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Another collective effort results in the Pats getting back to .500%. What do they do now? PIC: David Silverman/New England Patriots
It's no secret there's still some frustration in the Pats' locker room.
Starting off with a horrid loss to Miami (even if they were at full-strength), a grinder win against the Steelers, and an uncompetitive home opener to the Ravens took a lot out of this team. And when Mac Jones went down, there was an even-more pessimistic aura in Foxboro.
But streaks of optimism are back with the New England Patriots, who in a 38-15 win over the Cleveland Browns, leveled back to .500% with their now 3-3 record.
The defense came up big. Even though they allowed a late TD, they enjoyed a 7-quarter-streak of not allowing a touchdown over the last two games. It was definitely a cause for concern when they surrendered one in the fourth quarter to make it just over a one-score game, but the 24 points off 4 Cleveland turnovers were about the best example of "complementary football" the Pats have displayed all year.
Have a Day, Tyquan Thornton We love a good jet sweep, and Tyquan Thornton walking into the end zone on it is even better.
Wide receiver Tyquan Thornton struggled to find his way these first few weeks of his NFL career after a solid four years at Baylor. But finally, he broke out and ripped off two touchdowns off 53 all-purpose yards.
One thing is for sure - if Thornton continues to show his speed like he's done today, he's going to have a solid career in front of him. Let's hope they draw up some more plays around him.
Game of the Tight Ends Where did this come from? It's been a frustrating year after the expectations were high in Year 2 of the Hunter Henry-Jonnu Smith era. Both were signed to big contracts after the complaints of abandoning the two-TE scheme of old (a la Gronkowski-Hernandez) grew rampant. And finally, they both proved at least some value today.
First up, Jonnu. In what many are calling a horrible 4 year, $50-million deal (to which I'm not necessarily disagreeing with), Smith has been less-than-productive in these past few years. But if he can be a bit more consistent in getting open and carving through the open field like he did here, he can certainly be valuable to the Pats this year.
Hunter Henry had the better of the two days, grabbing 61 yards on four receptions, finding the end zone here. I was waiting for Henry to get a few more targets, and turns out all he needed was the porous Browns defense to get a little momentum on his side.
Rhamondre steps up
Let's get one thing right - today's offensive MVP was certainly Rhamondre Stevenson in the backfield. He flirted with 100 all-purpose yards, grabbing two touchdowns off 19 carries and 4 receptions, showing his quickness and agility while not compromising physically.
Even when Damien Harris does come back, you've gotta think Rhamondre is RB1 in Foxboro after the last few games. He looks fantastic.
The question begs itself: who should be this team's quarterback in Week 7?
I got into a heated discussion on Twitter with our own Matt St. Jean over who should marshal the field moving forward. Some seem to think there is no true debate, and when Mac Jones is healthy he's the unquestionable heir to the quarterback room. Others say riding the hot hand of Zappe is what this team needs to get over the hump. Some don't care, some can't decide.
Right now, I'm Team Zappe. Let's qualify this with an important piece of info - please toss out the Bledsoe-Brady comparisons.
Ok, we good here? Good. Let's proceed.
With two guys that are young and unproven, I think it'll be important for the Pats to simply ride the hot hand. Sure, Mac had OROY votes last season and was voted into the NFL Top 100, but I'm not as confident as everyone else appears to be. Mac led the team to the playoffs last year and deserves the respect. But if there's a time to ride the hot hand, it's now. My take? Regardless of if Mac is healthy next week, Start Zappe on Monday Night Football against the Bears. If he can't hang vs. Chicago in primetime, there's a clear-cut decision, and it will involve #10 back on the field moving forward. If he shows out again, keep on riding the hot-hand. Try it out - why not?!
FANTASY STATS (Full PPR)
QB Bailey Zappe - 309 pass yards, 2 TD, 1 fumble = 18.6 pts
RB Rhamondre Stevenson - 19 carries/76 yards, 4 receptions/15 yards, 2 TD's = 25.1 pts
WR Tyquan Thornton - 4 receptions/37 yards, 3 carries/16 yards, 2 TD's = 21.3 pts
WR DeVante Parker - 4 receptions, 64 yards = 10.4 pts
TE Hunter Henry - 4 receptions, 61 yards, 1 TD = 16.1 pts
TE Jonnu Smith - 2 receptions, 61 yards = 8.1 pts
D/ST - 2 interceptions, 15 points allowed, 4 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries = 13 pts