All week, Mike Vrabel’s message to the Patriots was get back to basics.
Well, how about back to butt-kicking?
The Patriots whooped the Panthers on Sunday, out-coaching and out-playing them in a way they hadn’t beaten anyone in almost four years. Marcus Jones powered them with a 87-yard punt return touchdown, then teed up another score with a 61-yard return minutes before halftime. Without Jones, the Pats don’t dominate like they did.
But that, of course, wasn’t all.
The Patriots’ offense almost matched its explosive play total from Weeks 1-3 and went a perfect 4-of-4 on trips inside the red zone. Drake Maye’s offensive line yielded the lowest pressure rate it has all season, which directly led to the cleanest performance of Maye’s career. Defensively, after sleep-walking through their opening series, the Pats harassed Bryce Young, blocked his only paths to an upset and so Carolina waved a white flag early in the fourth quarter.
However, a repeat performance for the Patriots — even against their Charmin soft schedule — is no guarantee. Defensive cracks surfaced throughout the game, and the combination of Maye’s precision passes and Josh McDaniels’ clever play-calling papered over an inefficient run game.
The Pats must be even better if they want to bowl over the Bills in Buffalo, where they will kick off Sunday as heavy underdogs. Or, for that matter, if they want to become the team they believe they can be.
Here’s what else the film revealed about the Pats’ latest win, with all personnel, play-calling and team stats excluding garbage time:
Drake Maye
14-of-17 for 203 yards, 2 TDs, 11 rushing yards
Accurate throw percentage: 87.5%
Under pressure: 2-of-3 for 53 yards, TD, sack
Against the blitz: 3-of-4 for 39 yards, TD
Behind the line: 4-of-4 for 41 yards
0-9 yards downfield: 6-of-6 for 59 yards, 2 TDs
10-19 yards downfield: 3-of-5 for 73 yards
20+ yards downfield: 1-of-1 for 30 yards
Foxboro, MA – New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye scores defended by Carolina Panthers’ DJ Johnson during the second quarter of the game at Gillette Stadium. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
Notes: The NFL’s leader in completion percentage owes his offensive line a steak dinner. Maybe two.
Maye could have picnicked inside of several pockets Sunday, when he faced zero pressures in the first half and carved up Carolina’s zone-heavy scheme from start to finish. Maye was exceptionally accurate. After an ugly misfire to Kayshon Boutte ended his opening drive, his only inaccurate pass on a non-throwaway came with a pass-rusher at his feet in the third quarter.
Maye owned the middle of the field, where the Patriots attacked via play-action and simple zone-beaters that led to three early catches for Stefon Diggs. Their chemistry built to a crescendo on Maye’s 30-yard, back-shoulder completion to convert on fourth-and-3 in the second half. That play was his only deep completion of the game, one of two signs of growth for the uber-talented 23-year-old blessed with a bazooka for a right arm who occasionally can’t resist the temptation to show it off.
The other sign: Maye’s response to pressure. He went 2-of-3 for 53 yards and a touchdown under duress and folded for a 0-yard sack the only time he was truly threatened inside the pocket. Whereas against Pittsburgh, he lost a fumble trying to revive a dead play. Maye’s legs bailed him out a couple times Sunday, namely on bootleg play-action concepts that were well-covered and Hunter Henry’s 31-yard touchdown; an off-schedule play where his creativity opened a late throwing lane that sparked a sensational score.
All together, you cannot separate Maye’s brilliance from the immaculate pass protection he received (the Patriots’ offensive line yielded just two pressures all game). But when a quarterback throws with accuracy and decisiveness and finishes with as many touchdowns as incompletions, that just about says it all.
Critical areas
Turnovers: Patriots 0, Panthers 0
Explosive play rate: Patriots 14.6%, Panthers 6.2%
Success rate: Patriots 46.5%, Panthers 49%
Red-zone efficiency: Patriots 4-4, Panthers 2-2
Defensive pressure rate: Patriots 36.8%, Panthers 18.2%
Offense
Game plan
New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, left, talks with quarterback Drake Maye (10) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Personnel breakdown: 41% of snaps in 11 personnel, 41% snaps in 12 personnel, 7% snaps in 21F personnel, 7% snaps in 21F personnel, 2% snaps in 13 personnel, 2% snaps in jumbo personnel.***
Personnel production: 59% success rate in 11 personnel, 24% success rate in 12 personnel, 67% success rate in 21F personnel, 100% success rate in 21H personnel, 0% success rate in 13 personnel, 100% success rate in jumbo personnel.
First-down down play-calls: 53% run (20% success rate), 47% pass (66% success rate)
Play-action rate: 38.1%
Despite the pedestrian box-score stats, this was close to a McDaniels masterpiece.
The Patriots exploited a dopey Carolina linebacking corps with simple misdirections, starting with a season-high 38.1% play-action rate and early, 24-yard tight end screen to Austin Hooper. McDaniels then triggered back-to-back explosive runs in the first quarter with jet motion; first a hand-off to Antonio Gibson on a 21-yard jet sweep, then a fake jet sweep before Rhamondre Stevenson rumbled 22 yards on a hand-off going the other way. Maye finished that drive with a naked bootleg, where overly aggressive edge-rusher D.J. Johnson might as well have been naked and afraid watching Maye scoot by him for a 5-yard touchdown.
.@DrakeMaye2 around the outside 👏
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/rtBrd2AjtD
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 28, 2025
Maye finished 9-of-10 for 105 yards and two touchdowns on passes with pre-snap motion. He wisely avoided Pro Bowl corner Jaycee Horn on the outside. In addition to avoiding Horn, the Pats made a habit of snapping the ball immediately at the end of their motions to give the Panthers minimal time to react, including on TreVeyon Henderson’s 5-yard touchdown run. That play also reflected a deepened commitment to gap schemes over zone-blocked runs, which are averaging over a yard less through four weeks.
Despite the shift to more man-blocked runs (power, counter, duo), the Pats posted just a 38% success rate when rushing and 20% rushing success rate on first down. At halftime, McDaniels pivoted to more 11 personnel (three receivers, one running back and one tight end) to jump-start his run game because it had been their most efficient to that point. No luck.
By the end, McDaniels schemed all three of the Pats’ longest runs: the aforementioned explosive gains (both from little-used Pony personnel, featuring two receivers, two halfbacks and one tight end), and an 11-yard pickup for Henderson on an end-around.
Player stats
Foxboro, MA – New England Patriots’ Rhamondre Stevenson celebrates the touchdown by Treveyon Henderson during the second quarter of the game at Gillette Stadium. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
Broken tackles: RB Rhamondre Stevenson 3, RB TreVeyon Henderson, RB Antonio Gibson, TE Hunter Henry
Pressure allowed: C Garrett Bradbury (hurry), LG Ben Brown (hurry), Team 2 (sack, hurry)
Run stuffs allowed: WR Mack Hollins, Brown, Team
Drops: N/A
Notes
Again, it starts up front. Center Garrett Bradbury and backup left guard Ben Brown were the only offensive linemen to allow pressure. Elite pass protection was the foundation for this 35-point offensive breakout.
Rookie left tackle Will Campbell posted a clean sheet for the second time in his first four NFL games, demonstrating improved technique, superb athleticism and recovery skills to keep Maye clean.
Campbell and Brown also led the way on most of the Pats’ best runs, including Antonio Gibson’s 1-yard touchdown and excluding TreVeyon Henderson’s 5-yard score, where right guard Mike Onwenu beat Pro Bowl defensive tackle Derrick Brown at the line.
Downfield, the Patriots handled business, too, with tight end Austin Hooper delivering key blocks on both explosive runs. Wide receivers Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins erased defenders on the Pats’ first and second run of 20-plus yards, respectively.
Without those downfield blocks — and DeMario Douglas’ late effort to spring Hunter Henry on his 31-yard touchdown — the Pats would more or less have been stuck in the mud because of their middling efficiency. That efficiency can jump as soon as the Patriots start moving bodies in the run game again like they did against Miami.
Now, what about Stefon Diggs? He accounted for three explosive plays on his own, one each from the X, Z and slot receiver positions. Diggs saw a slight uptick in snaps at Douglas’ expense, a needed change for a passing offense seeking continuity.
The greatest upgrade Diggs offered was his feel against zone coverage, settling down for three short catches on his first four targets. Later, he demonstrated perfect timing on Maye’s back-shoulder throw, looking back at the last second and pushing off just enough to give corner Mike Jackson no chance to break up the pass.
As for the running backs, Rhamondre Stevenson remains entrenched as the Pats’ lead back. He split snaps almost evenly in the first half with Henderson, then pulled away in the second half when Henderson picked up yet another penalty in blitz pickup.
Whether or not that flag was fair, Stevenson is clearly the best pass-protector among running backs, so that skill and Vrabel’s confidence will keep him atop the depth chart until further notice.
A final hat-tip t0 Henderson: he displayed much better patience on his touchdown run, a welcome change after he left yards on the field against Pittsburgh by running into tacklers instead of waiting for blocks to develop.
Defense
Foxboro, MA -New England Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez keeps an eye on Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young during the third quarter of the game at Gillette Stadium. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
Game plan
Personnel breakdown: 68% three-corner nickel package, 19% three-safety nickel, 13% base defense.****
Coverage breakdown: 65% zone, 35% man
Blitz rate: 15.6%
Blitz efficacy: 80% offensive success rate and 7.8 yards per play allowed
A simple game plan for a straightforward game.
Recognizing the Panthers were playing with half their cards on the table — meaning third-stringers at wide receiver and backups along their offensive line — the Pats majored in single-high coverages to load the box and crowd the middle of the field. After a sloppy start featuring more penalties and poor tackling, the plan worked because it forced Carolina to nickel-and-dime its way downfield with players ill-suited to sustain long drives. To help quarterback Bryce Young, Carolina rolled him out frequently on play-action (34.4% of his attempts) and dialed up occasional deep shots on first down.
However, the Panthers never hit a single deep throw and completed just two passes longer than 10 yards downfield because Pats defensive play-caller Zak Kuhr had a bead on when they wanted to roll the dice. Kuhr deployed two-high coverages on virtually every first down when Young looked long, which either coaxed a checkdown or incompletion from Carolina. Once the Panthers found themselves in long-yardage, Kuhr called for exotic fronts that occasionally put edge-rushers, like Harold Landry, at inside linebacker that not only kept Young from scrambling but put him under constant duress.
Preventing Young from extending plays as a runner was a clear game plan focus. When Young finally sat in the fourth quarter, he had averaged five yards per pass attempt, run for three yards and felt pressure on more than a third of his dropbacks.
Player stats
Pressure: DL Christian Barmore 4 (2 QB hits, 2 hurries), OLB K’Lavon Chaisson 3 (sack, 2 hurries), OLB Harold Landry 2 (QB hit, hurry), DL Milton Williams 2 (2 hurries), DL Keion White 2 (2 hurries), DT Khyris Tonga (hurry)
Run stuffs: Team 3, LB Jack Gibbens, LB Christian Elliss, DL Cory Durden,
Pass deflections: S Craig Woodson, DL Khyris Tonga
Missed tackles: Chaisson 2, Woodson 2, Elliss, Tonga, OLB Anfernee Jennings
Notes
How did Christian Gonzalez look? Not quite himself, but close.
Gonzalez allowed two catches for 31 yards, both to Panthers first-round rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Gonzalez did not shadow McMillan — Carolina’s only above-average pass-catcher — but instead stuck to the right side of the defense, while fellow corner Carlton Davis manned the left.
Gonzalez played 49 defensive snaps, third-most on the team and a mild surprise for someone making his season debut not long after an 8-week layoff due to injury. It’s reasonable to expect he’ll be a full-go again this Sunday.
But how much man-coverage will they play? The Pats came close to matching their season-high rate of man coverage the Panthers, a percentage that risked putting their safeties against McMillan on a couple snaps.
That bears watching because if the Patriots opt to play more man-to-man coverage moving forward, clever offensive coordinators — like Buffalo’s Joe Brady — will create those same matchup with motion to avoid Gonzalez and exploit their safeties.
Defensive tackle Christian Barmore led a near dominant performance up front, despite a forgettable showing in the box score. He led the Pats with four pressures and arguably should have drawn as many holding penalties from an inconsistent officiating crew.
Next to Barmore, Milton Williams gifted a sack to edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson by winning so quickly with his pass rush that it sent Bryce Young tumbling backward in the second quarter when Chaisson touched him down for an 11-yard loss.
On to the aforementioned cracks: Carolina successfully targeted Chaisson and Keion White on outside runs to the left, where they averaged 4.7 yards per carry. White failed to set three edges coming off the bench. That type of poor run defense would have negated his two pressures in a competitive game setting.
Another crack: it’s time for Jack Gibbens to replace Christian Elliss full-time at inside linebacker. Ellis missed another tackle, misdiagnosed the first play of the game and tipped a blitz, which allowed Young to check to a better play.
Gibbens, though, then became a target in coverage. He’s a better tackler than Elliss and more instinctive player, but less athletic.
One plus: Robert Spillane has rebounded from a dreadful two-game start to the season when he missed more tackles than he made. He had a team-high 10 stops and several alert plays in zone coverage.
One plus and a minus: rookie safety Craig Woodson whiffed twice, but almost had an interception following Young’s eyes during excellent rep as the low zone player in Cover 1. His communication with fellow safety Jaylinn Hawkins, particularly against pre-snap motion when the Pats disguised coverage, was another highlight.
*Explosive plays are defined as runs of 12-plus yards and passes of 20-plus yards.
**Success rate is an efficiency metric measuring how often an offense stays on schedule. A play is successful when it produces positive EPA (Expected Points Added).
***11 personnel = one running back, one tight end; 12 personnel = one running back, two tight ends; 13 personnel = one back, three tight ends; 21 personnel = two backs, one tight end; 21H = two halfbacks, one tight end; jumbo personnel = two backs, two tight ends, six offensive linemen.
****Base defense = four defensive backs; nickel = five.