The New England Patriots are back in the win column after a dominant 42-13 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 4.
It was a full-team effort for New England, who got contributions on both sides of the ball.
Week 3’s turnover issues didn’t follow the Patriots into Week 4, and Marcus Jones helped get their scoring started with an electric 87-yard punt return. Drake Maye and Stefon Diggs also appeared to find a groove as their chemistry shined bright on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
Here’s a roundup of what’s being said about the blowout victory.
USA TODAY
“Success stories regarding holdovers from the Bill Belichick era are few and far between for the New England Patriots. On Sunday, however, (Marcus) Jones ignited a 42-13 win over the Carolina Panthers, with his 87-yard punt-return touchdown in the first quarter starting the scoring avalanche after a shaky start. He nearly housed another in the second quarter but was tripped up by punter Sam Martin after a 61-yard runback. The 2022 All-Pro’s 167 punt return yards were the most in Patriots for any player in a single game.”
Bleacher Report
“A season ago, the Patriots fielded the league’s worst skill position group. This offseason, New England’s front office made multiple moves to improve the situation, with the addition of veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs being an important piece of the puzzle.
“(Drake) Maye wanted to get the ball to Diggs more after three weeks. The two finally built a strong rapport in Week 4, with the four-time Pro Bowl target catching six passes for 101 yards. Considering Diggs had 112 receiving yards through the first three games, Sunday’s performance is a massive step in the right direction.”
NBC Sports
“Maye was 14-of-17 for 203 yards before Josh Dobbs came on for garbage time in the fourth quarter. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs was his top target and the veteran posted 101 yards on six catches over the course of the afternoon. The Patriots would like to see repeats of both performances when they head to Buffalo to face the Bills in Week 5.”
Sports Illustrated
“The most obvious area of improvement came in the turnover department. A week after five turnovers turned what could’ve easily (and probably should’ve) been a signature win over the Steelers, the Patriots didn’t turn it over to the Panthers once, with (Mike) Vrabel having addressed the problem in a very direct manner during the week.”
CBS Sports
“Marcus Jones woke up on Sunday and apparently decided he was going to lead the Patriots to a win. The New England punt returner had two returns of 60 yards or more, including an 87-yard return that gave the Patriots the lead for good at 7-6 in the first quarter. Drake Maye was almost as good as Jones. The Patriots QB was nearly perfect, completing 82.4% of his passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns. At 2-2, the Patriots find out just how good they are in Week 5 when they play the Bills in Buffalo.”
ESPN
“One week after Rhamondre Stevenson lost two fumbles and backup Antonio Gibson lost one, the Patriots altered the snaps played by running backs by lessening Stevenson’s workload with more of an even split. At halftime, Stevenson still led the way with 11 snaps, followed closely by TreVeyon Henderson’s 10 and Gibson’s five. The Patriots held a 28-6 lead at that point. Patriots running backs didn’t lose any fumbles this week, which could foreshadow a similar approach with snaps moving forward.
“Cornerback Marcus Jones’ 87-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter changed everything. The Patriots had another slow start on defense by giving up an early touchdown, then went three-and-out on offense; that left no energy in Gillette Stadium. Jones’ catch was impressive, as he broke an initial tackle, took off up the left side and then cut back in the middle to cap it off. His 167 punt return yards are the most by a Patriots player in a game in franchise history.”