The New England Patriots entered Highmark Stadium as big underdogs to the Buffalo Bills, and for good reason. Whereas the Patriots had played some inconsistent football over the first four weeks of the season,
earning a 2-2 record along the way, their AFC East rivals were a perfect 4-0 and looking like the best team in football.
Four highly-contested quarters later, the Buffalo’s perfect season had gone up in smoke; New England had pulled off a major upset to snap a four-game losing streak at the Bills’ home arena. That game saw plenty of noteworthy performances, and a look at our weekly positional grades shows that the team also performed at a high level as a whole.
Patriots position grades for Week 5
Quarterback: Starting the first primetime game of his career, second-year quarterback Drake Maye out-dueled reigning league MVP Josh Allen on the road. Completing 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards, he managed to orchestrate two end-of-half scoring drives and generally looked in command of the offense throughout the night — all while being unfazed by the high-quality opponent and hostile environment. He made good decisions with the ball and some impressive individual plays both in and out of structure. Introducing himself to a national audience, Sunday sure felt like a coming-out party for the 23-year-old. | Grade: A
Running back: Despite going up against a below-average run defense missing its best defensive lineman, Ed Oliver, the Patriots again failed to find consistent success on the ground. In total, their backs combined to gain just 59 yards on 19 carries. Those numbers do not tell the full story, though: Rhamondre Stevenson also lost a fumble but did score two touchdowns; Antonio Gibson was lost to a torn ACL on a second quarter kickoff return; TreVeyon Henderson did have some positive moments in an increased role. All in all, though the group had a challenging outing. | Grade: C-
Wide receiver: Stefon Diggs was the star of the show on Sunday. Returning to his old stomping grounds clearly motivated to make an impact, he ended up catching 10 of 12 targets for 146 yards — his best outing since joining the Patriots this offseason. Diggs was clearly the team’s top skill position option, and his performance overshadowed the other wideouts. As a whole, the non-Diggs group was inconsistent. Kayshon Boutte, for example, caught three passes for 43 yards but also was penalized twice; DeMario Douglas saw some slightly increased involvement, while neither Mack Hollins nor Kyle Williams made much of an impact. | Grade: B+
Tight end: The Patriots relied heavily on their two tight ends again, but only one of them caught any passes. Hunter Henry finished with two grabs on four targets for 46 yards. Both of his receptions were big plays, but he also failed to haul in a goal-line pass at the end of the first half. Austin Hooper, on the other hand, had a rather uneventful Sunday night while working primarily as a run blocker. | Grade: B
Offensive line: Even with the aforementioned Ed Oliver out, the Bills feature some impressive talent along the defensive line. The group did finish with four sacks and also shut down the run for much of the night, but it also did not have the disruptive impact it could have had. Part of it was due to Drake Maye’s escapability, but the blocking up front also played its part: the unit was far from perfect, but outside of a handful of negative moments — including a false start penalty on a 3rd-and-1 — good enough. | Grade: C+
Defensive line: Josh Allen is one of the best quarterbacks in football both due to his otherworldly arm talent and his rare athletic skill. Against the Patriots, he regularly showed it and finished with 53 rushing yards on nine attempts. However, him doing damage on scrambles was the Bills’ best play on the ground: New England’s defensive line, after all, managed to keep the AFC’s Offensive Player of September, James Cook, in check throughout the night and by doing so turned one of the most balanced offenses in football into a one-dimensional attack. | Grade: A-
Linebacker: Linebacker play had been a mixed bag for the Patriots over the first four games of the season, but the group rose to the occasion against Buffalo. Robert Spillane flew all over the field and forced a fumble, Christian Elliss played his best game of the season, and Jahlani Tavai was ready to contribute as well in his first game action since his offseason calf injury. All in all, the room as a whole took a step up in Week 5. | Grade: A-
Cornerback: Josh Allen was bound to win his battles against the Patriots’ cornerbacks, but the group as a whole met the challenge. Christian Gonzalez was his steady self in just his second game of the season, registering a big pass breakup in the late fourth quarter while effectively erasing whoever he was going up against. Carlton Davis and Marcus Jones were a bit more inconsistent, but they too stood their ground. Jones in particular: the starting slot registered a massive red zone interception in the third quarter. | Grade: B+
Safety: Whereas cornerback is turning into a definitive strength for New England, safety remains a work in progress. Jaylinn Hawkins is the perfect embodiment of it all at this point in the season: he had a rough time in coverage against the Bills but also registered a fumble recovery. All in all, there is reason to be optimistic but the position is certainly not the backbone of the defense it looked like it might be early in training camp. | Grade: C+
Special teams: Antonio Gibson’s ACL tear on a kickoff return was a disappointment, but special teams as a whole had a good day. Bryce Baringer’s punting was on point, the coverage teams held firm, and Andy Borregales had the biggest moment of his young career when he split the uprights from 52 yards out to give the Patriots a 23-20 advantage with only 15 seconds left in the game. | Grade: A
The Patriots certainly did not play a flawless game, and there are several areas that remain question marks at this stage in the season. However, on the whole, they played their most complete football so far and managed to beat a quality opponent in impressive fashion: offense, defense and special teams all contributed to make it happen. It was a team effort, and something to build on.
How would you grade the Patriots’ performance in Week 5, though? Do you agree with our assessment? Please head down to the comment section to discuss.
