On the interception, the Pats CB noted that he recognized Pierce’s route because the Colts dialed up the same play earlier in the game. With the Patriots in man coverage, Gonzalez trusted his instincts that Pierce would break across the field and drove underneath the route for his second pick of the season.
Although others might have slightly better coverage stats than Gonzalez, the numbers don’t tell the whole story. The Pats play more man coverage than any defense in the NFL while often leaving Gonzo one-on-one against high-end receivers. From an assignment standpoint, nobody has it harder than Gonzalez, making his metrics even more impressive.
Between Maye, Gonzalez, and hybrid DE Keion White (three hurries), the Patriots have some building blocks from their last two draft classes. Although it’s tough watching three promising young players on a struggling team, the trio is a glimmer of hope for the future in New England.
5. Evaluating the O-Line: Rookie Layden Robinson Starts at Left Guard vs. the Colts
The performance by the Patriots offensive line with Robinson starting at left guard was difficult to assess. From a blocking standpoint, the Pats only allowed a 25.6% pressure rate on 39 drop-backs, while they rushed for 141 yards on runs excluding QB scrambles. On the surface, that sounds like a good day at the office for the Pats O-Line.
However, the other side of the coin was seven penalties, one of which wiped out a touchdown (Onwenu) and another critical mental error on a third-and-1 stuff. According to RG Mike Onwenu, Maye changed the play right before snapping the ball, so Onwenu was still on the initial play call rather than the check, which is why he went in the wrong direction.
As for Robinson, he was called for two holds and allowed three pressures based on the initial charting. Coach Mayo gave the rookie credit for generating movement in the run game, but it was still an up-and-down performance for the fourth-round draft choice.
We’ll have to watch the film for a proper evaluation. But, based on our live viewing, there were equal parts good and bad from the offensive line.
6. Patriots Rush for Season-High 200 Rushing Yards in the Loss to Indy
Staying on a similar subject, the Patriots running backs landed on the “ups” list for this scribe on Sunday. Although the quarterback contributed 59 scramble yards, Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson still combined for 135 rushing yards on 25 attempts (5.4 YPC).