Mac Jones of NFL Patriots
Mac Jones has taken another positive step. Against a Falcons defense that struggled to keep the game close, the NFL Patriots’ rookie quarterback was efficient, if not spectacular, to score his fifth road win in five trips away from Gillette Stadium.
He joined Dak Prescott and Ben Roethlisberger as the only rookie quarterbacks in the NFL to win first five road starts.
Jones completed 22 of 26 passes for 207 yards heading into a fairway on passes they had to bombard to build pressure.
In his last two games, he is now connected on 41 of his last 49 shots (83.7%) and continues to maintain a veteran balance that contradicts his experience. Jones’ only interception of Falcons CB A.J.
Terrell was a small pitch, sure, but overall it was another step forward for the reigning rookie quarterback in the 2021 draft class.
Matt Ryan’s pass protection was downright awful. The Falcons game plan tried to accommodate this with lots of screens and shallow crosses to get the ball out of the hands of the veteran quarterback as quickly as possible, but the pressure on Ryan was such that even those passes often did too.
Moreover, The NFL Patriots defense put down the short stuff without fear of deep ball, and the Falcons’ 16-on-40 rushing effort offered no balance to keep New England’s pass more honest.
The Patriots received two sacks from Kyle Van Noy and one from Matt Judon and Davon Godchaux. Ryan took a dozen hits and was pressured about 50% of his losses.
He over and over again he had to find the best reading from him.
Call them-Flagcons. As if the Falcons didn’t have enough trouble matching a better team, they made it even tougher on penalties, and neither side was flawless. Defensively, they gave the Patriots four of their first 20 attempts via penalty.
Offensively, they kicked in their first practice after a flag backed them to their own 2-yard line, and regrouping at halftime didn’t help the Atlanta Navy blow up two false starts. his first possession of the second half.
On special teams, an inexcusable illegal formation call to offensive lineman Jason Spriggs thwarted Younghoe Koo’s 45-yard field goal; after the cross, Koo missed by 50. The Falcons finished with nine penalties for 72 yards.
The kicking game helps lift the Patriots.
New England won the special teams battle with ease, which was crucial in a game that only erupted in the fourth quarter. leaves on field goals – Nick Folk calmly drilled 53 yards throughout the season to put the game out of reach at 16-0, and was four to four on the night, while Atlanta missed one at 50.
The Patriots racked up many hidden yards thanks to punter Jake Bailey, who threw a 60-yard line and, with the first three punts from him, an Atlanta pinned at his own 4, 14 and 19 yard.
At his only. appearance, the New England pitching unit landed a tackle on the Atlanta 17.
Saving a failed PAT once the result achieved was a complete effort.
The Claw Defense stiffened in a short film. However lucky Atlanta was to get back into the game in the second half, it ended a masterful short-distance streak from the New England defense.
So, with the Patriots leading 13-0 in the third quarter and Atlanta’s offense making one of only two red zone appearances, Dont’a Hightower and Adrian Phillips filled out fullback Keith Smith in a third. and a 1 with no gain.
Therefore, on the fourth down, Phillips teamed up with Carl Davis to nail Qadree Ollison, again without a win, to preserve what has become a shutout.
He throws a Ryan bag from Van Noy on a third and one earlier in the night, and the New England defense strangled Atlanta when inches mattered.
Next Generation Stats Of The Night
Falcons CB A.J. Terrell attacked six times in primary coverage, allowing five receptions and a touchdown, but he also posted his first interception of the season.
NFL Research
The Patriots won their 44th straight game and led in double digits at halftime, the longest active streak in the NFL.
