Here are the grades for the New England Patriots after Sunday night’s 42-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Quarterback: Tom Brady had a shaky start with some poor decisions, especially late in the first half when he appeared to panic and tossed up a floater that was easily intercepted. Brady turned it around in the second half and delivered for his team. Grade: B
Running back: Jonas Gray. Jonas Gray. Jonas Gray. It’s incredible that Gray went from a practice squad player to recording 199 yards and four touchdowns (a regular-season franchise record) in a single game. A fun stat is that Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw combined for four yards, while Gray scored four touchdowns. Shane Vereen also had some good plays in the receiving game and a good burst on his lone carry gaining 18 yards. Grade: A+
Wide receiver: An early drop by Brian Tyms and another by Julian Edelman were not ideal. But Edelman and Brandon LaFell continued to carry the receiving workload. What stood out most was LaFell muscling the ball away from a cornerback on a third-and-6, and his body control on another grab shortly after that. Grade: B+
Tight end: Early on, it was all about Rob Gronkowski’s run blocking, which was exceptional. Then Gronkowski provided the game’s exclamation point with his stampeding touchdown where he looked unstoppable. It’s becoming almost comical to watch players try to take down Gronkowski on their own. We are witnessing greatness with the tight end. Tim Wright pitched in with a short touchdown score. Grade: A+
Offensive line: The Patriots’ run blocking was on a whole different level against the Colts. After struggling with the run game in prior weeks, the Patriots kicked it into high gear as all linemen made big blocks throughout the game. Extra tight end/offensive tackle Cameron Fleming made an impact as a major part of the game plan. The only downside on the line was Sebastian Vollmer struggling with Erik Walden at times. Grade: A
Defensive line/linebacker: The ability to stop the Colts’ run game is the most telling factor in the Patriots’ defensive front’s performance. Vince Wilfork and Alan Branch made their presence felt in stopping the run. Even rookie Dominique Easley provided a boost up front. Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins looked like a potent combination at linebacker with solid on-field awareness and closing speed to make tackles and limit yards after the catch. Grade: A
Defensive backs: Andrew Luck managed to throw for 303 yards, but that was split between Coby Fleener, who had a breakout game, and Reggie Wayne, especially on a Patriots’ defensive miscommunication. The Patriots locked down T.Y. Hilton as Kyle Arrington denied him in the end zone. Brandon Browner had his ups and downs, but his ability to recognize a screen to Hilton and blow up the play really stood out. Darrelle Revis’ tip to assist Devin McCourty on his interception was a heads-up play that showed why Revis is such an impressive player and difference maker. Grade: B+
Special teams: It was a quiet night for special teams as the Patriots only had one punt and Stephen Gostkowski didn’t have to attempt a field goal. The only plays to judge were Danny Amendola’s poor decision to field a punt at his own 5-yard line and a questionable call to run out a kick from six yards deep in the end zone. Grade: B-
Coaching: The Patriots’ opening drive with a commitment to establishing the run was absolutely flawless as it set the tempo for the course of the game. Then the coaching staff topped it with an even more impressive statement drive to start the second half after a rocky finish to the first half. The staff stuck with Gray, and it paid off big time. Coming into this game, the Colts’ defense held teams on third down 30.2 percent of the time and were even better at home. The Patriots converted an impressive 9-of-12 (75 percent) of third downs Sunday night. That’s a reflection of the coaching staff. Grade: A+