Patriots Bill Belichick on Shutout of Lions: ‘Played Our Game’

With their 29-0 victory over the Detroit Lions, the New England Patriots improved to 2-3.

FOXBORO — The New England Patriots appropriately marketed Sunday as “Throwback Sunday.” 

With the Pats donning their widely popular red jerseys, in conjunction with white helmets bearing the classic ‘Pat Patriot’ logo, New England took on an air of nostalgia for their Week 5 matchup with the Detroit Lions. 

However, the true ‘throwback’ of the afternoon came in the form of an old-school performance by the Patriots in all three phases of the game. 

Said coach Bill Belichick in the jubilant locker room, “That’s the way we want to play  We played our game.”

Rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe threw a touchdown pass in his first career start, while running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for a career-high 161 yards to pace the offense. 

Safety Kyle Dugger returned a fumble 59 yards for a touchdown, while linebacker Matthew Judon contributed a pair of sacks of Lions quarterback Jared Goff. 

Lastly, kicker Nick Folk was a perfect 5-for-5 in field goal attempts as New England completed a 29-0 taming of the Lions at Gillette Stadium. 

As New England continues to savor the victory which moved it 2-3, here is a deeper dive:

Offense Observations

While Zappe may understandably be the toast of the town for much of the fan base, his performance was made possible due to a strong performance by the offensive line. The Patriots rookie quarterback was neither sacked, nor hit. Though the entire line deserves credit for a solid effort, the standout performer was left tackle Trent Brown. Brown looked every bit the irresistible force, easily winning several matchups against Detroit’s second-overall draft choice Aiden Hutchinson. 

In addition to its improvements in pass protection, New England’s offensive line continues to perform at a high level when it comes to run blocking. In taking on the feature role, while relieving the injured Damien Harris, Stevenson had his best day as a pro. The second-year running back has done an amazing job in finding rushing lanes in both gap and zone schemes. 

After missing the past two games with a knee injury, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers returned to the lineup in a big way, logging 111 yards on seven catches and one touchdown. Meyers’ veteran leadership and sure hands were a key factor in Zappe’s confidence. 

When paired with Stevenson’s 161 ground yards, Meyers 111 receiving yards marks the first time the Patriots had a 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver in the same game since Oct. 5, 2014 when former running back Stevan Ridley had 113 yards rushing and tight end Rob Gronkowski had 100 yards receiving.

Defense Observations

When a defense ‘pitches a shutout,’ there are likely to be several factors in determining the essential elements of success. However, New England’s most notable defensive stat was 0-6 —as in the Patriots defense forcing six unsuccessful fourth down attempts by Detroit. The Pats defenisve front limited Lions running back Jamaal Williams to 15 carries for 56 yards, and an average of 3.7 yards per carry. Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, edge rusher Deatrich Wise and linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley all turned in solid performances in helping the Pats stifle a typically potent Detroit offense in short-yardage situations. 

With a healthy Dugger back in the lineup, New England’s group of safeties held Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson to just one catch for eight yards. Though Dugger’s speed and physicality may be the catalyst to the Pats success in defending productive tight ends, fellow safeties Adrian Phillips, Devin McCourty and Jabrill Peppers also contributed in coverage. In additional linebackers Jahlani Tavai and Bentley helped to disrupt Hockenson’s routes, forcing him to go over or under the coverage. 

Judon continues to be the most explosive defender in the Patriots arsenal. On Sunday, he became the first Patriots player to start a season with a sack in each of the first five games with nine-yard sack of Goff in the second quarter and then forced a fumble on a 13-yard sack later in the second quarter. Judon finished the afternoon having also logged four quarterback hits and two tackles, one of which went for loss. 

The Folk Legend Lives On

Folk tied his career-high with five makes, while extending his NFL record to 63 straight field goals made under 50 yards. He made kicks from 37, 32, 44, 37 and 29 yards.

Folk’s last miss from inside the 50 was a 45-yard field goal attempt vs. the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 13, 2020. 

Drive of the Day

7:25 remaining in the second quarter, Lions 1st and 10 at the 50 yard-line

After forcing another Detroit punt, the Pats attempted to extend their 6-0 lead. Yet, their momentum would be stalled when receiver Nelson Agholor bobbled a would-be completion into the hands of defensive back DeShon Elliott for an interception.

Detroit quarterback Jared Goff took over at the 50-yard line with great field position. As such, Detroit looked primed to light the scoreboard for the first time on the day. Detroit’s eight play-drive was highlighted by a 20-yard pass from Goff to wide receiver Khalid Raymond on 3rd and 13 from the Lions’ 47-yard line.

Facing 4th and 9 from the Patriots 32-yard line, Lions head coach Dan Campbell opted to attempt the first down. However, Goff was strip-sacked by Judon, his fourth sack of the season. Dugger caught the fumble on one hop at the Pats' 41-yard line and returned it untouched 59 yards to the end zone.

Up Next: 

The Patriots return to the road for a Week 6 game at the Cleveland Browns. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 16 at First Energy 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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