After a dominant display in Week 10, playing a game on a short week in Atlanta was always a tricky proposition. It could have been a trap game for the Patriots because the Falcons needed to bounce back at home from a terrible loss to the Cowboys. Also, when these two teams meet, the narrative will automatically shift to the Dirty Birds need for revenge based on the 28-3 Super Bowl 51 debacle. However, this Thursday night game instead turned out to be a blowout thanks to a dominant defensive performance by the Patriots. Matt Ryan was constantly under duress from the front seven, and the opportunistic secondary took the ball away. The offense did not need to be spectacular and managed the game to keep the win streak at five games and continue the steep climb up the standings. Here are my five takeaways from the matchup and the big picture scenario for the team.
1. Kyle Van Noy starred the show-Van Noy best years were with the Patriots, and when he went to the Dolphins it was because they presented him with the better deal. Kyle is now back with the team and starred in this game with two sacks and eight total tackles. At the end of the game, he completed the rout by intercepting a pass from backup quarterback Josh Rosen and returning it for a touchdown. Van Noy’s performance was so impressive that reports indicate that he was drug tested by the league after the game.
2. Stevenson and Harris are a powerful duo-the running back duo are proving to be one of the best combinations in the league. They bring speed, toughness, and power to the position making the Patriots running game one of the best in the NFL. In this game, they combined for 22 carries, 125 yards, and 5.7 yards per carry. The offense is built around this duo, and their importance will be critical as we head into the stretch run for the playoffs.
3. Mac Jones got the job done once again- Jones completed 22 of 26 passes for 207 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. It was a well-measured performance by the rookie quarterback who resorted to quick passing to underneath routes. He made one throw on the night over 20 yards intended for Jonnu Smith. However, the pass was intercepted by A.J. Tyrell who made a good play on the ball. Nonetheless, Jones got the done by being efficient and accurate with the football.
4. Nick Folk-it is not often the kicker is praised but Folk is consistently one of the Patriots’ most consistent players. He entered the game having made 22 of his 24 kicks this season. The offense failed to convert promising field positions into touchdowns. However, Folk was able to make the possession count by making all four of his field-goal attempts. Belichick can feel confident that Nick will make those big kicks in a close ball game.
5. Big Picture-the Patriots are now on a five-game winning streak and have a 7-4 record. After the dominant performance on Thursday night, the team enjoyed the weekend off, and results elsewhere went in their favor. The Bills were thrashed at home by the Colts to drop their record to 6-4. Therefore, the Patriots lead the AFC East division. Also, the team is just a game behind the conference-leading Titans who lost a shocking game to the Texans. Up next on Sunday are those Titans, and another good performance at home can potentially clear their path to the number one seed in the playoffs.
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