Patriots 24, Falcons 23

 

A missed PAT was all that stood between a Patriots win and OT, or even a possible Atlanta win. Penix and the Falcons marched 85 yards down the field and got a TD on fourth and goal from the New England 8 to pull to within one point of a tie with 4:44 remaining. That one point would have been the point-after kick, but Atlanta's Parker Romo missed and the Pats settled for a one-point victory.

It was a win and a win is a win is a win, but it wasn't our best game. The defense was pretty weak, the o-line let Maye get sacked six times, and the Patriots only scored three points in the entire second half. But hey, I'll take an ugly win over a well-played loss any day, and New England now has six straight wins, ugly or otherwise.

Drake Maye finished the game with 259 yards passing on 19 completions in 29 attempts (65.5%). He completed two TDs but threw one interception and suffered those six brutal sacks. Maye has the highest season percentage of completions (75.2%) in the NFL and has 15 TDs on the season, tied for third in the NFL with Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Jared Goff, and Bo Nix. 

DeMario Douglas led all receivers with 100 yards, including an electrifying 58-yard catch in the second quarter.

The Patriots are now 7-2, first in the AFC East and tied with Indianapolis and Denver for best record in the NFL. Nest weekend, they play Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Bucs (6-2). 

We're back, baby!