The Patriots continued an impressive start to their first preseason under head coach Mike Vrabel with a 20-12 victory over the Vikings in Minnesota on Saturday.
Although it was another small sample size with QB Drake Maye playing only 15 snaps, we're beginning to see the base offense that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is installing this summer. McDaniels is back for his third stint with the Patriots, and his experience and knowledge are already paying dividends. For example, Maye told the game broadcast that McDaniels is constantly communicating with him through the headset in his helmet to relay last-second coaching points and tips on the defense. This season, having a veteran coordinator who can help the operation for a second-year quarterback will be huge for Maye.
As for the scheme, the Patriots drop-back pass and play-action designs still have vintage McDaniels fingerprints, as does the Pats OC's fullback usage. However, one possible schematic shift in this iteration of the McDaniels offense is incorporating more outside zone run schemes rather than the downhill/gap runs we are accustomed to seeing from McDaniels. In the past, the Pats majored in downhill concepts such as lead (ISO), power, counter/trap, and gap/duo schemes - smash-mouth football.
In the first two preseason contests, the old-school power concepts have been used more as changeups than base plays. On Saturday, half, or 4-of-8, run plays while Maye was under center were outside zone schemes. The Pats mixed in duo and lead/lead draw plays, but it's becoming clearer that outside zone will be more prominent this season. For reference, outside zone is where the blockers take a lateral step at a 90-degree angle toward the sideline to flow horizontally to the line of scrimmage. The running back can turn the corner or cut the run back through the middle.
Offensive gurus Mike Shanahan and Alex Gibbs are usually credited with popularizing the scheme, while Shanahan's son, Kyle, and others from the Shanahan tree have modernized it. Along with being able to generate explosive runs, the play-action concepts that marry to zone run actions can be lethal. The Shanahan tree typically uses full boots or half-bootleg actions to flip the point of attack on defense, while attacking single-high safety structures with things like deep vertical routes and crossers. If the trend for the Patriots carries over into the regular season, the shift for McDaniels could be related to catering his offense to Maye and his supporting cast. The second-year quarterback is a highly effective passer on the move, so the bootleg concepts would be a nice fit for him. McDaniels hasn't necessarily had a big-armed mobile quarterback in New England before who would fit this style of offense.
Theoretically, a heavy dose of play-action also protects an offensive line that could be weaker in pass protection. Getting Maye outside the pocket or using play-action limits the line's exposure to traditional drop-back pass protection, where they can get isolated on islands. As shown in the examples above, fourth-overall pick Will Campbell is a dynamic zone blocker who can generate movement as a centerpiece in these schemes (third-round C/G Jared Wilson is also a fit for outside zone).
In recent years, New England has tried incorporating more outside zone schemes in the Matt Patricia-led offense (2022) and last season with West Coast coordinator Alex Van Pelt. The results haven't been great, but McDaniels and offensive line coach Doug Marrone are on the right track with admittedly better personnel. Given their coaching histories, it's not surprising that McDaniels and Vrabel could direct a run plus play-action heavy approach to play a physical brand of offensive football.
Here is a breakdown on QB Drake Maye's performance and quick-hit film notes from Saturday's win over the Vikings After Further Review.
QB Drake Maye Audio Breakdown
As mentioned, Maye only dropped back to pass seven times in Saturday's win, bringing his preseason total to 15 drop-backs over two games.
Evaluating any quarterback on seven drop-backs is a difficult task. That said, Maye's tape vs. the Vikings was a bit of a mixed bag. The Pats QB admitted to being "jacked up" to start the game, which led to two high throws on his first two pass attempts, one was caught, and the other deflected off WR DeMario Douglas's outstretched hands for a near-interception. Although the early accuracy blips were noteworthy, my biggest takeaway from this film was that Maye was sometimes a tad conservative in testing downfield windows.
New England is trying to walk a fine line between cutting down on turnover-worthy plays while still allowing Maye to be aggressive. His arm talent suggests that Maye should be a dynamic playmaker, but turning the ball over is the quickest way to lose games. That's a tricky balancing act for a young quarterback, especially one with few physical limitations. Again, it's a tiny sample size, but there were two notable instances where Maye could've taken downfield shots from the pocket but held the ball instead. Admittedly, it's easy to say that watching from the couch, and only Maye can speak to what he saw on the field. Still, the hope is that Maye will be more aggressive once the regular season rolls around.
There's a happy medium there for Maye, who is typically a gunslinger, to protect the football while still making big plays on downfield throws.
Film Notes - Offense
- LT Will Campbell wasn't tested much in pass protection, with only one true 1-on-1 where he was on an island. However, he had a clean set where he ran Gabriel Murphy past the quarterback and mostly handled the post-snap movement by Minnesota well. Campbell was again stellar in the run game, executing two great frontside combination blocks on outside zone for gains of seven and eight (Henderson TD) yards. His movement skills and power as a run blocker are standout traits that will carry him during his rookie season.
- RB TreVeyon Henderson continues to look like a rising star. Maye said after the game that he should've put the ball on Henderson sooner on his third-down target, while the defender also got there a beat early, holding Henderson's right arm for a possible penalty. Henderson's touchdown run was an excellent blend of patience and burst. It's so rare for a young running back to remain poised behind his blocks to wait for a crease to form, and then Henderson did the rest with his acceleration and contact balance to run through tackles. The second-rounder also got the job done in pass protection on the missed throw to Douglas. Henderson is so much fun to watch.
- Rookie WR Kyle Williams was off to a good start before getting knocked out of the game. Williams was open for potential big plays vs. zone coverage twice with Maye at quarterback, but wasn't targeted, and then caught all three of his targets from Dobbs. Minnesota played much more zone this week than man-to-man, so it was a good test to see how Williams finds space vs. zone, and he seemed to have a good feel for where the voids were in the coverage.
- There isn't much else to add about the player of the game Efton Chism III that we haven't already covered in post-game/game observations. His four catches for 63 yards and a touchdown on one drive might've cemented his spot on the initial roster. One minor nitpick: Chism missed a block on the nickel defender, which led to a run stuff (QTR 2, 6:49).
- WR DeMario Douglas had multiple opportunities for big plays down the field, but didn't get the best ball from Maye (high throw), and then Maye didn't pull the trigger when Douglas was winning a foot race down the middle of the field vs. the pole runner in a Tampa-2 defense. Douglas had the matchup and a few steps on a linebacker. It'll be interesting to see how the trust grows for Maye throwing deep to a 5-foot-8 slot receiver.
- C Garrett Bradbury rode the rollercoaster in this film. Bradbury was walked back into the quarterback's lap on a completed hitch to WR Kayshon Boutte and missed his block on a lead play that led to a stuff, but also had positive plays on an outside zone reach (Henderson TD) and backside combination block to generate movement in the run game. Bradbury is a solid lateral mover in zone run schemes, but his power/anchor is inconsistent.
- After entering the game with the second unit, rookie C/G Jared Wilson played 13 snaps at center and 16 snaps at left guard. Although it's a limited sample size, Wilson's run-blocking tape at center was intriguing. His lateral movements and ability to generate power from the pivot translated well, and he had no noticeable snap issues. Wilson did allow a pressure at left guard and was bailed out by his RG on another possible pressure at center, with both instances coming when Wilson set aggressively with a two-hand punch and got overextended. Wilson has room to grow as a pass protector, but the small glimpse we got of him, especially as a run blocker, could be the start of something at center.
- G/C Ben Brown started at left guard and had a solid showing. Brown had some shaky moments in the joint practices vs. the Vikings starters, but generated noticeable movement with Campbell on the frontside of outside zone, worked up to the second level nicely on Henderson's touchdown run and was clean in pass protection on limited 1-on-1 reps. Brown's lone blemish was getting backdoored on an outside zone scheme, which led to a run stuff. Ideally, Brown is the top interior backup, but he could spot-start until Wilson is ready.
- WR Mack Hollins is a reliable target thanks to his headiness and catch radius. Hollins has a good feel for space, and at 6-foot-4, he offers a large target for the quarterback, which we saw on a slightly high ball by Maye on his first pass attempt and the toe-tapping catch along the sideline for a third-down conversion. He made several off-script plays with Josh Allen in Buffalo last season. There's confidence in Hollins's routes, which likely stems from his history inside McDaniels's offense.
- WR Kayshon Boutte caught his only target on a hitch route in the quick-game, but it would've been even nicer if he could've broken the tackle by Vikings DB Zemaiah Vaughn.
- The box score doesn't look good for WR Javon Baker (seven targets, one catch, 13 yards). It could've been better with some help from Dobbs, especially on the cover-two hole shot along the right sideline, where Dobbs led him out of bounds. However, Baker's vertical stems didn't appear to do enough to create second-level separation on outs and comebackers, while he stopped his route on his end zone target.
- C/G Cole Strange allowed a pressure on Dobbs's failed fourth-down attempt on a swipe/rip move while playing right guard, but was better at center, especially while helping out his teammates when he was uncovered. From this vantage point, G Sidy Sow was the Pats best reserve guard, allowing zero pressures and blocking with noticeable physicality in the run and pass game. He cleaned out a pass-rusher testing Strange's anchor by looking for work on one rep.
- Although last year's starting left tackle, Vederian Lowe, remains in the mix, it seems like rookie OT Marcus Bryant is the favorite to be the top swing tackle. Bryant still blocks with high pad level, which saps his anchor/power, but he has a knack for staying inside-out in pass protection and has the necessary power when he plays with proper leverage. Bryant appears ahead of Lowe and Trey Jacobs for the OT3 spot.
- The Patriots are having TE/FB Jack Westover play fullback with the starters and then traditional tight end with the backups. Westover had a nice lead block on outside zone early in the game, and did well in taking the "first color" on another lead play to prevent a TFL. He doesn't have that squatty fullback body type, but his body control and awareness are improving.
- RB JaMycal Hasty joined the team late in camp after being on the Patriots roster in 2024. Although he got a late start, Hasty's veteran savvy in the pass game and on special teams is noteworthy. He perfectly executed a "hot" read with Dobbs to beat a free runner and had a key block to spring returner Marcus Jones on a 37-yard punt return. Hasty could be in the RB4 mix as a core special teamer/depth sub-package back.
- QB Pressures: Jacobs (3), Lowe (3), Wilson (1), Strange (1), Bryant (1).
Film Notes - Defense
- The Patriots starters playing in the preseason might be related to not tackling to the ground in practice. Vrabel pointed out the tackling struggles in the preseason opener (11 MTFs). The defense responded to its head coach by only missing five tackles on Saturday, a step in the right direction with one more exhibition game before the regular-season opener.
- The Patriots quarters usage is at 28.1% this preseason, which suggests that four-deep zones will be more prominent under Vrabel and DC Terrell Williams. They seem to favor quarters in the fringe or high red zone, while spinning to man coverage or cover-three (buzz) between the 20s. In the previous five seasons, the Pats quarters usage was only 7.1%.
- S Kyle Dugger entered the game late in the first quarter and proceeded to play the rest of the way on defense. Dugger had a nice run blitz to log a stuff, and had some good coverage reps on Minnesota's backup tight ends. The Pats also used him as a deep safety, playing post safety, robber, buzzing into the short zone distribution, and quarters techniques. Sometimes, he can get tunnel vision as a deep zone defender, but overall, Dugger was solid in this game until he didn't go down immediately on his game-clinching interception.
- CB Carlton Davis made his first "splash" play as a Patriot by breaking up a third-and-2 slant. The Pats appeared to be in a combination coverage where they zoned off the passing strength while Davis took the backside receiver in man coverage, and the veteran corner used his elite length to swat the pass away from WR Lucky Jackson. Davis also had a good zone coverage rep where he picked up a crosser from the opposite side of the formation.
- CB Alex Austin's interception was a well-executed creeper pressure, where the Patriots blitz a coverage defender (CB Marcus Jones) and drop a typical pass-rusher off the line of scrimmage (EDGE Keion White). White fell into the flat to take away Howell's first read, which led to the Vikings backup QB getting antsy in the pocket. With the Pats favoring cover three and quarters zones, creepers are a way to generate pressure without pulling defenders out of coverage. They could be an early-down staple for New England this season.
- More on Austin: I'm a Marcus Jones fan. However, Austin looked very capable while manning the slot with a heady zone drop to take away an out from the No. 2 receiver and a perfectly covered man coverage rep on an end zone target. Austin could be the Pats top nickel corner in certain matchups, especially against bigger slots or pass-catching tight ends.
- The Vikings completed four passes for 50 yards (12.5 avg.) on screen passes vs. the Patriots, including two 18-yard gains. This came after hitting a huge screen play during Wednesday's joint practice. With an aggressive approach to their pass rush, the Pats could be vulnerable to screens this season—something to work on possibly moving forward.
- DT Milton Williams logged two pressures by going through the left guard and running back to hurry the quarterback, then splitting the center and right guard to dent the pocket on Austin's INT. Williams was moving at a different speed in his eight snaps.
- EDGE Anfernee Jennings's sacks: chases down quarterback as boot/contain defender, hesi stab+rip to corner the edge (3rd-and-29), long arm/bull rush (3rd-and-5). Jennings also logged a pressure with another long arm rush. Jennings was toying with the Vikings backup RT Leroy Watson IV.
- Continue to like the positionally sound play from rookie S Craig Woodson. He had a run stuff playing in the box, jumped a crosser from his perch at post-safety to deter a throw, and had some solid coverage reps on tight ends. Woodson could be a useful cover safety.
- EDGE Truman Jones continues to catch the eye with two pressures and a run stuff. Jones can corner the edge by creating separation with his speed-to-power, while his run stuff was a nice hustle play to work down the line of scrimmage. He plays with great energy.
- Fifth-rounder Bradyn Swinson had two noticeable speed-to-power rushes that resulted in pressure and a nice edge set to log a run stuff. Swinson is starting to flash after a slower start to camp.
- There probably isn't room on the roster for undrafted rookie DB Jordan Polk, but his effort has been noticeable. Polk had a sack, some flashy run fits and saved a touchdown on the Vikings 81-yard kickoff return.
- QB Pressures: Jennings (3 sacks, hurry), Jones (3), Peko (2), Olajiga (2), Swinson (2), Ponder (2), Chaisson (1), Williams (1), Rice (1), Pharms (1), Moten (1), Ritzie (1), Riley (1), Polk (1).
Coverage: Avery (7/3/75 yards/PBU), Battle (4/4/37 yards), Minor (6/3/29 yards), Crossley (6/4/27 yards), Gibbens (1/1/18 yards), Ponder (1/1/18 yards), Dugger (1/1/13 yards/INT), T.Jones (1/1/8 yards), Austin (4/1/8 yards/INT), Pharms (1/1/8 yards), Polk (1/1/5 yards), Moten (1/1/4 yards), Polk (4/1/2 yards), Davis (1/0/0/PBU).
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
