Well that was odd. The offense moved the ball down the field both in the air and on the ground, while the defense shut down the Cardinals running game (for the most part) and didn’t have to worry about a passing attack led by an inaccurate quarterback.
Yet somehow the New England Patriots lost to the Arizona Cardinals. Like I said, it was odd.
In truth it wasn’t all one way traffic and there were some fine (and not so fine) performances on both sides of the ball. Let’s take a look at those.
Arizona – Three Performances of Note
Tackling the Problem
It was very much a tale of two tackles for Arizona. On one hand you had D’Anthony Batiste (-4.4) struggling to control Chandler Jones, and on the other, you had Bobby Massie rebounding from a difficult Week 1 in an assured display that saw him give up no pressure and more than hold his own in the run game. While Massie will likely face sterner tests going forward, it was as encouraging as the performance of Batiste seemed inevitable. Left alone with the gangly Jones, the Cardinals' left tackle couldn’t handle his explosiveness and gave up a hit and four hurries (one of which led to a holding penalty). It’s only Week 2, but it looks like Arizona have found a way to downgrade on Levi Brown.
Calamitous Kolb
He may have led (in the loosest possible way) his team to another victory, but this display was exactly what we’ve come to expect from Kevin Kolb (-2.9). He was skittish in the pocket, and on several occasions actually left a clean pocket to invite pressure onto him. He showed poor judgment, including a late throw to his fullback that could have easily been intercepted. Most of all he was just inaccurate and missed on a variety of passes which brought drives to an end (most notably when he missed an open Todd Heap for a surefire touchdown with 7:51 to go in the first quarter). What made it all the more baffling was that he didn't attempt tough throws or challenge close coverage. Only five of his attempts went further than 10 yards in the air, which makes the 55.6% completion percentage all the worse. A victory can often make you ignore it, but this was a deeply uninspiring performance, from a deeply uninspiring player.
Near-Perfect Patrick
He may have gotten away with a little tug on the jersey of Brandon Lloyd in the third quarter, but this was the kind of performance that makes you think of Patrick Peterson (+3.5) as a cornerback, and not just one of the most electrifying returners in the game. In coverage he allowed just two of six balls thrown his way to be completed as he continued his impressive start to the year. Still, while those numbers jump out, the play everyone should remember was his rocking back of Michael Hoomanawanui on the Patriots' third down run with 12:37 to go in the fourth quarter. He knocked back the big tight end, got off the block and chased down Steven Ridley to make a tackle for a loss and force a punt. It was the exclamation mark on a superb defensive display.
New England – Three Performances of Note
Guard Problems, But Not Who You May Think
Reports after this contest suggested right guard Donald Thomas (+1.6) had a shocker of a game. I understand why. He gave up a false start penalty, was at fault for a huge tackle for a loss with 3:27 to go in the third quarter, and got beat at the second level by Paris Lenon for a tackle on third down. But the problem with focusing on the bad is you miss some of the good, as Thomas, on the balance of things, won his matchup with Darnell Dockett. The Patriots picked up a number of decent sized runs and it was in part to Thomas being able to keep Dockett turned away from the running lane.
That was in contrast to Logan Mankins (-1.9), who posted his second consecutive negative grade and doesn’t look to be at his best. The All-Pro left guard had problems a plenty with Calais Campbell, and gave up two tackles for short gains and another for no gain. Patriots fans will be hoping that he’s working himself back from injury, because right now he’s the weak link on a line that is generally winning most of it’s battles.
Knifing Through
How different things could have been. If Stephen Gostkowski nails his game-winning kick then there’s one man who would have got all the plaudit and rightfully so. That man is of course, Brandon Spikes. Now he wasn’t the only Patriot (team grade on defense of +14.6) to shine, but his ability to make impact plays stood out. He led the team with seven defensive stops, executed a most beautiful spin move to pick up a pressure against Lyle Sendlein, and then capped it all off with a forced fumble that really should have won the Patriots the game. It was an all action display from a player who makes the Pats' defense better when he’s on the field.
Out of Sync Passing Game?
There does seem to be some sort of change going on in New England. There seems a more concerted effort to run the ball, and get more players involved in the passing game. Naturally there are some teething problems, and while some drives in this game began with promise they ultimately faltered as New England struggled to get into the end zone. Quarterback Tom Brady (+1.3) wasn’t helped by three dropped passes (including one for a touchdown), but neither did he help himself with his accuracy some way off what we’ve seen in the past. It’s an area to monitor, especially with Aaron Hernandez out for an undefined period of time.
Games Notes
– Tom Brady went deep (further than 20 yards) on 13% of all pass attempts. His average for last year was just 9.8%.
– Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald picked up just 0.14 yards per route he ran this week. That was the third lowest of all receivers targeted on at least four balls.
– In addition to forcing a fumble, Chandler Jones picked up a quarterback hit, three hurries and two defensive stops in the run game.
PFF Game Ball
Arizona fans may not like me much for it, but there wasn’t a Cardinal player who made such a profound impact on this game that they warranted this accolade. Instead it’s going to a Pats' defender who was a big part of a team that gave up 245 yards all told, and that man is Brandon Spikes.
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