Patriots Notebook: Rookies Rising, Isaiah Wynn Falling In Victory Over Browns

The New England Patriots have evened their record at 3–3 thanks to a commendable blend of rookie talent and veteran leadership.

Don’t look now … but the New England Patriots are back to being a .500 football team.

Despite the absences of their incumbent starting quarterback, feature running back and arguably their most-seasoned deep threat wide receiver, the Pats have evened their record at 3-3 with a dominant 38-15 victory on Sunday over the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium.

For the second straight week, New England’s young core has blended with its veteran leadership to return to a level of respectability, which many throughout the fanbase (and media alike) had abandoned just a few short weeks ago.

Rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe tossed two touchdown passes, one of which landed in the hands of fellow first-year wideout Tyquan Thornton. Second-year rusher Rhamondre Stevenson added two scores, while the Pats defensive backfield earned two interceptions of Browns’ quarterback (and ex-Patriot) Jacoby Brissett.

As New England continues to savor their second road win of 2022, here is a deeper dive into the Pats’ performance on both sides of the ball.

Offense Observations

"Zappe Days” seem to be here to stay in New England. The Pats fourth-round rookie continues to impress the masses with his poise, competitive spirit and effective game management. However, the Western Kentucky product showcased some significant talent as well, in Week 6. Zappe finished the day 24 of 34 for 309 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Throughout the day, he demonstrated an ability to lead his receivers to their target, while spreading the ball to multiple targets. When operating under center play-action, Zappe was able to orchestrate some explosive big-yardage gains, eventually leading to his pair of touchdown strikes.

While Zappe has shown his talents when throwing the ball, a fellow member of his rookie class demonstrated his when both catching and carrying it. Thornton caught four passes for 37 yards and one touchdown. The Baylor product also earned his first rushing touchdown on a 19-yard jet sweep in the closing moments in the fourth quarter. Though Thornton is still growing into his role, his talent was on display on Sunday. His ability to find success on vertical routes, as well as drawing coverage from opposing defensive backs all but confirms that Thornton’s place in the Pats offense will continue to grow with each passing week.

Despite the era of good feelings surrounding the Patriots offense in Week 6, right tackle Isaiah Wynn’s penchant for penalties remains a concern. Though Wynn was notably bypassed by Browns defender Myles Garrett on his eventual strip sack/forced fumble, Wynn still showed occasional flashes of prowess in both run and pass protection. However, when taken in conjunction with being whistled for his seventh penalty in the past four games, the ex-Georgia Bulldog found himself being benched for veteran Marcus Cannon. Though Wynn would find his way back to the field in a rotational role with Cannon, his struggles with both protection and discipline may be a bit too overt for the Patriots to ignore any longer.

Defense Observations

Cleveland entered the game with the top-ranked rushing attack in the NFL, posting five consecutive games of 170 yards and averaging 192. The Browns rushed for only 70 yards as a team, with feature back Nick Chubb held to 56. Using a 3-4 front, with three safeties in the backfield, New England played it bigger and straight up to keep Cleveland’s running backs from gaining any traction. Linebacker Matthew Judon helped to fill the voids left by Lawrence Guy (out with a shoulder injury) and Christian Barmore (left the game in the second quarter with a knee injury), by setting the edge and maintaining a presence at the line of scrimmage.

With veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones out due to an ankle injury, rookie Jack Jones saw extensive time in man coverage in the secondary. The Arizona State product logged two tackles and a pass deflection. In addition to being the Pats primary force in their return game, third-round selection Marcus Jones also saw some time at outside corner against the Browns. The Houston product nearly snagged an interception on a corner route throw from Brissett in the third quarter. The pair of first-year defensive backs showed that New England’s rookie aptitude does not only reside on offense.

Team captain Deatrich Wise continues to have a career year. The former Arkansas Razorback registered a 10-yard sack in the fourth quarter to tie his career-high with his fifth sack of the season. He had five sacks as a rookie in 2017. Wise has been a force in pass rush, as well as stabilizing the defensive front.

Romancing the Milestones

While a earning a victory on team chairman and CEO Robert Kraft’s wedding weekend may be enough of a milestone for most NFL franchises, the Pats set a number of noteworthy marks with their win on Sunday. 

Head coach Bill Belichick won his 324th overall game as a head coach to tie George Halas for second place all-time among all NFL coaches, behind the 347 victories by Don Shula.

Kicker Nick Folk extended his NFL record to 64 straight field goals made (from under 50 yards) with a 19-yard field goal in the first quarter. However, the streak came to an end in the fourth quarter with a 45-yard field goal that was wide right.

Zappe became the first Patriots rookie quarterback to win in his first home and first road game. Also, in earning a passer rating of 118.4, he became the first rookie quarterback with a 100-plus passer rating in his first two starts since Sonny Jurgensen in 1957. Zappe had a passer rating of 100 in his first starts against Detroit.

Up Next:

The Patriots will return home to New England as they prepare to host the Chicago Bears on Oct. 24. Their Monday Night Football kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET from Gillette Stadium. 

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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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