Who is trending up and down
FOXBOROUGH — After the Patriots earned their second win of the season, upsetting the Bills last Sunday, let’s take a look at who is trending up and trending down ...
Stock up
■ Demario Douglas: Douglas was in on a season-high 62 percent of the offense’s snaps, and he has given the Patriots plenty of reasons to increase his playing time. The dynamic rookie wide receiver caught four of his six targets for 54 yards, took a jet sweep 20 yards, and returned a punt 25 yards.
Other than his fumble in Week 2, Douglas has injected the offense with energy nearly every time he touches the ball. Even on the play when he turned the ball over, he was showcasing his quickness and shiftiness. His stop-and-start ability and strong hands have been apparent in his six games.
According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Douglas is averaging 3.2 yards of separation — the most among New England’s wide receivers. He also ranks 11th in the league with an average of 6.3 yards after the catch.
As the Patriots look to build off their best offensive performance of the season, they should involve Douglas more. He sure looks as though he has the makings of the next reliable slot receiver in New England, dating back to his consistency during training camp.
“I think the thing you want to gauge with any rookie is are they getting better every time they come in the building, any time they step on the practice field?” wide receivers coach Ross Douglas said. “I think he’s done just that.”
■ Michael Onwenu: The Patriots deployed their most effective offensive line combination yet in Week 7, by kicking out Onwenu from right guard to tackle and moving rookie Sidy Sow to fill the spot on the interior. The right tackle position had been an area of weakness, with Calvin Anderson and Vederian Lowe struggling.
Although the Patriots have remained cagey about whether Onwenu will stay at right tackle, he sure appears to be a viable solution. The 2020 sixth-round pick lined up at that spot earlier in his career and fared well.
“If it gives us an advantage, which it definitely did last game, we’ll continue to do that,” offensive line coach Adrian Klemm said.
Injuries have hindered Onwenu this season, as he missed most of training camp while recovering from offseason ankle injury and was inactive for Week 1. He injured his ankle during Week 5 and sat out Week 6.
A healthy Onwenu, though, clearly bolsters the pass protection and run blocking, which had left much to be desired. Quarterback Mac Jones took note of the improvements Sunday.
“The offensive line, especially, just gave me the time I needed,” Jones said. “When I have time, I can read the offense how we’re supposed to.”
■ Jabrill Peppers: Peppers has established a hardnosed defensive presence, setting the tone with his physicality and fiery attitude. He has been on the field for
92.4 percent of the defense’s snaps, behind only safety Kyle Dugger and linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley.
Against Buffalo, Peppers intercepted Josh Allen’s first pass of the game. The turnover gave the Patriots favorable field position and helped them jump out to a 10-0 lead. Against Las Vegas, Peppers leveled a forceful tackle on Davante Adams to pop the ball free and into the arms of linebacker Jahlavi Tavai. The play ended a potential scoring drive for the Raiders in the red zone.
The Patriots have registered just five takeaways — and Peppers has had a hand in three of them. He also forced a fumble late in the fourth quarter against Philadelphia.
With outside linebacker Matthew Judon and cornerback Christian Gonzalez sidelined, Peppers has stepped up as a playmaker and leader.
“Pep’s had a good year,” coach Bill Belichick said. “Very explosive player, hard tackler.”
R Honorable mentions: Mac Jones, Jack Jones, offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.
Stock down
■ DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster: Parker had a chance to make a game-changing play against Las Vegas in Week 6, but not only did he drop the pass, he also did not take accountability for the play after the game. Then, last week against Buffalo, Parker had a season-low in snaps, with Jalen Reagor, then a member of the practice squad, cutting into his playing time.
Since his six-catch performance against Miami in Week 2, Parker hasn’t made more than two receptions in a game. For a player that signed a contract extension this past June, his production has lagged.
According to Next Gen Stats, Parker ranks last in the league in average yards of separation (1.9) among all receivers with at least 20 targets.
Smith-Schuster, meanwhile, has missed the last two games with a concussion. When he was active, he was hardly productive, with just 14 catches for 86 yards in five games.
Smith-Schuster’s yards-after-catch ability was highly touted when the Patriots signed him over Jakobi Meyers, but he ranks near the bottom of the league with just 2.3 YAC. Meyers is no better in that regard (2.1) but has been far more impactful (37 catches for 385 yards, 23 first downs, and 5 touchdowns).
Kendrick Bourne has been Jones’s most targeted receiver, followed by running back Rhamondre Stevenson and tight end Hunter Henry. Perhaps the bigger problem for the Patriots is that Bourne and Henry are both set to hit free agency after the season, while Parker and SmithSchuster remain under contract through 2025.
■ Defense’s tackling ability: There wasn’t just one culprit in this category, as multiple defenders missed tackles against Buffalo. Cornerback J.C. Jackson couldn’t bring down Stefon Diggs inside the 10-yard line, ceding a touchdown, and Dugger couldn’t bring down 33-year-old running back Latavius Murray before a 17-yard gain on third and 15.
“It was kind of disappointing to see how many missed tackles we had,” linebackers coach Jerod Mayo said. “We gave away a lot of yards due to missed tackles.”
Honorable mentions: Vederian Lowe, Tyquan Thornton