Worth the Watch: Yay or Nay? Week Seventeen, Patriots vs. Jaguars
The New England Patriots improved to 10-6 on the 2021 season with sound performance in all three phases during their Week Seventeen victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
Quarterback Mac Jones completed 22 of 30 passes for 227 yards and three touchdown passes, two of which went to practice squad elevation wideout Kristian Wilkerson. Rookie Rhamondre Stevenson ran for 107 yards on 19 carries. On the preventive side of the ball, New England’s defensive backfield picked off Jaguars rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence three times. The Pats’ dominated in all three phases to earn a 50-10 victory at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro
Their victory, combined with a 34-3 loss by the Miami Dolphins to the Tennessee Titans secured a playoff spot for the Patriots after a one-year absence. New England also sits at the fifth seed in the AFC’s postseason positioning.
Prior to this Week Seventeen matchup, Patriot Maven highlighted three players on offense and three players on defense on which the fan base might have wanted to keep watch.
Let’s examine whether this six-pack of Patriots was ‘worth the watch’ on Sunday:
Damien Harris / Rhamondre Stevenson -- Yay
Damien Harris and rookie Rhamondre Stevenson have been an effective scoring pair for New England for the majority of 2021. That trend continued into Week Seventeen. The rushing tandem blends strong field vision, speed and power when carrying the football. On Sunday, Harris and Stevenson combined for 142 yards on 28 carries for four touchdowns: each finding the end zone twice. As the Pats’ feature back, Harris has been quite effective when carrying from outside toss plays. Stevenson, on the other hand has demonstrated a strong lateral rush, along with impressive speed to reach the corners.
Kendrick Bourne - Yay
Each week, Bourne continues to make his case for being the Pats most effective dual threat offensive weapon. The 26-year-old finished the afternoon with 76 yards receiving on five catches. the longest of which going for 46 yards off a pass from backup quarterback Brian Hoyer. Bourne also displayed his ability to be a ball carrier out of the backfield, logging 17 rushing yards on two carries.
Hunter Henry - Yay
Though Henry did not find the endzone on Sunday he was still an effective cog in New England’s offensive game plan. The 27-year-old saw the field for 39 snaps, as he continues to be one of Mac Jones’ most reliable targets on passing downs. Henry finished the day with three catches for 37 yards.
Christian Barmore – Yay
Once again, Barmore demonstrated the strength and quick hands, which has made him effective in both stuffing the run and challenging the passer. The Alabama product remains among the top defensive rookies by pushing the pocket and taking a stand against the run. Barmore finished the day with one sack, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hit, two hurries and three pressures.
Kyle Van Noy - More Yay, than Nay
While Van Noy certainly did not play poorly on Sunday, his output was not enough to warrant an outright “yay.” The 30-year-old led the linebacking corps, logging 39 defensive snaps. During his time on the field, Van Noy compiled four total tackles, three of which were of the solo variety.
Adrian Phillips – Yay, by default
Phillips did not particularly stand out on the stat sheet on Sunday. The 29-yer-old logged three solo tackles, while yielding only 22 receiving yards in coverage. Phillips’ also saw a reduction in his typical snap count; taking only 33 defensive snaps in Week Seventeen. It should be noted that his reduced total was due to his removal from action to tend to a wrist injury. However, Phillips was ‘worth the watch’ on Sunday, by virtue of his signing a three-year extension to remain with the Patriots just one day earlier.
