The New England Patriots are bad—like, real bad.
They are now in control of their own draft pick destiny. This week was a real barn burner of a game (sarcasm) with the Patriots dropping a 10-7 loss at MetLife Stadium to another brutally bad team.
The Patriots had a chance to send the game into overtime, but rookie kicker Chad Ryland missed a 35-yard field goal wide left to hand the New York Giants the victory.
As always, there were some bright spots for the Patriots, and there were at least three stars that shined in the game. Here are this week’s standout stars:
First Star: Christian Barmore
Christian Barmore notched a sack, quarterback hit, tackle for loss and pass break-up in the game on Sunday. He was a menace all day disrupting the pocket. In a game where the Patriots needed to shut down Saquon Barkley, Barmore was the main cog in slowing down the Giants’ star rusher, who only had 46 yards on the ground.
Barmore has really surged this year and is extension eligible in 2024 after dealing with injuries early. He has truly turned into one of the game’s more disruptive interior defenders and is starting to be trusted on all three downs.
He deserves this week’s first star for his pure dominance against the Giants’ interior offensive line.
Second Star: Jabrill Peppers
Jabrill Peppers continues his revamped career in New England, as he was able to force a fumble, sack Tommy DeVito and had a few plays in coverage that forced some sacks underneath.
Peppers has been an emotional leader all season long, and he has backed it up with playmaking ability alongside fellow resurging defender, Jahlani Tavai.
Peppers signed a two-year contract in the offseason after originally signing in 2022 on a one-year flier, but the Patriots should do their best to extend the 28-year-old with another deal.
He has been an unsung hero for the team all season long.
Third Star: Rhamondre Stevenson
Rhamondre Stevenson carried the ball for 21 times, caught five passes and had 98 yards rushing on the day. He also scored the lone touchdown for the Patriots on an afternoon when he was consistently showing fight, forcing missed tackles and bouncing off arm tackles all game long.
Ezekiel Elliott also looked good in a more limited role. Both Elliott and Stevenson should thank the offensive line, who did their part in the run game. The offensive issues were completely pointed at the quarterback position.
Stevenson has started to turn it around after a slow start, which is good timing considering he is eligible for an extension in the winter.
He is a focal point of the offense right now, and he deserves an extension, as he would give whoever is calling plays—and whoever is quarterbacking—an elite running back with incredible upside.
