When the Patriots called gap plays, there were some interesting designs. The Pats ran a lead play with OL Sidy Sow as a lead-blocker in this clip. However, Sow goes right while the ball carrier goes left. Typically, when teams run away from lead blockers, they use the extra blocker to free up another blocker at the point of attack. The Pats have the C/RG double-team, RT Mike Onwenu base blocks, Hooper kicks out, and the run goes left? Maye and Stevenson are on the same page, but something seems off with this play. There’s a hole between Hooper and Onwenu on the right side, but Stevenson gets stuffed running away from Sow.

There’s another rabbit hole to go down about how the Patriots are marrying their runs to their play-action passes. Mostly, their play-action plays are designed to be paired with zone runs, but they’ve had a tough time getting the coverages they want to run those designs effectively.

Ultimately, the coaching staff must determine what runs they block well and then pair those runs with the right play-action concepts. From this perspective, their personnel is better suited to run gap/power concepts, where they could use lead blockers to help the O-Line move defenders to get Stevenson downhill rather than moving horizontally. To this point, the Patriots have been somewhat reluctant to embrace the power run game.

Quick-Hit Film Notes From Patriots-Titans After Further Review

– The Patriots decision to start rookie RG Layden Robinson proved to be a costly one. Robinson was on the field for New England’s first four drives when Maye was under pressure on 44.4% of his drop-backs. When they went back to last week’s line, Maye only saw a 29% pressure rate. It certainly wasn’t perfect, as Maye was sacked three times without Robinson, but the rookie’s two hurries and hold on a third-down sack contributed to shaky pass protection early in this one.

– RT Trey Jacobs (one hurry) and G/T Mike Onwenu (two hurries) should start on the right side for the rest of the year, assuming they’re available. Jacobs gave up one short corner, while Onwenu got beat inside at right tackle and gave up one hurry at RG. These two settled things down in pass protection. There’s no reason to go away from this pairing again.

– LT Vederian Lowe was at least partially responsible for the strip sack, which occurred in 3.86 seconds when he failed to get Arden Key past the quarterback at the apex of the rush. Maye could’ve gotten to his check-down sooner. Still, Lowe got beat. There were a few T/E exchanges that didn’t go well with Jordan, but on the whole, Lowe did his job vs. Key.

– You wonder if left guard will be up for grabs soon between Sidy Sow, Robinson, and Cole Strange when healthy. Current starter Michael Jordan allowed a team-high five pressures with a hit and four hurries. I also had Jordan responsible for two run stuffs, including the 2nd-and-1 gun run before the half. We’re a few weeks into Jordan being up and down now, and they have younger options on the bench with some upside.

– C Ben Brown is a nice story of a player who was signed off of Vegas’s practice squad and forced into action. That’s a tough ask by the Patriots, who lost top C David Andrews for the season, backup Jake Andrews in camp for the season, and felt they couldn’t rely on vet Nick Leverett. Still, Brown allowed a sack, hit, and two hurries while being called for two holds. One of his holds wiped out a 22-yard play. The team is asking a lot of Brown, but he’s out there, and that’s what he’s putting on film.

– WR Kendrick Bourne had three solid catches, including back-to-back receptions in the two-minute drills, where his routes looked as crisp as they have since his return. However, he slipped twice on the Nissan Stadium field, once on the first drop-back of the game and then again on the game-ending INT. There’s no way of knowing if Titans S Amani Hooker would’ve recovered to the post anyway had Bourne finished his route, but it was a factor on the play as Hooker was free to fall off Bourne’s route to the post in a single-high structure.

– WR DeMario Douglas got some extra attention in this game with the Titans using zone coverage to bracket the middle of the field. He was still targeted nine times, but for only 35 yards, with 21 yards on one play. With teams likely straying away from man-to-man to contain Maye in the pocket, the Pats need to scheme ways for Douglas to get open downfield.

– TE Hunter Henry catches everything thrown his way: 8 targets, 7 catches, and a team-high 56 yards. He is a super reliable player, which showed when Maye went to him on fourth-and-2 with the game on the line late in the fourth quarter – a do-or-die situation.

– WR Ja’Lynn Polk continues to have the rookie blues. Polk played nine snaps and ran four routes. He was called for two penalties, including a hold on a perimeter screen to Douglas that wiped out a 12-yard completion. The hold was borderline, but Polk got his hands outside his frame, which often draws a flag. The illegal formation penalty is just a mental error. I get showing a vote of confidence but watching from the ninth floor to burrow a hockey reference might do him some good.

– Rookie WR Javon Baker ran two good routes on just four snaps. He was open on a deep post where he nodded outside and broke away from the defender, but pressure forced Maye to check it down. Baker also separated on a backside dig, but again, pressure caused Maye to leave the pocket. Assuming he’s locked in during the week, I’m ready to see more Baker.

– RB Antonio Gibson’s usage continues to be a head-scratcher, with just eight snaps in this one. He’s an explosive player in the open field. I’m not sure why he’s not given more touches.

– Pass protection: Jordan (hit, four hurries), Brown (sack, hit, two hurries, two holds), Lowe (sack, hurry), Robinson (two hurries, hold), Onwenu (two hurries), Jacobs (hurry).

– Titans QB Mason Rudolph added +0.18 EPA per drop-back (66th percentile), and although the efficiency metrics were solid (-0.20 EPA/rush), the run defense is the worst area of this team. You could also make a case for the traditional rush offense, but at least Maye gives them some ground production. The run fits and ability to defeat blocks are a tough watch every week. The Pats were two unforced errors away, a tip-drill INT and a botched snap, from allowing 14 more points. This defense is now 30th in total DVOA, 29th in EPA allowed, and 21st in scoring defense (24.1 PPG). Don’t let the 20 points allowed this week fool you.

– The Patriots alignment on Pollard’s 32-yard run seemed off with DT Jeremiah Pharms lining straight-up over the LT as a four-technique without an edge rusher outside of him. The Titans motioned the TE into the formation at the snap to crack block Pharms on the toss scheme and got the edge easily. LBs Raekwon McMillan and Jahlani Tavai could’ve been better on the play, too, but it didn’t seem right. I even counted to make sure they had 11 defenders on the field because it was odd to see that alignment without an on-ball linebacker outside of Pharms. They ran the same front later on and allowed an 11-yard off-tackle rush.

– Three third-down losses for the defense stood out as back-breakers: 3rd-and-12 scramble by Rudolph on TEN opening TD drive (13 yards), 3rd-and-10 completion to Westbrook-Ikhine for 13 yards on TEN third-quarter FG drive, and third-and-5 in OT to Ridley for 14 yards – three opportunities to get off the field on drives that ended in points for the Titans.

– CB Christian Gonzalez was up and down in this one. Gonzo’s ability to cover verticals is excellent. His PBU on a slot fade with Ridley in the No. 3 spot was superb. However, his coverage got a little loose on in-breakers, allowing three catches for 51 yards to Ridley on routes breaking into the MOF: 25-yard post, 12-yard glance, and 14-yard dig in OT. He was not playing outside leverage on the completion in overtime. Instead, he took an inside position and couldn’t speed turn quickly enough to stick with Ridley.

– EDGE Keion White admitted to Patriots.com last week that he’s still working through some streaky play as a younger player, especially early in games. Well, that was on display again this week. Here were my notes in order: missed tackle on 12-yard reception (stiff-armed by the TE), blown edge on a 13-yard run, flagged for horse-collar tackle, bull rushed the RG for a QB hit, blown gap on a draw play, stuff on end around, hurry, hurry in OT.

– I wanted to be “up” on LB Jahlani Tavai this week after he had an interception, two hurries, a TFL, and three run stuffs. He has taken a lot of heat this season. But he gave up as many plays as he made: partially responsible on 32-yard, 13-yard, and an 8-yard run plus a 24-yard catch allowed off play-action. Overall, it was nice to see some splash plays.

– The Pats most consistent defender was DL Deatrich Wise. Wise had a sack, hit, and a hurry to go along with a blown-up screen in 28 snaps. At this stage, Wise is a rotational player. But he’s very reliable in his role. DT Daniel Ekuale was also solid (QB hit, two stuffs).

– The Patriots knew the Titans would run behind first-round LT JC Latham, who is a beast at 6-5, 340 pounds. The Pats played fronts with DT Davon Godchaux over Latham, and those two went back-and-forth, but a tip of the cap to the rookie. He is the real deal in the run game.

– The Patriots safety trio sans Kyle Dugger gave up some plays. Hawkins allowed the 16-yard drive starter in OT by straying from his assignment as the buzz defender in cover three, Pettus struggled in the run game and might’ve blown an assignment on a coverage bust, and Mapu appeared responsible for the third-and-10 conversion to Westbrook-Ihkine.

– Pressures: Jennings (four hurries), Wise (sack, hit, hurry), White (three hurries), Tavai (two hurries), Pharms (hit), Ekuale (hit). Run stops: Jennings (5), Tavai (3), Roy (2), Ekuale (2), Godchaux (2), six with one (Pettus, White, Mapu, M. Jones, McMillan, J. Jones).

– Coverage: Gonzalez (6/3/51 yards/PBU), J. Jones (4/3/37 yards/TD), Wilson (3/3/30 yards/TD), Tavai (3/2/29 yards/INT), White (2/2/21 yards), Elliss (2/2/20 yards), Hawkins (1/1/16 yards), Pettus (2/2/14 yards), Mapu (1/1/13 yards), Jennings (1/1/9 yards), M. Jones (1/0/0).