Week 2 Grades - "A" for effort...

Where was Josh Boyce on Thursday night?

The rookie speedster out of TCU saw only two snaps in the New England Patriots struggle with the hated New York Jets on the NFL Network's weekly Thursday night showcase - which was curious when considering that Tom Brady's potential targets in the passing game were limited to two other rookies and Julian Edelman.

Playing without top offensive options Danny Amendola, Shane Vereen, Zach Sudfeld and awaiting the return of Rob Gronkowski from offseason surgery, it was pretty much a case of needing all hands on deck, yet Boyce was a relegated to the status of  a spectator with the best seat in the house, playing just two snaps and being targeted...never.

Boyce has electric speed and is perhaps the closest that the Patriots have in trying to replace Vereen with a like skill set in the pattern, and it's not exactly as if other options were effective - all except Julian Edelman, who took a beating to catch 13 balls for only 78 yards...

...and, whatever.  For certain, head coach Bill Belichick had his reasons for not playing Boyce, and none of us will ever be privy to those reasons.  Just seems a little curious that you have a natural seam stretcher on the active roster, but didn't take advantage of someone who could have been a difference maker by taking a defender out of the box at the very least.

But watching Belichick walk to midfield after the game, fist clenched and raised above his head in acknowledgement of the cheers from the crowd, causes one to feel that the finicky coach knew that his team had either dodged a bullet or performed better than apparent to the naked eye - or both...

...his comments following the contest echoing both of those sentiments. 

Passing Offense:B

In a world where instant gratification is the only thing that makes the nut, many will look at the Patriots passing attack and call it an unmitigated disaster - but while the game was not that aesthetically pleasing to the casual palate, the benefit gained from the struggle will certainly show going forward.

The results of how successful this night was for the Patriots' passing game will be spread out over the next 15 weeks and beyond, and it was successful because Tom Brady kept feeding the ball to his rookie receivers.

Brady's meltdown not withstanding, the rookie receivers actually were doing a decent job of getting open on their routes - just sometimes it was the wrong route, sometimes it was Brady missing the mark and sometimes it was the receivers flat dropping the ball.

It really doesn't matter why the ball hit the ground, all that matters is that it did - several times, 20 times in 39 throws to be exact.

The Patriots have been known as a team that likes to attack the seam as a means of drawing the coverage to the middle of the field, potentially opening up the underneath routes by the seam stretcher taking the slot corner or a linebacker with him and out of the box - but the coaching staff called for no targets at all up the seam, despite having four receivers that are capable of making the play - and the results were predictable.

Perhaps it was the fact that Brady had limited protection in the pocket, or maybe it was the staff cluing in on his elevating frustration, but it is also conceivable that with as many drops and bad patterns we witnessed on Thursday night, the coaching staff just wasn't comfortable with Brady laying a ball down the middle of the field with no guarantee that someone would go up to get it.

Rushing Offense: C

The rushing offense was the primary victim of the New York Jets' defensive line, which is huge, athletic and violent - still, it was shocking to see the Patriots' offensive line unable to open the gaping holes that we usually see - and that affected the balance of the play calling.

In truth, the backs were finding a bit of maneuvering space on the right side between Dan Connolly and Sebastian Vollmer, to the tune of an aggregate 3.75 yards per carry, but absolutely nothing up the middle or to the left, as Ryan Wendell was pushed around all night and Logan Mankins turned to brawling as the Jets' line - considered by many as one of the best in the league - seemed to be getting under his skin...

...the Patriots on offense losing their composure a common theme on the night.  To be fair, it is obvious that the line relies heavily on the inline tight end to provide bulk and open holes for the backs - and newly signed Matthew Mulligan and left tackle Nate Solder filling in at tight end turned in yeoman's efforts each, but in the end neither are Rob Gronkowski, and neither have the receiving skill of he or rookie Zach Sudfeld.

Fortunately, both should be ready for week 3 when the Patriots host Tampa Bay.

Pass defense: B+

Yes it was against another rookie quarterback and, yes, it was without against a Jets' passing attack missing their most reliable pass catcher, but the Patriots pass defense was able to come to the rescue once again.

The trio of Alfonzo Dennard, Aqib Talib and Kyle Arrington were magnificent, and linebacker Dont'a Hightower was superb in coverage as well - the grade made easier with the Jets missing Jeremey Kerley and Stephen Hill alternating between catching and dropping the ball, but it is notable that the pass coverage played well enough that the Patriots subbed in no other corners, as neither Logan Ryan nor Marquice Cole saw action...

In fact, the only reserve defensive back that saw any action at all was safety Duron Harmon, who came on for an dinged up Steve Gregory and turned in a solid performance in double digit snaps.

The pass rush harassed Jets' quarterback Geno Smith all night, particularly off the edges where Michael Buchanan continues to show why he should have been an early round draft pick, pressuring Smith on multiple occasions and getting to the rookie signal caller for a sack - but with Chandler Jones flying around in full beast mode, the team is having to get creative to get Buchanan snaps.

Though Jones was pushed around in the running game (As were all of the Patriots), he was a demon in the pass rush, setting up shop in the Jets' backfield along with left end Rob Ninkovich as New York's tackles couldn't handle either.  Jones collected two sacks and the pressure he and Ninkovich provided from the edges opened up the middle for defensive tackle Tommy Kelly to register a sack as well.


Rush Defense: D

Why did the New York Jets lose this football game?  Quite simply, they inexplicably abandoned their running game.

The Jets' offensive line pushed the Patriots around in the running game, and only the efforts of Rob Ninkovich catching a couple of running backs in the backfield and of Joe Vellano sacrificing his body to plug the middle when subbing in for Wilfork saved this grade from being worse.

The Jets have a big, mauling offensive line, but we're not used to seeing the likes of Wilfork, Brandon Spikes and Jerod Mayo getting manhandled, though it's worth noting that Dont'a Hightower working on the second level looks like he's made that sophomore year jump to being a terror against both the run and the pass - and enough can not be said about Vellano's effort - but that was about it for the run defense...

Given the struggles of the Patriots' offense and in their run defense, it is remarkable that they came away with the victory in a game that they probably should have lost - and had the Jets stayed grounded instead of going to Smith's arm in winning time, New England probably would have lost.

Belichick knows this, as it was obvious from his relieved look leaving the sidelines after the game, but he also knows that he accomplished what his game plan had set out to do - Get his rookie pass catchers invaluable real-time game experience and survived the contest without three of his playmakers on offense, riding his defense to pull out the win...

...all on a Thursday night and on three days' preparation.  These mid-week anomalies leave a team no choice but to go into survival mode and just hoping to come out of it relatively healthy and with the "W", but Belichick most likely knows that he won't be so lucky next time the teams meet.

New England needs it's playmakers back on offense.