New England Patriots vs. Arizona Cardinals: 3 to Watch

As the New England Patriots prepare to take on the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14 of the 2022 season, Patriots Country highlights three players on whom Pats fans might want to keep watch.

FOXBORO — The New England Patriots are ready for some Monday Night Football in Week 14.

The Pats are looking to remain in playoff contention and move back above .500 as they prepare to face off against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday, Dec. 12 at 8:15 p.m. ET from State Farm Stadium.

The teams last met on Nov. 29, 2020, a 20-17 Patriots win at Gillette Stadium. They will travel to Arizona for the first time since opening the 2016 season with a 23-21 win on Sunday Night Football from Glendale. 

The Patriots have faced the Cardinals five times during Bill Belichick’s tenure as Patriots head coach (2000-present) and are 4-1 in those games.

Though many Patriots players are expected to garner some attention during Sunday’s matchup, here are three players that might raise an eyebrow when the Pats take the field against the Cardinals.

Rhamondre Stevenson

With Damien Harris’ thigh injury keeping him on the sidelines, Stevenson will once again be in for a significant workload. The second-year rushers took all but one of the Pats 54 offensive snaps in their 24-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 13. Through 12 games, Stevenson has amassed 734 yards with four touchdowns, while averaging 4.6 yards per carry as New England’s lead back. However, he is about to face a Cardinals team , which has been adept at stopping the run. Arizona ranks 10th in the league, allowing 110.8 yards per game on the ground. As a result, the Pats may look to Stevenson to use his physical, powerful running style, along with his vision and athleticism to make tacklers miss in short yardage in situational runs. The ex-Oklahoma Sooner may also be able to find some success with catch-and-run plays under the defense. The 24-year-old has caught 56 of 67 targets for 383 yards and one touchdown. 

Hunter Henry 

As notable buzz surrounds their desire to improvise their offensive output, New England must find a way to incorporate Henry as a receiving option against a capable Cardinals secondary. The veteran tight end is most productive when playing the traditional “Y” role, accentuating his route running skills, as well as his ability to box out. He has also proven himself a strong blocker and reliable pass catcher. When operating out of play-action, Henry has become a favorite target for quarterback Mac Jones, especially on seam routes. The Pats would be smart to utilize Henry’s route-running prowess in the open field, as well as his strength inside the 20. Arizona's defense ranks near the bottom of the league by most metrics, 31st in scoring defense, 28th on third down, and last in the red zone. With receiver Jakobi Meyers sidelined while in concussion protocol, Henry may see additional looks from Jones against the Cardinals. 

Jones Trio at Cornerback

Jones … Party of Three? 

With starting perimeter corner Jalen Mills out due to a groin injury, the Pats defensive backfield will feature veteran Jonathan Jones, as well as rookies Marcus Jones and Jack Jones in notable roles on Monday night. Having struggled to contain receivers Justin Jefferson and Stefon Diggs in consecutive weeks, the Patriots secondary faces another tough task in defending Arizona’s DeAndre Hopkins. Since returning to the lineup from his six-game suspension, Hopkins ranks in the top five in several statistical categories. He is tied for third in targets (64), tied for second in receptions (49), and fifth in receiving yards with 574. While attempting to neutralize him in man coverage may be difficult (to say the least), the Pats best chance to keep Hopkins in check may be to double or roll the safety over the top with Jack Jones covering him. In turn, Jonathan Jones would draw single coverage against Marquise Brown, the Cardinals second-option at receiver. Marcus Jones may see some time in the slot, as well as on the perimeter in reserve duty. If the trio can find success in disrupting Hopkins routes and rhythm, they will force quarterback Kyler Murray to look for alternative targets. Incidentally, Murray’s 113.9 passer-rating when targeting Hopkins droops to 89.3 when targeting any other receiver. Therefore, the Patriots corners will do all they can to keep the connections between Murray and Hopkins to a minimum. 

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Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots

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