"The Seahawks were just 4 of 16 on third down, and superstar receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was held to four catches on 10 targets for 27 yards. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez played a sensational game, including batting down a pass intended for Smith-Njigba near the goal line late in the first half that looked like it would be a touchdown when Darnold released it."
"Confession: I found myself earlier Sunday wondering what kind of gameplan ol' Bill Belichick might scheme up to stop Smith-Njigba and remind Darnold about the ghosts in his past. What Mike Vrabel and his defensive coaches, including play-caller Zak Kuhr, cooked up was more than sufficient."
"The defense didn't lose this game, by any means. The problem, the lament, is that the Patriots needed them to win it. With Drake Maye and the offense being suffocated by a Seahawks defense that analytics - particularly For The Numbers' DVOA metric - indicated was one of the best of all-time, it became clear early the New England defense was going to have to force Darnold into mistakes"
New England's defense limited Sam Darnold to 19-of-38 passing for 202 yards and one touchdown while holding Seattle to 4-of-16 on third down. Jaxon Smith-Njigba finished with four catches for 27 yards on 10 targets, and Christian Gonzalez batted down a near-goal-line pass. Rookie safety Craig Woodson totaled 10 tackles (7 solo), three tackles for loss and two passes defensed. The Patriots' defensive game plan was effective, but Drake Maye and the offense were suffocated by a Seahawks unit rated among the best by DVOA, leaving the defense needing to force mistakes that did not materialize.
Read at Boston.com
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