PFF’s Week 4 Best and (Mostly) Worst Patriots Grades

The New England Patriots played two very competitive games to open their 2024 campaign. They followed a 16-10 road win over the Cincinnati Bengals with a 23-20 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The past two weeks went significantly worse. New England lost 23-3 to the New York Jets in Week 3. Sunday, the Patriots fell behind the San Francisco 49ers 20-0 before losing by a final score of 30-13.

New England’s offense struggled in virtually every facet of the operation. Poor quarterback play, ball security, and pass protection contributed to another disappointing offensive performance. The defense wasn’t much better, playing well in spurts but allowing far too many big gains to San Francisco. Despite strong special teams play, it wasn’t enough to prevent a third consecutive loss.

Also Read – Ten Takeaways From New England’s 30-13 Loss in Sam Francisco

Following each game, Patriots Football Now posts which players received the best and worst grades from Pro Football Focus for that week. The PFF scale goes from 0-to-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 who stood out, for better or (mostly) worse in Week 4 (note: players must play a minimum of 20 snaps, except for special teams):

The Highlights

None everybody played poorly for the New England Patriots in Week 4. Seven players earned grades of 75.0 or better. Unfortunately, the number of players on the opposite end of the spectrum dwarfed those on the honor roll.

PK Joey Slye (92.6)

Slye’s 63-yard field goal set a new franchise record. It tied for the fourth-longest field goal in NFL history. It looked like it would have been good from much further out. He finished 2-for-2 on field goal attempts and 1-for-1 on extra points.

S Jabrill Peppers (85.0)

Peppers earned a 90.4 grade in coverage. He allowed only one reception on two targets. Peppers’ interception in the end zone was the defensive highlight for New England. Peppers added four tackles and a quarterback pressure.

Jabrill Peppers with the end zone INT

📺: #NEvsSF on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/UR4cDp2Ja3

— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2024

LS Joe Cardona (82.1)

Cardona’s tenth NFL season could turn out to be his best. He was flawless snapping and added another special teams tackle. He has already tied his career high, set in 2017, with four tackles this season, with 13 games yet to play.

CB Christian Gonzalez (80.4)

The Patriots’ pass defense left much to be desired in Week 4 but it wasn’t because of Christian Gonzalez. Brock Purdy targeted him five times, completing two passes for 12 yards.

ST Christian Elliss (79.4)

Elliss recorded the triple play of special teams play to start the second half. He registered a tackle, forced fumble, and fumble recovery on the 49ers’ kickoff return. Elliss got a 70.1 for 14 snaps on defense as well.

That's an unreal fumble recovery by special teamer Christian Elliss pic.twitter.com/qTOAJdmbQ7

— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) September 29, 2024

DE Keion White (76.3)

White failed to record a sack, but he did apply pressure. He finished with five quarterback pressures, including two hits on Purdy. White added two solo tackles.

RT Mike Onwenu (75.0)

Onwenu received the highest offensive grade for the second week in a row. He allowed three hurries, but they never got to Jacoby Brissett. He finished with the highest grades among New England’s offensive line for both pass blocking and run blocking.

Other top performers: RB Antonio Gibson (72.7), and ST Brenden Schooler (70.6).

The Lowlights

Players written about in this group score below 60.0 for the game. The problem was, this applied to 18 New England Patriots players on Sunday. It is impossible to point the finger at one player, or even one unit, when there are so many poor performances.

LB Jahlani Tavai (29.0)

Tavai struggled in coverage, allowing completions on 5-of-5 passing attempts for 112 yards when targeted. The numbers could have been even worse, but a touchdown pass to Jordan Mason out of the backfield was called back due to a hold. With Anfernee Jennings out, he spent the majority of his time on the outside.

LB Raekwon McMillan (31.6)

Despite finishing with six tackles, three stops, and a quarterback pressure, McMillan’s grade was indicative of a poor performance. His run defense grade of 29.9 for an inside linebacker is unacceptable. Injuries caught up to the linebacker corps in Week 4 with Jennings, Ximines, and Bentley all out.

LT Demontrey Jacobs (32.9)

Jacobs’ first career NFL start was rough. Lining up against Nick Bosa was a tough task. Jacobs allowed seven hurries and a sack, receiving an 18.8 pass-blocking grade.

QB Jacoby Brissett (34.4)

Brissett completed 19-of-32 passes for 168 yards. He threw a touchdown but also committed two turnovers. Brissett threw a pick-six and lost a red-zone fumble in the fourth quarter. Brissett came under consistent pressure but did himself no favors by holding the ball too long on multiple occasions.

Bosa with a strip-sack and the fumble recovery for the @49ers! 💪

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/lP3N5OGwmY

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 29, 2024

LG Sidy Sow (39.1)

Sow returned to the field after missing the first three games with an ankle injury. It was not pretty. He allowed four pressures, including a sack and a quarterback hit. Sow’s 40.5 run-blocking grade was the lowest on the team.

DT Daniel Ekuale (39.8)

Ekuale played 46 defensive snaps. He finished with one tackle and no pressures. His run defense grade of 41.4 was particularly poor for a run-stuffing defensive tackle. That said, the role of a run-stuffing defensive tackle is generally graded poorly by Pro Football Focus.

LB Joshua Uche (40.3)

After being the highest-graded New England Patriots player in Week 3, Uche did not follow it up strongly in San Francisco. He had one quarterback hit but no other pressures. He recorded three tackles with one miss.

S Jaylinn Hawkins (41.5)

Hawkins played a larger role after Kyle Dugger left injured in the first half. He played 49 snaps and had five tackles (four solo) with one missed tackle. He allowed receptions on both targets for 28 yards allowed. Hawkins’ hustle did help negate a San Francisco touchdown (temporarily) by drawing a holding call against George Kittle.

Others who struggled: RB Rhamondre Stevenson (51.4), WR K.J. Osborn (52.3), CB Jonathan Jones (53.5), DT Davon Godchaux (53.9), TE Hunter Henry (55.2), DL Jeremiah Pharms Jr. (57.6), CB Marco Wilson (58.7), WR DeMario Douglas (59.2), WR Ja’Lynn Polk (59.2), and CB Marcus Jones (59.5).

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 with some players above. The reports are used to offer a different perspective on the performances of players in a given game.

The New England Patriots need to regroup and get ready for their Week 5 game against the Miami Dolphins. It is a chance to get things turned around against an AFC East rival. But if there are 18 players graded below 60.0 once again, it will be another rough one for New England.