New England Patriots-New York Giants Snaps & Grades: F-Minus All Around?
As the New England Patriots prepare to move forward from their 10-7 loss to the New York Giants in Week 12, (dropping their record to a conference-worst 2-9) they continue to take stock into their performance on both sides of the ball.
Despite being assured of their second straight losing season, there are plenty of areas in which the Patriots will seek improvement. While game-film analysis will be the main focus, a look at playing time may assist the Pats in helping to devise effective strategies moving forward.
Here is a look at the Patriots offensive and defensive snap counts from last Sunday’s loss, along with a grade for each positional group.
OFFENSE
On offense, the Pats overall snap count was 68 versus the Giants.
NFL Game Summary: New England Patriots vs. New York Giants 26 Nov 2023 - Offense Snaps
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QUARTERBACKS
Mac Jones finished the day going 12 of 21 for 89 yards and two interceptions. His first pick — a pass which should have been a throwaway — was a back-footed throw into triple coverage which was easily cut and caught by cornerback Deonte Banks. His second, and final throw of the afternoon, came while facing pressure. Rather than take the sack, Jones lofted a weak floater into the waiting hands of linebacker Bobby Okereke. His poor first-half performance was enough to convince coach Bill Belichick to relegate him to the bench for the entirety of the second half.
In relief of Jones, Bailey Zappe intially provided a much-needed spark, leading the Patriots on an 11-play, 60-yard drive resulting in their first touchdown of the afternoon. Unfortunately, his success would be short-lived, as he telegraphed a pass on an over-route by JuJu Smith-Schuster, which was snagged by safety Xavier McKinney. Zappe finished 9 of 14 for 54 yards and an interception.
In the final analysis, New England’s efforts at quarterback were abysmal enough to derail the improvements made by other positional groups on offense.
Grade: F
RUNNING BACKS
Lead back Rhamondre Stevenson had a season-high 98 yards rushing and with nine receiving yards. Stevenson finished with 107 scrimmage yards, becoming only the second Patriots player in the last 10 seasons to have three straight games of at least 100 yards from scrimmage. The Oklahoma product’s ability to break tackles while using his strength to gain yardage has once again made him New England’s most effective offensive weapons.
Veteran running back Ezekiel Elliott continues to regularly demonstrate the prowess that made him an All Pro at the position. He finished the day with 46 yards on nine carries, while catching both targets for six yards.
Grade: B+
RECEIVERS
While 128 cumulative receiving yards will not stand out among the NFL’s Week 12 highlight reel, it was an impressive performance for a Patriots unit which has been much maligned this season. Rookie Demario Douglas led all Pats’ pass catchers with six catches for 49 yards on a day in which he received little help from his quarterbacks. In fact, his totals would likely have been higher had he not left the game in the second half due to a head injury. Seeing his first action since Week 8, DeVante Parker caught three passes for 42 yards, including an impressive 19-yard slant, while leading all receivers by taking 51 snaps. JuJu Smith-Schuster caught a pair of passes for 10 yards, while rookie Kayshon Boutte added a reception for eight yards.
Grade C+
TIGHT ENDS
New England’s tight-endage trio of Hunter Henry, Pharaoh Brown and Mike Gesicki were non-factors in their passing game, with zero catches among them. Though Gesicki was targeted twice, his miscommunication with Jones led to a failed “hook” play, on which Gesicki appeared to run the wrong route. The overall blocking prowess of both Henry and Brown — especially in the running game — saved the tight ends from receiving a failing grade for their Week 12 performance.
Grade: C-
OFFENSIVE LINE
Despite battling both ankle and knee injuries for the past few weeks, left tackle Trent Brown returned to action on Sunday, though he did not get the start. Conor McDermott took the initial snaps on the blindside for New England, before Brown took over late in the first quarter. Left guard Cole Strange, center David Andrews, right guard Sidy Sow and right tackle Michael Onwenu comprised the remainder of the starting five. Though the line yielded two sacks, they provided enough pass protection and interior run blocking to keep the Patriots in the game.
Grade: C+
New England Patriots QB Mac Jones loses control of the football against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
USA Today Sports Images
DEFENSE
On defense, the Pats overall snap count was 52 versus the Giants.
NFL Game Summary: New England Patriots vs. New York Giants 26 Nov 2023 - Defense Snaps
NFL Copyright © 2023 by The National Football League
DEFENSIVE LINE
New England’s defensive line was not only stout in defending the run (i.e. holding Giants star back Saquan Barkley to 46 yards), but it was also a force in aiding the pass rush. Rookie defender Keion White recorded his first NFL sack, dropping New York’s rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito back nine yards in the third quarter. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore added another sack, while tackle Davon Godchaux led all linemen with four total tackles.
Grade: A-
LINEBACKERS
Team captain Ja’Whaun Bentley led the Pats linebackers in total snaps taken with 51. However, Anfernee Jennings was the day’s standout. Jennings had two sacks and six quarterback pressures, while earning a 33 percent pass rush win rate and an 86.0 pass rush grade — all career bests. Jahlani Tavai was active in both run stoppage and pass protection, collecting three tackles (one, for loss), while Bentley also contributed a sack on a solid day for the Pats front seven.
Grade A-
CORNERBACKS
While New England’s secondary struggled more against the Giants than the Pats defensive front, they still put together a solid effort. J.C. Jackson surrendered a 41-yard pass play to receiver Jalin Hyatt on a nice double move which seems to have fooled him. Still, Jackson led the team with six total tackles. Jonathan Jones chipped in for three tackles, yet had the big miss of the day, leading to Isaiah Hodgins touchdown catch.
Grade: C+
SAFETIES
New England’s safety tandem of Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger significantly helped the efforts of the defensive backfield. Peppers’ first-quarter takedown of DeVito, which resulted in a loss of seven yards, was his first sack as a member of the Patriots. Peppers also had three tackles (one, for loss) while Dugger earned two. Unsurprisingly, each went the distance by playing on 100 percent of the team’s snaps on defense.
Grade: B
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Patriots continue to disappoint in the game’s third phase. In addition to their first-half muffed punt, the Pats special teamers committed two penalties, including an unnecessary roughness penalty on Keion White. Ultimately, their fate was sealed by rookie kicker Chad Ryland, who was wide left on an easily-makable 35-yard field goal attempt with three seconds left. Overall, the team continues to play undisciplined and fundamentally unsound football — without any notable signs of improvement.
Grade: D
Up Next:
The Patriots will return home to Foxboro, where they will host the Los Angeles Chargers at 1 p.m. at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 3. New England is scheduled to wear their red throwback jerseys, with white “Pat Patriot” helmets for the contest.
