Copyright NBC10 Boston
By one metric, the New England Patriots' offense wasn't all that productive Sunday. According to ESPN's Aaron Schatz, the Patriots had a 33 percent offensive "success rate" against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, meaning only a third of their plays gained 40 percent of the required yards on first down, 60 percent on second down, or 100 percent (a first down or touchdown) on third or fourth down. The Bucs, meanwhile, had a 52 percent success rate. And yet ... the Patriots still racked up 435 total yards and four touchdowns against one of the best defenses in football en route to a 28-23 win. The key to victory? Explosive plays. New England broke off four plays of 50 yards or more, three of which went for touchdowns: a 72-yard pass from Drake Maye to Kyle Williams and touchdown runs of 55 and 69 yards by running back TreVeyon Henderson. Sunday wasn't an anomaly, however, as Maye and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels have helped transform a once-impotent offense into an explosive-play machine. Entering Week 11, the Patriots rank third in the NFL in passing plays that have gained at least 20 yards (35) and tied for third in passing plays that gained 40+ yards (six). That's essentially a complete 180 from the last two seasons, when New England ranked 30th or worse in both categories in both 2023 and 2024. In fact, the Patriots only ranked inside the top 10 in passing plays of at least 20 or 40 yards once in the previous five seasons (2022). "I got worn out running (down the sideline) to see how our guys were doing as many times as I did," head coach Mike Vrabel joked after the Patriots' rash of explosive plays Sunday. Vrabel's sideline fatigue is an issue of his own making: Ever since taking the job in January, Vrabel has stressed the importance of explosive plays, or "X plays," as he calls them. The team's personnel moves this offseason reflect that. In free agency, New England added four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins, a big-bodied downfield threat who has averaged 12.7 yards per catch over seven-plus NFL seasons. In the NFL Draft, Vrabel and Co. used Day 2 draft picks on Henderson and Williams, who both boast blazing speed and big-play ability. That group of pass-catchers has thrived with Maye, who has taken a massive Year 2 leap while emerging as one of the NFL's best deep-ball throwers. The 23-year-old has a ridiculous 141.4 passer rating this season on throws that travel at least 20 air yards, completing 16 of those 28 attempts with five touchdowns to zero interceptions. MORE PATRIOTS COVERAGE The upshot of the Patriots' explosive-play prowess? In recent years, the offense would have to put together lengthy, methodical drives (or get great field position) to score points, which meant more margin for error, fewer trips to the red zone and ultimately fewer points: The Patriots averaged just 17 points per game last season, 30th in the NFL. This year, the Patriots' offense can stall at times -- especially in the run game, where the team ranks 25th in EPA per rush -- and still put up points, thanks to its ability to hit on a big play at any moment with essentially any skill player. Through 10 games, New England is averaging 26.5 points per game, good for eighth in the NFL and nearly a 10-point-per-game jump compared to least season. Whether New England's big-play prowess is sustainable remains to be seen. But 10 games is a substantial sample size, and the Patriots show no signs of getting any less aggressive. "(With) anything in life, you’re (going) to have to certainly put some chips in the pot to be able to win something," Vrabel added Sunday. (You) can’t sit around and wait and hope that they just hand it to you. "... Most of the time in life, you (have) to be able to risk something to get something in return. So, you can’t win (anything) you don’t put in the middle.”
