PFF’s Best and Worst Patriots Grades of Week 7

The New England Patriots’ performance in Week 7 caused head coach Jerod Mayo to call them, “a soft football team across the board.” It was a harsh critique, though not necessarily unwarranted. New England lost 32-16 to a Jacksonville Jaguars game that entered the game with a 1-5 record.

The Patriots took a 10-0 lead before surrendering 25 unanswered points. Jacksonville dominated in the trenches, outrushing New England 171 yards to 38. Neither team turned the ball over, but the Jaguars won virtually every other category, including time of possession and sacks, while the Patriots received more penalties. The formula added up a sixth straight loss for New England, the longest for the franchise since 1993.

Based on another lopsided loss, the grades from Pro Football Focus are unflattering. Only six players received positive grades, with 14 on the opposite end of the spectrum. That ratio is not conducive to amassing wins.

PARKER WASHINGTON. 96-YARD PUNT RETURN TD.

📺: #NEvsJAX on NFL Network
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/edk74815KD

— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024

Also Read – Ten Takeaways From the Patriots 32-16 Loss to the Jaguars

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 7 (note: players must play a minimum of 20 snaps to qualify, other than special teams):

HONOR ROLL

Only three Patriots players earned a score of 75.0 or better against the Jaguars. Three others received grades above 70.0. If the Patriots hope to compete, they must play better as a team. However, that starts with better individual performances, and New England has not gotten enough of them.

TE Austin Hooper (89.4)

New England Patriots tight ends posed matchup problems for Jacksonville throughout the game. It seemed strange offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt didn’t attempt to get them even more involved. Drake Maye targeted Austin Hooper five times, completing 4-of-5 for 32 yards. Hooper picked up three first downs and forced two missed tackles. He also did a solid job as a blocker.

CB Jonathan Jones (77.5)

After Jonathan Jones was mentioned in trade rumors last week, he played an excellent game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He received New England’s highest defensive grade of the week. On 12 passing downs, Jacksonville targeted Jones only once, and it was incomplete. His 84.7 coverage grade made him the only defensive back to score 70.0 or better in that department. He added two tackles, including a big stop.

Really nice open field tackle by the vet Jonathan Jones pic.twitter.com/GRwE5pQUBG

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

TE Hunter Henry (75.2)

Two of the three honor roll players for Week 7 were Patriots tight ends. Good news for the tight end room, but bad news for the rest of the roster. Hunter Henry caught 8-of-9 targets for 92 yards. He had 32 yards after the catch and picked up four first downs. He was also solid in the blocking game. A false start penalty prevented Henry’s grade from being even higher.

Other top performers: LB Anfernee Jennings (72.7), RT Mike Onwenu (71.7), CB Marco Wilson (71.6).

DISHONORABLE ROLL

Players included here received grades below 60.0 for the game. There is a slight improvement from the 18 players in this group from Week 6, but not nearly enough. Having 14 players with performances deemed replaceable by non-roster players is not going to win often in the NFL, regardless of opponent.

RG Sidy Sow (21.4)

Sow played right guard as a rookie for the Patriots in 2023. New England shifted him to left guard in training camp, where he was expected to start. Unfortunately for Sow, he was injured in the preseason finale and missed the first three games of the season. He returned in Week 4 but played poorly and Michael Jordan took over at left guard. Layden Robinson started at left guard, opposite Jordan, against Jacksonville but injured his ankle early. Sidy Sow replaced him and played 41 offensive snaps. PFF gave him a 0.0 pass-blocking grade. Sow allowed five pressures in the game. He went from the New England Patriots bench to the lowest-graded player of Week 7.

LG Michael Jordan (29.7)

The guard position was a struggle for New England. Jordan allowed three pressures, but it was his run-blocking that landed him on this list. He received a 24.8 run-blocking grade for the game, his worst of the season. After a strong Week 5 performance, Jordan has put together consecutive poor performances per PFF.

ST Jahlani Tavai (29.8)

Tavai received a neutral zone infraction on an extra point attempt. It enabled the Jaguars to attempt a successful two-point conversion instead. It is unclear what percentage of blame Tavai received for the Jaguars’ punt return touchdown, but he was the closest non-punter to play after just one move.

DT Davon Godchaux (34.3)

In Week 6, Davon Godchaux received the highest grade on the Patriots. Things changed drastically against Jacksonville. The defensive tackle played 50 snaps, including 35 running plays. He registered no quarterback pressures and made two tackles. He was the man in the middle of a defensive front that got run over by the Jaguars.

Two-TD Tank!

📺: #NEvsJAX on NFL Network
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/TNspWz7HJC

— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024

LT Demontrey Jacobs (36.8)

Jacobs played better than his grade from this perspective. He allowed four hurries and a holding penalty in the game. He allowed no quarterback hits or sacks. Perhaps this perspective is skewed by expectations for the offensive line at this stage, especially with Jacobs being sent back to the left side after two games playing right tackle.

Others who struggled: WR Ja’Lynn Polk (40.5), LB Jahlani Tavai (42.9), RB Rhamondre Stevenson (51.5), QB Drake Maye (53.2), CB Christian Gonzalez (54.0), DE Deatrich Wise Jr. (55.0), WR Kayshon Boutte (55.7), WR Kendrick Bourne (57.1), S Marte Mapu (57.2).

Weekly Disclaimer

Once again, it is important to note that the grades issued by Pro Football Focusare 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.

At the risk of oversimplifying, if 70% of the players mentioned in these weekly articles are on the negative side of things, the New England Patriots will continue to struggle to get wins.