL kickers.
Maybe Carlton Davis needs to get mad more often. The veteran corner went on a profanity-laced tirade - as if there is any other - following the game, unhappy with being whistled for a DPI one play before Mitchell Tinsley beat fellow CB Christian Gonzalez for a touchdown. Davis then had not one, not two, but three PBUs on the game's final drive.
"That (expletive) made me mad as (expletive) because it was already the fourth quarter, and I felt like I put my team in a bad position when it was a BS call, and now they’re in field goal range, and they’re inside the red zone. And then we give up a touchdown, so I’m just mad about it because I’m understanding the position and what all transpired since that (penalty). And so, that (expletive) really just lit a fire under me. Like, I promise you I’m not going to let this game slip out of our hands.”
Hunter Henry could have bailed on the Patriots after back-to-back four-win seasons. He didn't. Thank goodness. Henry led the Pats with a career-high 115 yards on seven catches, becoming the security blanket Drake Maye needed.
Marcus Jones admitted he had a small-man complex, but he played big again. His pick-6 swung the game in the Pats' favor for good (even if it got scary), and yes, he gets credit for a PBU to end the game. Jones joins Hall of Famer Deion Sanders as the only players in the Super Bowl Era with multiple pick-sixes, multiple punt return TDs, and at least 1 receiving TD in their career.
THUMBS DOWN
I know the other guys get paid too, but Christian Gonzalez can't get cooked at the line of scrimmage by Tinsley. Tee Higgins? Sure. Down the road, Garrett Wilson or Jaylen Waddle? Yep, I get it. But Gonzalez didn't get so much as a fingertip on Tinsley upon his release, and turned a two-score into a three-point game. Sorry, but if you consider yourself the best, you gotta play like it all the time. I don't think Gonzalez is doing that, and this is the latest example.
I was not familiar with Eric Gregory's game, and after Sunday, it's clear that it needs a lot of work. The big-bodied defensive tackle got pushed and shoved out of the way while at the point of attack on numerous runs. When you consider Gregory played just 18 snaps, well, let's just say that's not a great percentage. Remains a curious elevation, with Joshua Farmer a full participant in practice last week...
For a minute or two, we thought the running game was headed in the right direction. It's not. 25 carries by the three running backs — 80 yards total. At the beginning of the year, I thought TreVeyon Henderson was lacking patience. Now, I'm wondering about his vision. Rhamondre Stevenson, on the other hand, looked like a guy who had missed some time. He also had a couple of issues with pass protection, including identifying the right defender to block.
