Breaking Down PFF’s Week 1 New England Patriots Grades

The New England Patriots began their 2024 campaign with a 16-10 road victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. The rushing attack, ball security, defense, and special teams were all keys to their success. It was a great team victory for the Patriots, though certain individual performances were especially impressive. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a few players’ performances left something to be desired despite the team’s 1-0 start.

After each game, Patriots Football Now will post which players received the best and worst grades from Pro Football Focus. The PFF scale goes from 0-100. A grade below 60.0 is indicative of being replaceable by a non-roster player. Pro Bowl grades are 85.0 and higher. A look at the Patriots players who stood out, for better or worse, in Week 1:

Elite – Keion White

White received the highest grade on New England’s defense (90.3). He finished his rookie season in 2023 with one sack and no forced fumbles. Keion White recorded 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble on Sunday. He consistently applied pressure to Bengals QB Joe Burrow and had no missed tackles on the afternoon. New England hopes the trend continues throughout White’s second season in the NFL.

Also Read – New England Sophomore Keion White Has Old-School Attitude

Excellent – Rhamondre Stevenson

PFF gave Stevenson the Patriots’ highest offensive grade (75.4). Stevenson’s grade is deceptively low. He was marked down for his fumble, though he immediately recovered it himself. His 118 yards gained after contact were the most across the NFL heading into Monday Night Football. He rushed 25 times for 120 yards and picked up eight first downs.

Rhamondre Stevenson @NFLFantasy owners refreshing their app to make sure they got their points

📺: #NEvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/ax9jnbPgEz

— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024

Struggled – New England’s Left Tackles

Chukwuma Okorafor started the game at left tackle for the New England Patriots. He played just 12 snaps before being replaced by Vederian Lowe. Neither performed particularly well, according to PFF. Okorafor had six pass-blocking opportunities and allowed a quarterback pressure on half. His pass-blocking grade was 0.0 (not a typo). Lowe received a false start penalty immediately upon entering the game. He also allowed three pressures, though it was spread out over 23 opportunities. Neither Okorafor (44.4) nor Lowe (52.4) received honor roll grades for Week 1.

Stud – Jonathan Jones

Jonathan Jones came to play. On 36 defensive snaps, he was targeted in coverage twice. Jones allowed no completions. He provided some impressive tackling as well. His three tackles (two solo) included a stop that might have been the tackle of the game. Jones stuck Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas, preventing him from picking up a first down on fourth-and-two.

.@justjjones with the 🛑 STOP 🛑

📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/O3QlhSs4zY

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 8, 2024

Needs Improvement – Ja’Whaun Bentley

The Patriots’ captain made eight tackles (six solo) in the game, according to Pro Football Focus. He added two quarterback pressures and picked up a half-sack as well. But Bentley received the lowest defensive grade for New England in the game (44.2). This was influenced by a 27.9 for run defense. Bentley also allowed Cincinnati to complete 7-of-7 passes for 66 yards, with him as the primary man in coverage.

Very Good – Marcus Jones

Jonathan Jones wasn’t the only New England Patriots cornerback to impress in the opener. Marcus Jones earned an 80,2 defensive grade. He was in on 35 pass plays, allowing only two completions for 14 yards on three targets. Jones also recovered the fumble forced by Kyle Dugger. The turnover, with Cincinnati about the score, proved to be a key swing of momentum in the six-point victory.

Think you got a TD? THINK AGAIN.

📺: #NEvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/IXOlJyHhJq

— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024

No Respect – Anfernee Jennings

Sometimes, Pro Football Focus’ grades don’t match up with what is seen on the field. Anfernee Jennings’ grade of 51.8 against Cincinnati is one such occasion. He sets a strong edge for New England, often forcing the play to go away from him if he doesn’t make the play himself. Jennings made one tackle and had no quarterback pressures, but his grade was most affected by the 46.7 he received in coverage. Jennings got targeted only once but did allow a 12-yard gain. Overall, feels like a harsh assessment of his performance.

Strong Start – Jahlani Tavai

Last year’s recipient of PFN’s Tom Brady Award as the New England Patriots MVP is off to a strong start in 2024. Tavai received a 78.7 for his work on defense. He registered four solo tackles, with one missed tackle. His coverage grade of 79.3 was second on the team to only Jonathan Jones. Jahlani Tavai received New England’s highest special teams grade as well (93.0) playing on punt coverage.

More Offensive Line Issues – Michael Jordan

Jordan got elevated from the New England Patriots practice squad for the game. Starting left guard Sidy Sow was out with an ankle injury. The coaching staff went with Jordan over Nick Leverett and recently acquired Zach Thomas. Jordan fared far better than the left tackles in pass protection. He allowed only two hurries in the game and received a pass-blocking grade of 67.5. However, his run-block grade of 44.9 was the lowest on the team, bringing his overall grade down to 48.9.

Good Debut – Austin Hooper

Tight end Austin Hooper is not an NFL rookie, but he was playing his first game with the New England Patriots. Hooper was the only Patriots player, other than Stevenson, who received an offensive grade over 70 (70.9).  Hooper made two catches for 31 yards and had no drops. He did an adequate job run-blocking as well, getting a grade of 64.4 for his efforts.

Look how long TE Austin Hooper (81) sustains this block on DE Sam Hubbard (94). Provides just enough room for Gibson to make a man miss and turn this into a great run. pic.twitter.com/JmggQVKHel

— Matt St. Jean (@mattstdream) September 9, 2024

Whoops! – Dell Pettus

The rookie received the lowest special teams grade of the day, a 43.9. This was due to his penalty on the opening kickoff. Pettus jumped the gun and was called for illegal formation. It wasn’t a great start for New England, but fortunately, they settled down afterward and went on to win the game. Pettus played 12 snaps on special teams, not registering any statistics other than the penalty. He did not play on defense.

Sensational Special Teamer – Brenden Schooler

The New England Patriots lost arguably the greatest special teams player in NFL history after the 2023 season when Matthew Slater retired. Slater’s protege, Brenden Schooler, took the baton and ran with it on Sunday. He recorded three solo special teams tackles, all stifling Cincinnati’s efforts to gain momentum.

Brenden Schooler gunner highlights pic.twitter.com/mk8rh1j7DH

— Brian Hines (@iambrianhines) September 9, 2024

Important to note that the grades issued by Pro Football Focus are their independent scoring of players’ performances. They do not represent the assessment of Patriots Football Now (as noted in some cases above). The reports are used to offer a different perspective on the performances of players in a given game. Will these top formers do it again in Week 2? Can the struggling players have a bounce-back game? Stay tuned.