Worth the Watch: Yay or Nay? Week Twelve, Patriots vs. Titans
The New England Patriots are heading into Week Thirteen of the 2021 NFL season with a 8-4 record, following a 36-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
Quarterback Mac Jones threw for 310 yards with two touchdown passes. Wideout Jakobi Meyers had five catches for 98 yards receiving, while Kendrick Bourne added two touchdowns. Kicker Nick Folk made five of six field goal attempts, all en route to New England’s sixth-straight victory.
Prior to this Week Twelve 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:
Jonnu Smith — Yay
While he may not have had the ‘break-out’ game against his former team, which many had predicted, Smith was an effective piece of the Patriots offense and deserves the ‘yay’ for his performance on Sunday. The 26-year-old was quite active off of play-action, finishing the day with 49 yards receiving on three catches, as well as nine rushing yards. While many are still clamoring for Smith to play a much bigger role in the Patriots’ passing game, the prowess he showed in his increased usage should lead to greater opportunities for productivity in the coming weeks.
Damien Harris — Yay
While a ‘yay’ for Harris may seem surprising on the surface, the Pats feature back did a solid job of pacing the running game, especially in the second half. Harris finished the contest, compiling 40 yards on 11 carries with one touchdown. His final numbers may not have leaped off of the stat sheet. However, his performance looks more impressive when considering the fact that the Titans’ tough and physical defensive front is one of league’s most stout units at preventing the run. Tennessee came into Sunday’s contest ranking fourth in the league in run defense, allowing just 97.2 yards per game and seventh at 4.1 yards per play. Despite their prowess at stifling the run, Harris was still able to find some gains, as well as the endzone.
Kendrick Bourne — Yay
Bourne was perhaps New England’s most electrifying player on Sunday, deserving the numerous accolades he has received since the conclusion of the game. The 26-year-old has been solid as the team’s third option at wideout, taking 33 offensive snaps. Bourne continues to make the most of his time on the field, logging 61 yards on five catches with two touchdowns. His first score was the result of a great catch near the back of the endzone from a perfectly-placed pass from Mac Jones. However, it was his second trip to the endzone that would be his highlight. The dual-threat wideout turned a short pass by Jones into a 41-yard touchdown push to the endzone. Bourne was able to evade the tackle, and parlayed a tremendous block by Jakobi Meyers into a run along the sideline that demonstrated great field awareness, and even better balance
Interior Defensive Line — Nay
Despite entering the week as the eighth-best run defense, the Pats defensive line struggled to contain a Titans’ rushing attack that was without its star rusher, Derrick Henry. The Titans finished the day with 270 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown; with both Dontrell Hiliard and D’Onta Foreman rushing for over 100 yards, respectively. Tennessee had a 53 percent success rate on their 39 carries, averaging 6.9 yards per rush, and gaining 25 first downs via the run. With rookie Christian Barmore seeing limited action, as he continues to tend to an ailing knee, both Lawrence Guy and Carl Davis had difficulty containing both Hilliard and Foreman at the line of scrimmage. Though tackle Davon Godchaux enjoyed an overall solid day, the Pats defensive line had their issues on Sunday, which must be addressed prior to the team’s Week Thirteen matchup with the Buffalo Bills.
Kyle Dugger — Yay
Dugger would be the standout on the stat sheet among the Patriots three safeties on Sunday, logging three solo tackles and a fumble recovery. The 25-year-old also contributed in the pass rush, credited with one hurry and one pressure. Dugger saw the majority of his action alongside Devin McCourty, as the Pats’ top safety tandem on Sunday, showing a great deal of effectiveness when used against tight ends and receiving backs out of the backfield.
Matt Judon — Yay
When collectively speaking of the team’s 2021 season, Judon may be the Patriot who is most deserving of a ‘yay.’ The prolific linebacker collected another sack on Sunday, bringing his season total to 11.5. Judon was once again a beast in New England’s pass rush, credited with one quarterback hit, one hurry and three pressures against the Titans. The 29-year-old was also successful in creating favorable matchups from off-the-ball snaps, allowing him to put consistent pressure on Tennessee quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Following a solid day at the office, Judon now ranks third in the league with 11.5 sacks and fourth with 55 quarterback pressures among all defenders in 2021.
