PFF’s Week 3 Patriots Grades Are Unsurprisingly Unfavorable

After two games, the New England Patriots had a lot to feel good about. Their record was 1-1, but they were a blocked field goal and overtime loss from starting 2-0 in 2024. Unfortunately, Week 3 never showed much of a possibility of winning. The New York Jets dominated the Patriots. New York led 14-3 at halftime and cruised to a 24-3 victory over New England. The Patriots record dropped to 1-2, while the Jets improved to 2-1.

At the risk of oversimplifying, nothing went right for New England. They were unable to stop Aaron Rodgers and the Jets offense. The Patriots offense was unable to move the ball effectively. It is the type of combination that makes a blowout loss inevitable.

Following 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 (mostly the latter) in Week 3:

Elite – Joshua Uche

The New England Patriots edge defender received the team’s highest Week 3 grade, 82.8. He made four tackles (three solo), three stops, three quarterback pressures, and a sack. In coverage, he allowed only one reception for a two-yard gain. With Oshane Ximines out due to injury, Uche needed to provide extra against New York, and according to PFF, he did just that. Uche received a late hit penalty on Aaron Rodgers and had a missed tackle in the backfield. However, his penalty was off-setting and he held the runner (Braelon Allen) long enough for his teammates to take him down two yards later.

Also Read – Ten Takeaways From the Patriots Thursday Night Football Loss

Awful Grades – Rookie Offensive Linemen

It was a rough night for both Patriots rookies starting on the offensive line. Caedan Wallace got his first NFL start, playing left tackle. It was a tough spot for Wallace, given he had been exclusively a right tackle in college and had played mostly jumbo tight end in the first two weeks. But after Vederian Lowe was injured and Chukwuma Okorafor quit, Wallace received the call. His 42.3 grade was the lowest on the offense. Officials flagged Wallace for three penalties in 38 snaps before he left with a knee injury. He allowed three pressures and a sack.

The @nyjets meet at the QB for the sack 😤#NEvsNYJ on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/0cacan76nk

— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2024

Layden Robinson did not fare much better. His grade of 42.9 was second-lowest. Robinson managed to avoid penalties. However, he also allowed three quarterback pressures, including two sacks.

Surprisingly Solid – Mike Onwenu

“Surprisingly” gets used here because Onwenu did not stand out as having a solid performance watching the game live, or even rewatching the film. But PFF gave Onwenu a 74.4 on the night, the best offensive number for New England. He was “credited” with allowing three pressures. However, all three were classified as hurries. This meant Onwenu officially allowed no sacks or even a quarterback hit. Mike Onwenu is capable of playing great but his score here might have benefitted from other linemen allowing defenders to get to Brissett first, saving Onwenu from some blame.

Major Drop Off – Rhamondre Stevenson

Through two weeks, Stevenson had arguably been the New England Patriots MVP. He joined Corey Dillon as the only two players in franchise history to have 200 yards rushing after Week 2. Things did not go as smoothly for Stevenson against the Jets. Instead of being the workhorse he had been in previous weeks, Stevenson carried the ball only six times for 23 yards. His best run of the night was called back for a facemask penalty on Stevenson himself, trying to deliver a stiff arm. He fumbled his final carry of the game, his third fumble (though the first one lost) in as many games. His lack of touches made the fumble a more significant factor in his grade than in past weeks.

Ball is out. Jets ball.#NEvsNYJ on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/xTHd6qiX6s

— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2024

Solid Work – Keion White

White was hard on himself after the game. Pro Football Focus was more impressed with his performance. Although he had his first game of the season with no sacks, White received a 79.9 from PFF. He finished with six tackles (four solo) and a stop. Keion White registered no sacks but led the team with four quarterback pressures (two hits and two hurries). On a team that struggled mightily throughout the night, White might not have provided enough solutions, but he certainly was not the problem.

Off Night – Christian Gonzalez

It was only the seventh game of Christian Gonzalez’s NFL career, but it was his lowest grade from PFF. They gave him a 44.1. He got a 40.5 in coverage and 36.4 for tackling. Gonzalez was targeted nine times, allowing five catches for 33 yards. His missed tackle cost the Patriots 13 yards. Gonzalez also fell on a potential touchdown throw to Garrett Wilson, but the pass fell incomplete, and the play was nullified by offsetting penalties. Perhaps Aaron Rodgers’ praise for Christian Gonzalez pregame was a setup.

Good Work – Austin Hooper

The only two players to receive grades higher than 70.0 on the New England Patriots offense were Mike Onwenu and Austin Hooper. The tight end earned a 72.8 grade over his 30 offensive snaps. He received solid grades for both his blocking and receiving work. Hooper finished with only one reception for 19 yards. His numbers could have been significantly better, but Brissett missed him wide-open on a play-action pass that was indicative of how things went for New England in the game. He also had a 21-yard gain negated by a penalty on Caedan Wallace.

Austin Hooper was open and Brissett simply missed him. Unexcusable pic.twitter.com/HuIg4rnxCh

— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) September 20, 2024

Veteran Struggles – David Andrews

The New England Patriots captain had a solid start to the season but a rough Week 3. He received a 44.5. It is the lowest grade for any game, regular or postseason, in David Andrews‘ 10-year NFL career. He allowed three pressures and a sack. Andrews got called for a holding penalty as well. New England having three starting offensive linemen score below 45.0 in the same game proved a losing formula.

Quietly Useful – Jabrill Peppers

Jabrill Peppers exited the game with an ankle injury, but not before playing 57 snaps on defense. He moved around the field to help hide coverage. Peppers played defensive end, slot, outside corner, in the box, and free safety. Peppers finished with only four tackles (two solo) on defense but had two distinctions helping him earn a high grade. He was not targeted at all in coverage, and unlike most of his teammates, he had zero missed tackles. Peppers recorded a special teams tackle, too.

“Came out and got our ass kicked. Plain and simple.” — Jabrill Peppers pic.twitter.com/hYig5EIUD0

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 20, 2024

Not as Impressive as Believed – Raekwon McMillan

McMillan earned one of the three stars of the game for the New England Patriots from PFN. However, PFF didn’t feel the same way. He was noticeable on the field, recording 11 tackles (eight solo) and three stops. On the other end of the spectrum, McMillan had two missed tackles. Hurting his grade (46.7) the most was his coverage grade. The Jets completed all four attempts with Raekwon McMillan in coverage. This accounted for 44 yards, including 16 yards after the catch.

More Dishonorable Roll

Anything under 60.0 is a lousy score by Pro Football Focus‘ grading standards. Being replaceable by a non-roster player is not a compliment. Usually, all of those players show up on this report. However, there were so many players below 60.0 against the Jets in Week 3 that there wasn’t room for a write-up on each person. A list of the Patriots players not mentioned above who scored below 60.0 against the New York Jets (minimum 20 snaps): WR K.J. Osborn, WR Ja’Lynn Polk, WR Tyquan Thornton, TE Hunter Henry, DE Deatrich Wise Jr. DT Daniel Ekuale, DT Davon Godchaux, LB Anfernee Jennings, and S Kyle Dugger.

Weekly Disclaimer

Once again, it is 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.

The New England Patriots now have ten days between games. They need to take advatantage of the time to regrounp. Will the offensive line get it’s act together in Week 4? Can the running backs bounce back from a rough outing? Are the Patriots going to be able to get more players on the honor roll next game? Stay tuned.