It was a long week in Foxborough, and it wasn't a particularly pleasant one.
The Patriots dealt with the fallout of a challenge from their head coach, and at times the noise of the week seemed to overshadow anything that was happening on the field. There were more references to the word soft than could be found in a year's worth of Charmin commercials, and there was enough uncertainty within that the team felt it necessary to address concerns in the Thursday team meeting. Veterans such as Ja'Whaun Bentley chose to address the team as well, which Mayo thought was beneficial.
"The head coach has a message, and you lean on your captains or leaders on the squad to disseminate that message, reinforce that message throughout the rest of the group," Mayo admitted after the game. "I thought those guys did that this week."
The team responded with a more spirited effort and showed resiliency down the stretch to earn the improbable come-from-behind victory. The physicality up front was better. The tackling and swarming to the ball were better. The toughness and discipline shown on offense were better. And when everyone in the stadium knew where the ball was going on the game's deciding play, Rhamondre Stevenson found a way to pick up the last yard that separated victory from defeat – even when there didn't seem to be much room to get it.
It was far from perfect, particularly when using Mayo's own definition of the word soft from the previous week. The coach explained that tough teams are able to run the ball, stop the run and over kicks. Against the Jets the Patriots maybe earned a half a point on those three counts.
The offense couldn't run the ball, picking up 54 yards on 25 carries excluding the quarterback scrambles from Drake Maye and Jacoby Brissett. The Patriots also struggled covering kicks, allowing Xavier Gipson to rip off punt returns of 40 and 18 yards. And Breece Hall racked up 80 yards on the ground while averaging 5 yards per carry. The Jets finished with 113 yards on the ground, which represents an improvement for the Patriots defense that had been allowing an average of 165 yards on the ground since Week 2, so that's where the half point comes in.
However, while it may not have met the coach's criteria for toughness, the performance certainly was an example of mental fortitude. The Patriots lost starting quarterback Drake Maye in the second quarter and trailed twice in the fourth before rallying for the win.
Jacoby Brissett turned in arguably his best performance of the season after coming off the bench, firing a 34-yarder to Kayshon Boutte down the seam to set up the winning score. Boutte showed some toughness as well, overcoming a pair of drops earlier in the game to come up with two key catches on the final drive. Stevenson's toughness on the winning touchdown was apparent, as he fought his way through the trash near the goal line to just squeak into the end zone.
But above all else it was a mindset that was most impressive. The Patriots kept plugging away despite a less-than-perfect performance against a team that dominated them a little more than a month earlier. They competed despite missing some key personnel, and even after a disheartening Jets touchdown drive restored the visitors' lead with less than three minutes to go.
In short, the Patriots showed a different kind of toughness that went well beyond blocking and tackling. It was the kind of win a rebuilding team needs to continue believing in a new program. And it came when Mayo needed it most.
Moving on
The Patriots got a jump on the trading deadline when they sent Joshua Uche to Kansas City in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick. Uche, a 2020 second-rounder, never generated any momentum off his strong 2022 season when he recorded 11.5 sacks in 15 games playing opposite Matthew Judon.
Last season in 15 games he had just 3 sacks while playing most of the year without Judon, who was limited to just four games due to injury. He entered free agency in March and wound up re-signing with the Patriots but on a one-year, $3 million deal because he said he wanted to stay in Foxborough and be part of the future.
This season began much like last year with Uche not making much of an impact. He had just 13 tackles and a pair of sacks before being a healthy scratch for Sunday's win over the Jets. The decision to make him inactive seemed to point toward a potential trade, and various reports indicated the Michigan product will be joining the Chiefs.
Uche's departure is the latest example of the mixed bag that was the 2020 draft class. He joins third-rounders Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene as well as fifth-round kicker Justin Rohrwasser as former Patriots, but that class also included solid contributors Kyle Dugger (second), Anfernee Jennings (third) and Mike Onwenu (sixth). As a situational pass rusher, Uche could help a Chiefs defense that could see Lamar Jackson, C.J. Stroud and/or Josh Allen in the postseason.
Speaking of draft picks …
Another Patriots draft pick is enjoying life outside of New England as Chad Ryland connected on the third game-winning field goal of his four-week career in Arizona. Ryland, a 2023 fourth-round pick in New England, lost a training camp battle with Joey Slye and was on the street to start the season.
The Cardinals lost veteran Matt Prater to a knee injury and Ryland came in and connected on 8 of his 9 field goals over the past month. In his first week with the Cardinals, he hit a 35-yarder with 1:35 left to give Arizona a 24-23 win in San Francisco. He then connected from 32 and 34 yards out at the buzzer to give Arizona wins over the Chargers and Dolphins the last two weeks.
Thanks to Ryland's clutch kicking, the Cardinals are tied with Seattle and San Francisco at 4-4 atop the NFC West.
Extra points
Cleveland has to think long and hard about moving on from Deshaun Watson when and if he is ready to return following his torn Achilles. The Browns offense was non-existent under Watson for much of last season and all of 2024, but when others took the controls, the results improved.
Joe Flacco was the talk of the league after coming off his couch to lead the explosive Browns to the postseason late last season, and Jameis Winston injected life into the attack on Sunday when he lit up the Ravens for 334 yards and three touchdowns in Cleveland 29-24 upset win over Baltimore.
Watson is owed a lot of guaranteed money but if the Browns are serious about winning, they need to go with the quarterback who gives them the best chance to do so. The last two seasons have shown that person isn't Watson.
The Lions put 52 points on the board despite managing only 225 total yards and 94 yards passing including just 85 from Jared Goff. A combination of the running game coupled with 262 combined return yards allowed Detroit to roll over the Titans.
Denver rookie Bo Nix has put together a string of solid starts after a rocky open to his career and has the Broncos at 5-3 after Sunday's win over the hapless Panthers. Nix threw for 284 yards and three touchdowns and ran for a fourth in the 28-14 victory. Nix has eight touchdowns and five picks on the season but just one interception over the last six games.
Power 5
1. Kansas City (7-0) – The Chiefs just continue to roll without their fastball.
2. Detroit (6-1) – Dan Campbell has that Bill Belichick circa 2007 look.
3. Buffalo (6-2) – Josh Allen threw his first pick but the Bills rolled in Seattle anyway.
4. Green Bay (6-2) – The Packers have shown great resiliency without Jordan Love this season.
5. Houston (6-2) – C.J. Stroud plays well beyond his years seemingly every week.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
