Pats Pulpit - Patriots vs. Steelers: News, analysis, injuries, previews, final score, and morePats Pulpit: A New England Patriots Communityhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51321/pp-fav.png2022-09-22T14:00:00-04:00http://www.patspulpit.com/rss/stream/231172992022-09-22T14:00:00-04:002022-09-22T14:00:00-04:00Patriots know defending the Ravens starts and ends with Lamar Jackson
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<img alt="NFL: Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EYcISjycFp-j7roXo8cfiP0Z75k=/0x808:1496x1805/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71402339/usa_today_15204758.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/9/21/23364679/patriots-ravens-preview-nfl-week-3">Patriots vs. Ravens preview: Get to know New England’s Week 3 opponent</a></p> <p id="vkIKww">The 2022 <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a> defense is no stranger to going up against first-round talent at the quarterback position. It had to defend the <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a>’ Tua Tagovailoa in Week 1, followed by the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a>’ Mitchell Trubisky in Week 2.</p>
<p id="waetAB">Lamar Jackson, however, is a different kind of player. Frankly, the <a href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/">Baltimore Ravens</a>’ starting QB is one of the best players in the entire league and as such a challenge for any defense.</p>
<p id="oe5qUn">Not only has Jackson proven himself a productive passer this year, completing 64.4 percent of his pass attempts for 531 yards as well as six touchdowns and an interception. Additionally, he has accounted for almost two thirds of Baltimore’s rushing yards: the team’s leading ball-carrier Jackson has gained 138 yards on just 13 non-kneel down carries and found the end zone once.</p>
<p id="MRTjHr">The numbers already paint a pretty clear picture. The entire Ravens offense is difficult to defend, but it starts and ends with Lamar Jackson.</p>
<p id="a8Zkxp">The Patriots, of course, know that.</p>
<p id="r5cHDd">“Football comes down to 11 guys doing their job,” said safety Devin McCourty on Wednesday. “When you go against a good football team, and you go against some really good players out there, you can’t have guys out there, saying, ‘This is my play.’ You don’t know what the offense is going to do. No matter what, we have to stay disciplined especially with a guy like Lamar Jackson.</p>
<p id="FC9SKO">“There’s going to be times with some of the plays that they scheme, runs, different things, a guy has a guy. We’ll have a quarterback guy for Lamar Jackson. Do you have him, though? That’s the thing, and that’s where you talk about discipline.”</p>
<p id="BryA7F">McCourty knows what he is talking about, having gone up against Jackson twice before. The Patriots suffered a road loss in 2019, following it up with a home victory the next year. The second game also featured linebacker Josh Uche, who notched a 7-yard sack against the dual-threat QB.</p>
<p id="rhf5IB">Like McCourty, he too mentioned the importance of discipline when going up against Jackson.</p>
<p id="LCcIaO">“It’s going to take discipline from all 11 guys on the field,” Uche said. “Just everyone executing their assignments.”</p>
<p id="8m0nN7">What will those assignments look like? That remains to be seen, but defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr. has an idea that goes beyond spying on Jackson.</p>
<p id="XRykPC">“Lot of pressure, honestly, and a lot of teamwork up front,” Wise Jr. said. “Being able to contain him and apply pressure is a challenge, but something we can do.”</p>
<p id="VKrFrf">Of course, talking about containing Jackson and putting pressure on him is one thing — actually doing it is another one altogether. Jackson, after all, has shown some notable growth since entering the league as a first-round draft pick back in 2018.</p>
<p id="obo7JE">He has become less reliant on his immense athletic skills, but rather has developed a certain level of comfort staying in the pocket as well. As a result, Jackson is now the total package at the position.</p>
<p id="qMIE9N">“The hard thing with him is he got better. You watch him sit in the pocket a lot more patient, but I think the hardest thing is him reading the defense,” said McCourty.</p>
<p id="BBMifs">“When you’re in zone, you can see he sees that. He stays in the pocket; he knows that within that zone, his guy’s going to uncover, he’s going to have time. When you’re in man, he still wants to keep his eyes downfield, but if that lane opens up and he sees all the routes are going in the other direction, he knows it’s trouble for you. You’ll see him take off, and you’ll see big plays happen like that.”</p>
https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/9/22/23366892/patriots-defending-ravens-lamar-jackson-nfl-week-3Bernd Buchmasser2022-09-22T12:00:00-04:002022-09-22T12:00:00-04:00Lil’Jordan Humphrey continues to carve out a role in the Patriots offense
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<figcaption>Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p><strong>Related: </strong><a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/9/21/23365216/report-patriots-trade-offensive-tackle-justin-herron-raiders">Patriots trade offensive tackle Justin Herron to the Raiders for 2024 draft pick swap</a></p> <p id="V5D82i">One of the biggest changes from the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a> in Week 1 to Week 2 was their personnel usage. Squaring off against Miami in the season opener, New England ran over 50 percent of their offensive plays in 12 personnel. Against Pittsburgh last Sunday, 12 personnel was put on the back burner, as the Patriots trotted out 11 personnel on 97 percent of their offensive snaps.</p>
<p id="SIzlLT">The shift towards more three-wide receiver packages resulted in more snaps for wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey. After playing just three offensive snaps as a practice squad elevation in Week 1, Humphrey saw the field for 26 total snaps in Pittsburgh.</p>
<p id="TcOQE8">His usage throughout those 26 snaps was interesting, as Humphrey was on the field for 21 run plays compared to just five pass plays. After a rough opening game from tight end Hunter Henry in the run game, New England leaned on the 6-foot-4 receiver instead.</p>
<p id="XXPNCt">The results paid off, as Humphrey was the team’s highest graded run blocker on Sunday, according to Pro Football Focus, throwing some key blocks on the Patriots game-clinching drive in the process.</p>
<p id="Ce8YIA">“No doubt, Bill Belichick said when asked on Wednesday if he thought Humphrey made a positive impact in the ground game. “I think some of the toughness that we were talking about.”</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/LJ_Humphrey23?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LJ_Humphrey23</a> making plays in the run game. Was the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Patriots?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Patriots</a> highest graded run blocker on Sunday. <a href="https://t.co/E3Ioloj5Br">pic.twitter.com/E3Ioloj5Br</a></p>— Brian Hines (@iambrianhines) <a href="https://twitter.com/iambrianhines/status/1572262613500985348?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2022</a>
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<p id="1O3Gs8">While most of his work came in the run game, Humphrey made an impact in his few pass reps. On that final drive, he secured a reception to put the Patriots offense back on schedule with just over five minutes remaining. Mac Jones was able to pick up a first down on the next play and the Patriots never gave the ball back to the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a>.</p>
<p id="DKNpqr">“Made a big catch there on that second-and-long,” Belichick explained. “That got us into a third-and-short there in the last drive where Mac ended up scrambling.”</p>
<p id="1jT425">Humphrey stuck around on the Patriots practice squad after shinning throughout the preseason. As Belichick noted, his receiving ability in the middle of the field and willingness as a blocker stood out, among making some “big plays” on special teams. </p>
<p id="71Wc1Q">After being elevated off the practice squad in Week 1, Humphrey was then signed to the active roster. The 24-year old will look to continue to build off his impressive Week 2 performance moving forward.</p>
<p id="7P4hAQ">“He’s an interesting guy. Doesn’t really fit a mold for a certain position. But he’s a good football player. So glad we have him,” Belichick said.</p>
https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/9/22/23365730/liljordan-humphrey-role-patriots-steelersBrian Hines2022-09-22T08:00:00-04:002022-09-22T08:00:00-04:00Patriots adapting to Mac Jones’ collegiate strengths in Year 2
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<img alt="New England Patriots v Pittsburgh Steelers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zNu8wCrX-nR9ctuIcnUI2GszaPQ=/53x174:4025x2822/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71400466/1425007879.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/9/19/23361944/mac-jones-bill-belichick-play-action-patriots">Mac Jones, Bill Belichick explain Patriots’ lack of play-action through two weeks</a></p> <p id="bX4Fm7">Mac Jones led a high-powered Alabama offense to a National Championship his senior season in Tuscaloosa. He did so in an offense that featured a heavy dose of run-pass option plays (RPOs) and playing almost exclusively in the shotgun.</p>
<p id="lJ17aw">Entering Year 2 in New England, the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">Patriots</a> are starting to adapt to Jones’ strengths from his collegiate days.</p>
<p id="zPH2za">Through two weeks of the 2022 season, Jones has been in the shotgun for 64 of the Patriots’ 71 passing plays. And despite being near the bottom of the league in RPO usage last season under Josh McDaniels, the Patriots broke out the run-pass options they worked on throughout the summer for the first time this season against the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a>.</p>
<p id="1mQvoQ">“I think we did it a little bit,” Jones said on Wednesday when asked if they used RPOs on Sunday. “But I like those plays. I think every offense has some of them, in some way, shape or form. They’re good plays. But we have to be able to do a lot of things. ... So yeah, I like RPOs. They’re cool.”</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Haven't seen the Patriots use this many RPOs in a game since Cam Newton, especially not with pass options on both sides of the field<br><br>RPO era may be upon us, folks <a href="https://t.co/lxoxZz3LSM">pic.twitter.com/lxoxZz3LSM</a></p>— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) <a href="https://twitter.com/tkyles39/status/1572262737581047813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2022</a>
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<p id="nZjSkl">The run-pass option scheme puts mental stress on opposing defense, something we’ve been banging the table on that the Patriots need to do a better job of. As the offensive line and running back treat the play as a run, the quarterback has a decision to either hand the ball off or throw it to a receiver based off the defenses movements.</p>
<p id="DPNoI0">In his senior season, Jones used these to carve apart opposing defenses - completing 61-of-68 passes for 778 yards and eight touchdowns, with zero interceptions.</p>
<p id="iiHMoj">“I think it puts stress on the defense,” Jones explained. “I definitely learned in college just watching Coach [Nick] Saban sometimes explode at practice. Just knowing he’s trying to tell somebody to do something but his guy’s running a route but then it’s also a run. Is it a pass? So there’s a lot of cool grey area there from an offensive perspective.”</p>
<p id="4ghF9h">New England’s lack of run-pass options in Jones’ rookie season was an interesting choice, running them just 15 total times. While they are not the core of an offense, RPOs have become a key part of other high-powered offenses around the league, and Jones’ familiarity and success with them in college could have been beneficial to the Patriots offense.</p>
<p id="eNGffx">“Other teams were doing them too around the league, and having good production,” he said on Wednesday. “So I think, like I said, every offense has their core plays and you don’t necessarily want your RPOs to be your core plays which they’re not. But it’s always good to have that extra flavor you can have in there. Like you said, it’s a run, it’s a pass, what is it? So I think they’re always good.”</p>
<p id="rYPnUd">After not running an RPO against Miami in Week 1, the usage of them against Pittsburgh — and the heavy incorporation of shotgun — suggests more are on the horizon, and for good reason.</p>
<p id="bot36Y">“We just have to keep growing, growing from them,” Jones said. “Learn how to do them and continue to figure it out early on. That’s kind of what early on in the season is for, figuring out what we want to do. Then once we find out what really fits, we’ll use that throughout the year.”</p>
https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/9/22/23365864/mac-jones-patriots-alabama-rpos-strenghtsBrian Hines2022-09-22T06:00:00-04:002022-09-22T06:00:00-04:00Patriots bring back Practice Player of the Week designation, recognize 4 after win over Steelers
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<img alt="NFL: JUL 26 Patriots Training Camp" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SGhazMNXkKt8RYtQXM8R8tZB27I=/699x235:3080x1822/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71400323/1157844527.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/9/21/23365363/new-england-patriots-vs-baltimore-ravens-wednesday-injury-report-jakobi-meyers-kyle-dugger-sidelined">Patriots vs. Ravens Wednesday injury report: Jakobi Meyers, Kyle Dugger sidelined for New England</a></p> <p id="5zl9Wr">The <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a> have brought back the Practice Player of the Week designation to recognize bottom-of-the-roster players who have played a significant role in preparing the team for a win. After the 17-14 victory over the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a> in Week 2, four players were honored.</p>
<p id="m85z5x">The quartet was spotted wearing black jerseys during the first practice of the Week on Wednesday afternoon.</p>
<h3 id="553jZ1">Patriots Practice Players of the Week: Week 2</h3>
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<li id="eSJWY1">OT Marcus Cannon</li>
<li id="4yiWbp">DT Sam Roberts</li>
<li id="GpkwJf">TE Matt Sokol</li>
<li id="V93f0S">WR Laquon Treadwell</li>
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<p id="ktJkDD">None of the four players saw any action in the game against the Steelers. Sam Roberts, the only one of the four on the active roster at the moment, was declared a healthy scratch for the contest. Marcus Cannon, Matt Sokol and Laquon Treadwell, meanwhile, were not elevated from the practice squad.</p>
<p id="JLPJ5w">Nonetheless, they apparently helped the team get ready for the Steelers. It seems likely that they helped mimic Pittsburgh players in practice, giving those who did play in the game a better feel for who they would go up against.</p>
<p id="cF8tri">Cornerback Myles Bryant, for example, credited Treadwell for playing Steelers wideout Chase Claypool in practice. Cannon, Roberts and Sokol likely had a similar impact on the sessions ahead of last Sunday’s game.</p>
<p id="tpJ75F">The Patriots last recognized Practice Players of the Week during the 2018 campaign. After a three-year hiatus, it looks they have brought the designation back.</p>
https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/9/22/23366519/patriots-practice-player-of-nfl-week-2-steelersBernd Buchmasser2022-09-21T11:00:00-04:002022-09-21T11:00:00-04:00How Nelson Agholor became the Patriots’ most prolific man coverage beater
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<img alt="New England Patriots v Pittsburgh Steelers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/oMulQA5bZu2N3S5K_er34zR3L2Y=/0x335:2370x1915/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71396777/1424982631.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/9/19/23360660/nelson-agholor-win-over-steelers-stepping-stone-patriots-offense-nfl-week-2">Nelson Agholor hopes win over Steelers can be a ‘stepping stone’ for the Patriots</a></p> <p id="IJedKD">Coming off a disappointing first season with the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a>, Nelson Agholor finds himself right in the middle of the famous second-year jump. The veteran wide receiver, who arrived via a two-year, $22 million contract last March, has been one of the team’s best players through the first two weeks of the 2022 season.</p>
<p id="CpH4Iu">Agholor has caught nine passes for 138 yards and a touchdown so far, despite effectively serving as New England’s WR3 when measured by playing time. While his output does not stand out in a league-wide comparison, Agholor has become one of the most productive wide receivers in football in one particular statistic.</p>
<p id="fdcFS6">He is among the league leaders in beating man coverage this year. According to ESPN’s Seth Walder, he is averaging <a href="https://twitter.com/SethWalder/status/1571894366188474370">4.71 yards</a> per route run versus man looks — one of the highest numbers in the league for players with at least 20 such routes.</p>
<p id="PxFlfk">Obviously, YPRR is not the be-all and end-all of wide receiver assessment. And, yes, Agholor has also played a more specialized role than some of the other wide receivers on the leaderboard.</p>
<p id="ZufFnZ">That all said, he has proven himself a valuable member of the Patriots offense in an area the team has struggled in the last few years. So, the question now becomes what has happened. How has Agholor been able to turn from limited role player to productive complementary piece this year?</p>
<p id="RWd5Bw">The answer is three-fold: his experience, the way New England is using him, and his skillset.</p>
<p id="TEPQnf">For one, Agholor has more experience in the Patriots’ scheme now. He was repeatedly not on the same page as quarterback Mac Jones during their first year together in 2021; as a result, the wideout finished with just 38 catches on 61 targets for 491 yards and three touchdowns — not the production New England was investing in.</p>
<p id="TdDMgR">Year 2, however, has seen him build a better connection with his QB. That was already the case in training camp, and it has translated into improved regular season production as well.</p>
<p id="gKDfx7">Additionally, the Patriots have changed his role. While he spent 91.3 percent of his snaps on the outside of the formation last season, and only 8.6 in the slot, he has been moved around more this year. Of his 66 offensive snaps, 44 have come split out wide (66.7%), 21 out of the slot (31.8%), and one saw him align in the backfield (1.5%).</p>
<p id="De0yiQ">The sample size is limited, but this change of usage has helped Agholor quite a bit. Just look at the following play from the Week 2 win over the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a>:</p>
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<p id="bgrDT5">Agholor (15) is originally aligning in the left-side slot against cornerback Cameron Sutton (20). With safety help over the top, Sutton is playing Agholor with outside leverage to open the door to to the middle of the field. However, the wideout has the speed to get free from this alignment — in large part because of the play-action concept run by the Patriots.</p>
<p id="Jj76gj">The play-call, after all, holds weak-side safety Terrell Edmunds (34) just long enough for Agholor to gain a favorable angle on him and Sutton. While the defender does react quickly, he cannot prevent a window from opening that Jones and Agholor are able to exploit.</p>
<p id="lNX6p1">The following play works similarly:</p>
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<p id="gOYRKr">Here, Agholor aligns on the right side of the formation. He faces a different cornerback, Levi Wallace (29), but still is given inside release. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (39) not coming up quickly enough — a difficult decision given his responsibility as the lone deep man — contributed to another window opening.</p>
<p id="Qi4BzJ">The play above gained 25 yards. This one ended with New England moving 16 yards down the field on the Jones-Agholor connection.</p>
<p id="wUEqyD">Using him closer to the formation has also helped the 29-year-old draw more favorable matchups such as the following:</p>
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<p id="FTtyry">On this 2nd-and-10, Agholor aligns just detached off left tackle Trent Brown (77). After the snap, he chips edge defender DeMarvin Leal (98) before releasing into his route.</p>
<p id="HjFsju">Agholor runs a shallow crosser while matched up 1-on-1 with linebacker Myles Jack (51). Jack is a good athlete at the position, but the wide receiver still has a speed and space advantage: not only is he faster than Jack and coming from a favorable angle, the route distribution also cleared out the space he was heading toward.</p>
<p id="wPKShE">Jack was eventually able to trip Agholor to keep the gain to a relatively modest nine yards, but the potential for a significantly bigger play was there. Had Mac Jones’ pass led the receiver just a bit more to the outside, and had he evaded the trip, Agholor might have gained enough yardage to at least move the sticks.</p>
<p id="VqknJn">All of those plays illustrate how the Patriots have been able to put Agholor in advantageous situations versus man looks by simply altering how he has been employed (something we already <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/6/3/23152943/patriots-roster-analysis-nelson-agholor-2022-nfl-season">suspected</a> would happen after the DeVante Parker trade).</p>
<p id="AMRPyE">Scheming players open against man coverage goes beyond simple alignment switches, though. Sometimes plays are also drawn up for particular players and their respective skillsets. The following 17-yard play against the <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a> is an example of that:</p>
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<p id="GExnuN">Agholor is originally matched up with Dolphins cornerback Keion Crossen (27) in a press-man alignment. Once he moves to the inside against Miami’s Cover 0 look, Crossen has to mirror his motion; this creates space between the two players and allows Jakobi Meyers (16) and tight end Hunter Henry (85) to serve as a convoy on the screen pass.</p>
<p id="BY9Zyn">Agholor makes the most out of the play. He turns upfield quickly and gains 20 yards after the reception on the catch-and-run. He is able to do that by reading his blocks well and bouncing the edge behind Henry.</p>
<p id="7RGlZz">The Patriots have schemed Agholor open quite a bit against man coverage looks, but they also trusted him to win his 1-on-1s when they presented themselves. His 44-yard touchdown grab versus the Steelers is a perfect example of that:</p>
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<p id="3bxX0w">Agholor aligns on the right-side perimeter against Pittsburgh’s No. 1 cornerback, Ahkello Witherspoon (25). The wideout stacks Witherspoon while releasing into his route, which opens a path down the sideline. The defender actually recovers quite nicely, and is competitive throughout the stem of the route.</p>
<p id="03tTox">However, Agholor has an advantage Witherspoon does not have: he only has to play the ball, whereas the defender also has to play the man opposite him. On this play, Agholor can be seen slowing down a bit at around the 30-yard line before accelerating again at the 20; he sees the pass is coming and adjusts accordingly.</p>
<p id="Xx049c">This adjustment helps Agholor gain a small step on Witherspoon and eventually out-leap him to make the catch. Six yards later he is in the end zone for his fourth touchdown as a Patriot.</p>
<p id="wC0bZX">Agholor out-muscling defenders on a play like this is not a regular occurrence, but it also shows what he can and did do against man coverage. His production is therefore not just the result of favorable situations and scheme, but also of him taking advantage of his skillset and the opportunities he has been given so far this year.</p>
<p id="2HK5A1">Of course, both Agholor and the Patriots offense as a whole still have a long way to go. The hope for the team, however, is that the wideout can keep up this early momentum and continue to win his matchups — both against man or zone.</p>
https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/9/21/23364797/nelson-agholor-man-coverage-beater-patriotsBernd Buchmasser2022-09-21T06:10:48-04:002022-09-21T06:10:48-04:00Patriots wide receiver Nelson Agholor named secret superstar of Week 2
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<img alt="New England Patriots (17 Vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (14) At Heinz Field" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/n0X42OdCJ1IRVjSj18cqVE-tEO8=/0x0:3715x2477/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71395430/1243366774.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/9/19/23360660/nelson-agholor-win-over-steelers-stepping-stone-patriots-offense-nfl-week-2">Nelson Agholor hopes win over Steelers can be a ‘stepping stone’ for the Patriots</a></p> <p id="xWIefJ">Veteran wide receiver Nelson Agholor had his most successful game in a <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a> uniform on Sunday, catching all six of his targets for 110 yards and a touchdown. His performance was pivotal in the Patriots’ 17-14 win over the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a>.</p>
<p id="gOYWuT">As a result of his outing, he was named among the <a href="https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/dan-skipper-jamel-dean-joe-flacco-mike-williams-tyler-smith/?taid=6329fb321c8e330001863ab2&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter">“secret superstars”</a> of Week 2 in the NFL by Touchdown Wire. Our friend Doug Farrar explained the selection as follows:</p>
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<p id="ePYOZa"><strong>Nelson Agholor, WR, New England Patriots</strong></p>
<p id="xGLiOb">Speaking of receivers who can roll deep in the right offense, and are not in the right offense right now, we give you Mr. Agholor, who’s trying to make the best of whatever Matt Patricia and Joe Judge are doing to Bill Belichick’s passing game. Through his first two games of the new season, Mac Jones has attempted 11 passes of 20 or more air yards, completing four for 136 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Agholor has one deep catch on just two targets for 144 yards, and here it is: Agholor just going crazy vertical against Steelers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon’s tight coverage.</p>
<p id="ZKMhu8">I loved the idea of the Patriots signing Agholor before the 2021 season, because in 2020, his deep-ball numbers with the Raiders were comparable to those that Tyreek Hill was putting up with the Chiefs. It hasn’t worked out as anybody would have expected, but if you’re looking to assess blame, Agholor’s going to be pretty far down the depth chart on that one.</p>
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<p id="kxb7ZE">Through two weeks, Agholor has been one of the Patriots’ best player on the offensive side of the ball. He and the rest of the team will go up against the <a href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/">Baltimore Ravens</a> on Sunday.</p>
https://www.patspulpit.com/new-england-patriots-social-media-video-podcasts/2022/9/21/23364660/patriots-wide-receiver-nelson-agholor-secret-superstar-nfl-week-2Bernd Buchmasser2022-09-20T15:30:00-04:002022-09-20T15:30:00-04:00Jake Bailey’s adjustment was a turning point in Patriots’ win over Steelers
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<img alt="New England Patriots v Las Vegas Raiders" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/S8kiljNyZopSQOX5OZ35p8EaO1k=/402x0:5401x3333/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71393181/1418541301.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><strong>Related: </strong><a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/9/18/23360016/rookie-special-teamer-brenden-schooler-comes-up-big-patriots-steelers-nfl-week-2">Rookie special teamer Brenden Schooler comes up big for Patriots against Steelers</a></p> <p id="AKZdAD">Holding a 10-6 lead in the third quarter of Sunday’s victory over the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a>, the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a> were set to punt the ball back to Pittsburgh. The result deemed to be a major turning point in the matchup, as Gunner Olszewski muffed the ball and the Patriots then recovered. New England went on to score the eventual game-winning touchdown three plays later.</p>
<p id="sGTPw6">The play was made possible by an original substitution error by the Steelers. With only 10 players on the field, Patriots’ gunner Brenden Schooler was left uncovered on the left sideline. Seeing Schooler had a free release, Patriots’ punter Jake Bailey adjusted.</p>
<p id="278AyN">“He sees Schooler is uncovered right there, so rather than pinning the ball where Gunner [Olszewski] is not going to have a chance to field it, now he’s going to hit a higher ball right there, a sky ball, which forces the ball to move more in the air,” Patriots special teams coordinator Cam Achord explained to reporters on Tuesday.</p>
<p id="FqDhrq">“He hit a different pitch, used a different club to hit, which left more hang time on the ball, and actually put more backspin on the ball, which helped contribute to the muff right there. Schools obviously made a great play to be in front because any time you muff a ball, it’s going to go down in front of you, so that’s where you want to be.”</p>
<p id="FpJ9y4">While the play worked to New England’s liking, one would wonder why Bailey did not just throw the ball to the uncovered Schooler. Achord noted that is a possibility, and Bailey has the arm to do so.</p>
<p id="F4rWII">“There’s a couple different things in that situation,” Achord said. “There’s definitely an opportunity for Jake to throw it to him, obviously Jake has a good arm and can throw. So, there are situations where that will definitely happen.”</p>
<p id="BPV0I5">The Patriots special teams unit has earned the reputation of making game-altering plays in the past, and Sunday’s play by Bailey and Schooler was just another example of such.</p>
<p id="zgNko9">“That was really a heads up, alert play by Jake,” special teams captain Matthew Slate said on Monday. “Making an adjustment before the snap and executing at a high level and taking advantage of a mistake by Pittsburgh.”</p>
https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/9/20/23363517/jake-bailey-adjustment-patriots-week-2-steelersBrian Hines2022-09-20T12:00:00-04:002022-09-20T12:00:00-04:00Patriots vs. Steelers rookie review: Cole Strange not the only first-year player to stand out
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<img alt="New England Patriots v Pittsburgh Steelers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PBNEmz-nWycf5ehX_CW570Tcry8=/208x659:2553x2222/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71392055/1425006004.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>A signature performance from Cole Strange. | Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/9/19/23359912/patriots-steelers-snap-counts-analysis-nfl-week-2">Patriots vs. Steelers snap counts: Kendrick Bourne sees increased playing time in Week 2</a></p> <p id="38YLK8">The <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a>’ 17-14 win over the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a> on Sunday was a full-team affair with notable contributions from all three phases. Within those, the Patriots also used a heavy dose of rookie talent yet again.</p>
<p id="ODLeIA">Let’s quickly go through all of the first-year players currently on the team, starting with first-round draft pick Cole Strange and going all the way to the undrafted free agents.</p>
<p id="Ap8s6S"><strong>G Cole Strange (1-29):</strong> Once again starting the game at left guard, Strange went wire-to-wire and was on the field for all 68 offensive snaps. Along the way, the first-round pick delivered an impressive performance: despite regularly going up against the likes of Cameron Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi, Strange generally held his own both as a pass protector and as a run blocker. It was a good performance.</p>
<p id="qySML2"><strong>CB Marcus Jones (3-85):</strong> As opposed to Week 1, the Patriots decided against Marcus Jones on their game-day roster. The youngster was a healthy scratch, with veteran Myles Bryant serving as the top slot cornerback and punt returner yet again.</p>
<p id="MN4kcG"><strong>CB Jack Jones (4-121):</strong> With starting cornerback Jonathan Jones on and off again while dealing with an apparent quad issue, Jack Jones took the field for 22 defensive snaps against the Steelers. The fourth-rounder, who already saw semi-regular snaps in Week 1, registered two tackles and was not targeted in the passing game.</p>
<p id="L63wtQ"><strong>RB Pierre Strong Jr. (4-127):</strong> After sitting out the season opener in Miami, Pierre Strong Jr. made his NFL debut in Pittsburgh. The South Dakota State product, who served as RB3 behind Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson, saw most of his action on special teams: he played five snaps in the game’s third phase, returning two kickoffs for an average of 24.0 yards. He also saw three snaps on offense but served as a blocker on all of them.</p>
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<p id="c4oHK5"><strong>QB Bailey Zappe (4-137):</strong> Zappe is the third quarterback on the Patriots’ depth chart behind starter Mac Jones and veteran backup Brian Hoyer. With Jones fully recovered from his back injury suffered last week, he was named a game-day inactive yet again.</p>
<p id="40U6uL"><strong>DT Sam Roberts (6-200):</strong> The Patriots activated five interior defensive linemen on Sunday, and Roberts was not among them. The sixth-round rookie was now a healthy scratch in back-to-back weeks and will likely only see limited action, if any, moving forward.</p>
<p id="77XT2n"><strong>OL Chasen Hines (6-210):</strong> New England once again activated only one backup along the interior offensive line, and it was once again veteran James Ferentz over sixth-round rookie Chasen Hines. Like Zappe and Roberts, Hines appears to be in “break glass in case of emergency” territory right now.</p>
<p id="G5TIj0"><strong>S Brenden Schooler (UDFA):</strong> Not only did Brenden Schooler make the game-day roster yet again and appear on four special teams units for a total of 15 snaps, he also had one of the biggest plays of the day. The undrafted rookie recovered a muffed punt deep in Steelers territory, setting up the Patriots’ second touchdown of the day to give them a 17-6 lead in the third quarter. Besides his work on the punt coverage team, Schooler also saw action on the punt return, kickoff return and kickoff coverage squads.</p>
<p id="DeQ0R8"><strong>LB DaMarcus Mitchell (UDFA):</strong> Just like Schooler, fellow rookie free agent DaMarcus Mitchell also saw all of his action in the kicking game on Sunday. He played 13 total snaps in the game’s third phase: he was again used on kickoff return and coverage as well as on the punt return team, but also saw some opportunities on the field goal/extra point blocking squad. Mitchell did not register any statistics.</p>
<p id="OPGHVj">Of course, the Patriots’ rookie class extends beyond those nine players; running back Kevin Harris, tight end Jalen Wydermyer, offensive lineman Kody Russey, defensive linemen LaBryan Ray and Jeremiah Pharms Jr., and defensive back Brad Hawkins are all on the practice squad. New England did not elevate any of them to the game-day team versus Pittsburgh, meaning that they all still have three standard elevations available.</p>
<p id="F6zFUQ">Additionally, two rookie players are on the Patriots’ reserve lists. Second-round wide receiver Tyquan Thornton remains on injured reserve for at least two more games (but likely more), while offensive tackle Andrew Stueber is on the non-football injury list.</p>
https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/9/20/23363117/patriots-steelers-rookie-review-nfl-week-2Bernd Buchmasser