Tag: instant analysis

Instant analysis of Packers’ 20-19 win over Bears in Week 11

Instant analysis of the Packers’ 20-19 win over the Bears in Week 11.

Jordan Love engineered a go-ahead scoring drive and Karl Brooks produced a dramatic blocked field goal as the Green Bay Packers escaped Soldier Field with a remarkable 20-19 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

The Packers are now 7-3 overall after winning their 11th straight game over the Bears.

Here is an instant analysis of the Packers’ win over the Bears in Week 11:

Final score: Packers 20, Bears 19

1 2 3 4 F
GB (7-3) 7 0 7 6 20
CHI (4-6) 3 7 9 0 19

Live scoring

First quarter

GB 7, CHI 0: Jayden Reed 15-yard catch (11:15)
GB 7, CHI 3: Cairo Santos 53-yard field goal (7:53)

Second quarter

CHI 10, GB 7: Roshon Johnson 1-yard run (0:07)

Third quarter

CHI 13, GB 7: Cairo Santos 27-yard field goal (10:17)
GB 14, CHI 13: Josh Jacobs 7-yard run (3:43)
CHI 19, GB 14: D’Andre Swift 39-yard run (0:31)

Fourth quarter

GB 20, CHI 19: Jordan Love 1-yard run (2:59)

It was over when…

… Karl Brooks penetrated inside, got a hand up and blocked Cairo Santos’ 46-yard field goal attempt as time expired, preserving the one-point win for the Packers.

Game balls

Offense — WR Christian Watson: He caught four passes for a season-high 150 yards, including a diving 60-yarder that helped set up the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. Watson also had catches of 27 yards and 48 yards.

Defense — DE Brenton Cox Jr.: In his first extended NFL action, Cox produced two negative plays — a tackle for loss against the run and his first career NFL sack.

Special teams — DL Karl Brooks: His big hands saved the day on the final field goal attempt.

Key stat

3-for-5: The Packers scored three touchdowns on five red zone trips, but an interception thrown by Jordan Love and a turnover on downs led to two empty trips inside the 20. This game didn’t need to come down to a blocked field goal. Green Bay must get better in the red zone down the stretch.

Deciding factor

Explosive plays in the passing game: Jordan Love averaged 15.4 yards per attempt and 20.0 yards per completion, and the Packers finished with five passing plays of 20 or more yards. Christian Watson had three — including two setting up touchdowns. Josh Jacobs added two more as an underneath weapon. When the Packers had to have a big play late, Love hit Watson for 60 yards to set up the go-ahead score.

Jordan Love watch

A wild day at the office for Jordan Love. Get a look at this stat line: 13 for 17, 261 yards, one touchdown, one interception, one rushing touchdown. Love put the Packers up 7-0 on a free-play touchdown pass in the first quarter, created five explosive plays in the passing game and scored the go-ahead touchdown. He also threw a bad pick in the red zone. His passer rating was 113.0. Of his four incompletions, one was a drop and another was a throwaway. His interception sailed over Tucker Kraft’s head. On a positive note, Love looked completely healthy — he scrambled three times and looked mobile in and out of the pocket.

Play of the game

Karl Brooks saves the day.

Injury updates

Cornerback Jaire Alexander, who was questionable to play, started the game but exited midway through and didn’t return because of a lingering knee injury.

What’s next

The Packers will return home next Sunday for a visit from the San Francisco 49ers. Matt LaFleur’s team escaped Soldier Field, but the Packers need to play considerably better next week to beat the mighty 49ers. Kyle Shanahan’s team is currently 5-4 and hosting the Seattle Seahawks in the late Sunday timeslot in Week 11.

Instant analysis of Patriots’ 22-28 loss to Rams

The Patriots come up short against the Rams

New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye put the team on his back in Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams. He even had a shot at carrying them over the finish line on a potential comeback drive late in the fourth quarter.

However, an inadvertent pass right into the awaiting arms of Rams safety Kamren Kinchens brought an end to the game.

After building some momentum with a big win over the Chicago Bears last week, the Patriots came crashing back down to Earth in a 28-22 loss to the Rams.

Maye looked at his best under center. He was reading the defense and seeing the field like he’d been playing in the NFL for several years. You would have never known he was a rookie making only his sixth NFL start. He went 30-of-40 passing for 281 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

His favorite target was veteran wideout Kendrick Bourne, who was benched last week. Bourne returned for his best game of the season with five receptions for 70 yards and one touchdown.

The biggest issue for the Patriots was on the defensive side of the ball. They failed to generate any turnovers or consistent pressure on Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. There were plays where Stafford seemingly had all day to throw in the pocket. He made the Patriots pay with a tremendous performance of 295 passing yards and four touchdowns.

The Patriots defense gave up a whopping 402 total yards in the game. This wasn’t anywhere near the dominant defensive front that showed up against the Bears last week.

Losing feels all too familiar for this Patriots team, but they’ll attempt to dust themselves off and recuperate ahead of a Week 12 matchup on the road against the Miami Dolphins.

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Instant analysis of Packers’ 24-14 loss to Lions in Week 9

Instant analysis of the Packers’ 24-14 loss to the Lions in Week 9.

A disastrous pick-six, double-digit penalties and a half-dozen dropped passes doomed the Green Bay Packers in a decisive loss to the Detroit Lions at a rain-soaked Lambeau Field on Sunday.

Jordan Love threw a pick-six before the half, handing the Lions a 17-3 advantage. Matt LaFleur’s team also committed 10 penalties and dropped six passes.

The Packers are now limping into the bye week at 6-3 but also 0-2 in the division, while the Lions are surging ahead at 7-1.

Here is an instant analysis of the Packers’ loss to the Lions in Week 9:

Final score: Lions 24, Packers 14

1 2 3 4 F
DET (7-1) 7 10 7 0 24
GB (6-3) 3 0 3 8 14

Live scoring

First quarter

GB 3, DET 0: Brandon McManus 30-yard field goal (7:06)
DET 7, GB 3: Amon-Ra St. Brown 3-yard catch

Second quarter

DET 10, GB 3: Jake Bates 27-yard field goal (0:58)
DET 17, GB 3: Kerby Joseph 27-yard interception return (0:32)

Third quarter

DET 24, GB 3: Jahmyr Gibbs 15-yard rush (9:32)
DET 24, GB 6: Brandon McManus 38-yard field goal (0:48)

Fourth quarter

DET 24, GB 14: Emanuel Wilson 2-yard run (3:49)

It was over when…

… the Lions stuffed Josh Jacobs on 4th-and-1 inside the red zone and the Packers trailing 24-6. A score might have made things interesting. The stop made a comeback impossible. Dontayvion Wicks dropped what would have been touchdown pass one play before the fourth down stop.

Game balls

Offense — WR Jayden Reed: He made a tough catch on a 41-yarder to end the first half, and his late conversion on 4th-and-5 extended a drive. His 32-yarder in the third quarter set up a field goal.

Defense — DE Kingsley Enagbare: His late tackle for loss on Kalif Raymond helped set up a punt. The Packers finished with only three tackles for loss and four quarterback hits.

Special teams — P Daniel Whelan: Both of his punts ended up inside the 20-yard line, including a 51-yarder. His net average was 42.0 yards.

Key stat

1-for-4: The Packers finished with just one touchdown on four red zone trips, including three straight failures to start the game. Green Bay kicked two short field goals and had a fourth down run stuffed inside the red zone. The touchdown didn’t arrive until late in the fourth. Too many points left on the field.

Deciding factor

Pick-six: The Packers trailed 10-3 and were right in it late in the first half. Jordan Love’s pick-six — while under pressure and attempting to check the ball down to Josh Jacobs — changed everything. Suddenly, the Lions led 17-3, and then took the ball to start the half and marched for another score. Game over.

Jordan Love watch

While playing through a groin injury, Love completed 23 of 39 passes for 273 yards and an interception. His pick-six changed the game. Love wasn’t sacked, but his mobility looked limited. His stat-line was drastically affected by six different drops, including at least one dropped touchdown. Love’s passer rating finished at 69.7 — well below average and indicative of the performance overall.

Play of the game

Early on, the Packers got a big stop when Arron Mosby and Rashan Gary combined for a third-down sack.

Injury updates

Defensive lineman Colby Wooden exited the game with a shoulder injury.

What’s next

A much-needed bye week. Jordan Love played through a groin injury but was clearly limited. Josh Jacobs battled through an ankle injury. Jaire Alexander, Evan Williams and Josh Myers missed the game. Kenny Clark and Elgton Jenkins have played through lingering injuries all season. Matt LaFleur’s team needs to get healthy and find a way to catch fire coming out of the bye. The Packers go to Chicago to play the Bears on Sunday, Nov. 17.

Instant analysis of Patriots’ heartbreaking overtime loss to Titans

There was plenty of late-game drama, but the Patriots ultimately came up short against the Titans

There was plenty of Drake Maye magic in the air for the New England Patriots near the end of the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans.

But then the magic dried up in overtime.

Maye threw a deep pass on a potential comeback drive that fell right into the awaiting arms of Titans safety Amani Hooker. It was a disappointing ending to an ugly game of football on the road for New England.

The defense once again seemed incapable of stopping the run. Tennessee wasn’t even sure if running back Tony Pollard would be healthy enough to play in the game, but he ended up going off for 28 rushes and 128 yards on the ground. The Titans had 39 rushes for 167 yards on the ground in total.

Maye created some drama late in the game by connecting with running back Rhamondre Stevenson with a touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal with defenders draped all around him.

The rookie quarterback had eight rushes for 95 yards on top of going 29-of-41 passing for 206 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and one fumble. Turnovers proved to be the backbreaking errors for the Patriots.

With that said, Maye is playing under ridiculous circumstances. He’s a first-year quarterback with one of the worst offensive lines in football and no true No. 1 receiver. Tight end Hunter Henry led the Patriots in receiving yards, and Stevenson was in the mix as well at No. 3. The second-leading pass-catcher for the Patriots was wideout Kendrick Bourne.

There isn’t enough consistency at receiver to not expect the rookie to want to carry the offense on his shoulders and make things happen. However, that kind of mentality can often lead to mistakes if the quarterback tries to do too much.

The temporary high from the Patriots’ upset win over the New York Jets was short-lived, and now, it’s back to the drawing board with a tough road game against the Chicago Bears coming up in Week 10.

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Instant analysis of Packers’ 30-27 win over Jaguars in Week 8

Instant analysis of the Packers’ 30-27 win over the Jaguars in Week 8.

The Green Bay Packers overcame an injury to Jordan Love and two blown leads in the second half to escape Jacksonville with a walk-off win on a 24-yard field goal from Brandon McManus on Sunday at EverBank Stadium. Backup Malik Willis found Jayden Reed for a 51-yard completion to set up the field goal that sent the Packers to a 30-27 victory.

Matt LaFleur’s team has won four straight games and is now 6-2 overall.

Here is an instant analysis of the Packers’ win over the Jaguars in Week 8:

Final score: Packers 30, Jaguars 27

1 2 3 4 F
GB (6-2) 0 13 7 10 30
JAX (2-6) 0 10 7 10 27

Live scoring

Second quarter

GB 7, JAX 0: Josh Jacobs 3-yard run (11:31)
GB 10, JAX 0: Brandon McManus 31-yard field goal (6:03)
GB 10, JAX 7: Trevor Lawrence 6-yard run (2:37)
GB 13, JAX 7: Brandon McManus 36-yard field goal (0:54)
GB 13, JAX 10: Cam Little 39-yard field goal (0:03)

Third quarter

JAX 17, GB 13: Brian Thomas Jr. 14-yard catch (5:10)
GB 20, JAX 17: Josh Jacobs 38-yard run (0:21)

Fourth quarter

GB 27, JAX 17: Tucker Kraft 3-yard catch (14:06)
GB 27, JAX 20: Cam Little 47-yard field goal (5:36)
GB 27, JAX 27: Evan Engram 14-yard catch (1:48)
GB 30, JAX 27: Brandon McManus 24-yard field goal (0:00)

It was over when…

… the Packers dialed up the perfect play, Malik Willis “canned” to the throw and Jayden Reed produced a 51-yard catch on the Packers’ final drive. The explosive play allowed the Packers to kill the rest of the clock and kick the short field goal to win the game with no time left.

Game balls

Offense — RB Josh Jacobs: The veteran running back turned 25 carries into 127 yards and two scores, including a go-ahead 38-yard touchdown in the second half.

Defense — LB Edgerrin Cooper: His strip-sack created a turnover and a quick touchdown after Jordan Love went out with an injury. Later, he broke up a pass on third down to force a punt. The rookie led the Packers with nine tackles.

Special teams — K Brandon McManus: In his return to Jacksonville, McManus made all six of his kicks, including all three field goals. His 24-yarder was the walk-off winner.

Key stat

2-for-6: The Packers finished with only two touchdowns on six red zone trips, including a 1-for-4 start in the first half. Jordan Love threw an interception and the Packers settled for three short field goals. The Jaguars were 3-for-3 scoring touchdowns in the red zone. This situational gap kept the Jaguars in the game, especially early.

Deciding factor

Additions: Xavier McKinney’s sixth interception of the season set up a touchdown, Josh Jacobs rushed for two scores, Malik Willis led a game-winning drive and Brandon McManus kicked home the game-winner. All four were added to the roster in the last seven months. Not a bad day for Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst.

Jordan Love watch

Love appeared to suffer a lower-body injury on the Packers’ first possession. After playing through the issue for a half, Love went down on the first possession of the second half, exited the game and didn’t return. He has a groin injury. Before exiting, Love completed 14 of 22 passes for 196 yards and an interception. His mobility was severely limited after the injury. In relief, Malik Willis completed four passes — including the 51-yarder to Jayden Reed and a short touchdown pass to Tucker Kraft — and rushed for 23 yards.

Play of the game

Jordan Love exited the game with an injury and the Packers gave up the lead soon after, but Josh Jacobs helped change the course of the game with a touchdown drive on Malik Willis’ first series. He finished it off with an impressive 38-yard score. He made a tackler miss in the open field and then used a block from Christian Watson to get into the end zone.

Injury updates

Safety Evan Williams injured his hamstring in warmups and was eventually ruled out. Quarterback Jordan Love injured his groin and missed most of the second half. Running back Josh Jacobs and cornerback Jaire Alexander both appeared to suffer injuries late.

What’s next

The biggest game of the season so far. Coming to Green Bay next Sunday will be the Detroit Lions, who are 6-1 and leading the NFC North after cruising past the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Ford Field. The Packers are going to have a ton of injury question marks entering Week 9.

Instant analysis of Patriots’ shocking Week 8 win over Jets

The Patriots stun the Jets in Week 8

“Large chunks” of New England Patriots fans reportedly left Gillette Stadium early after rookie quarterback Drake Maye went down with a head injury late in the first half of Sunday’s game.

Those individuals might regret not sticking around long enough to see veteran Jacoby Brissett trot onto the field and lead the team to an improbable comeback win over the visiting New York Jets.

Brissett hadn’t taken a snap since Week 5, but he looked solid under center in his return. One of the reasons for that success was due to an incredible effort by the offensive line. The big boys up front played with some fire in their bellies after getting dominated in the first meeting between the two teams in Week 3.

Brissett finished the game going 15-of-24 passing for 132 yards. His favorite target was tight end Hunter Henry, but wideout Kayshon Boutte made key plays down the stretch, including a tight-window grab at the one-yard line on the game-winning drive.

A simple hand-off to running back Rhamondre Stevenson was all New England needed to shut the door on the Jets in a 25-22 victory.

The Patriots’ defense also deserves credit in the game for keeping the Jets’ rushing attack in check and getting off the field in key moments. It was a valiant effort for a team missing multiple starters, including both safeties.

New England should take a little time to celebrate this victory, and then it’s back to work next week on the road against the Tennessee Titans.

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Instant Analysis: LSU collapses in second half, suffers first SEC loss against Texas A&M

It was a tale of two halves for the Tigers in Saturday night’s frustrating loss to Texas A&M.

It was a tale of two halves for LSU on Saturday night against Texas A&M.

The Tigers dominated the first half and looked like they were on the way to a statement win on the road. But TAMU completely reversed the script in the second half, outscoring them 31-6 as it ultimately pulled away to win 38-23 and hand coach Brian Kelly’s team its first SEC loss as well as a severe blow to its College Football Playoff hopes.

LSU captured the early momentum on the road, taking a 3-0 lead before a fumble from star Aggies running back Le’Veon Moss deep in their own territory set it up with excellent field position. The Tigers’ offense cashed in with an excellent throw and catch from [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] to [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] to extend the lead to 10-0.

However, Texas A&M responded with an impressive drive to get on the board as Moss made up for the fumble with a touchdown to get on the board.

LSU had a chance to push its lead back up to 10, but a dropped touchdown from [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag], who mistimed his attempt to high-point a ball in the endzone in his first target of the season, brought out the field goal unit. From 48 yards out, [autotag]Damian Ramos[/autotag] missed just to the right as the Tigers wasted a scoring opportunity.

However, they wouldn’t waste their next possession. After starting at the 10, Nussmeier found [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag] on a quick slant, and he did the rest as he hit a gap and found paydirt 75 yards later, outrunning the entire Aggie secondary.

LSU had the momentum entering the second half but missed some opportunities. Ramos missed another long field goal before halftime, and early in the third quarter, [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] threw an ugly interception to set the Aggies up with excellent field position.

After a 6 of 18 start for Conner Weigman, Mike Elko opted for a quarterback change to the more mobile Marcel Reed, and they quickly capitalized and cut the deficit to three. LSU had a chance to answer on the ensuing drive, but more special teams mishaps cost it as an early snap ruined the timing on Ramos’ kick, which couldn’t even be attempted.

TAMU responded with a quick touchdown drive led and capped off by Reed, giving it its first lead of the game. Things went from bad to worse as Nussmeier, who was excellent in the first half, tossed his second interception to give the Aggies great field position again. Though a penalty took a touchdown off the board, Texas A&M ultimately found the end zone to extend the lead to 11.

With their backs against the wall, the Tigers had to respond. Nussmeier made a few gutsy throws to lead them down the field, and after a touchdown pass to [autotag]Trey’Dez Green[/autotag] was ruled short at the one, Nussmeier did it himself on a sneak to cut the deficit back to one score. However, the two-point conversion attempt to cut it to three was no good, and LSU still faced a five-point deficit.

However, it ultimately didn’t matter. Once Reed entered the game, the Tiger defense couldn’t get off the field. On the following drive, Reed connected with Noah Thomas for a 54-yard gain, and Moss quickly scored again to push the lead to 12, the biggest lead of the game to that point for either team.

The offense got the ball back, but a well-read check down was intercepted, Nussmeier’s third of the game, and while Texas A&M couldn’t quite deliver the dagger, it hit a field goal to push the lead to 15 and make things difficult for the Tigers.

LSU turned the ball over on downs, officially ending any hope of a comeback. After dominating the first half, Nussmeier was just 11 of 24 in the second along with his three turnovers. He was also sacked twice and faced the most pressure he has all season, though he still managed 405 yards on 50 attempts with 50% completion.

Nussmeier had to lead the way on offense as there was no ground game to speak of. LSU totaled just 24 yards on 23 carries.

Defensively, it was a disastrous second half. The Tigers allowed 229 yards in the final two quarters and 376 overall. The Aggies ran for 242 yards and five touchdowns, with Reed accounting for 62 of those yards and three of those touchdowns.

It’s an ugly loss for an LSU team that seemed to have turned the corner in recent weeks. Now, it will have the week off to refocus before hosting Alabama in what has become a must-win game.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Instant analysis of Packers’ 24-22 win over Texans in Week 7

Instant analysis of the Packers’ 24-22 win over the Texans in Week 7.

The Green Bay Packers won a back-and-forth showdown with the Houston Texans on Sunday at Lambeau Field, using three touchdown passes from Jordan Love, four sacks of C.J. Stroud and a game-winning field goal from new kicker Brandon McManus to escape with a 24-22 victory.

After falling behind 22-21 late, Love led a 44-yard drive to set up McManus — who signed on Wednesday — for a 45-yarder with three seconds left. Even after a timeout negated his first attempt and a poor snap on his second, McManus made the game-winner as time expired.

Here is an instant analysis of the Packers’ win over the Texans in Week 7:

Final score: Packers 24, Texans 22

1 2 3 4 F
HOU (5-2) 3 16 0 3 22
GB (5-2) 0 14 7 3 24

Live scoring

First quarter

HOU 3, GB 0: Ka’imi Fairbairn 23-yard field goal (11:48)

Second quarter

GB 7, HOU 3: Tucker Kraft 14-yard catch (13:16)
HOU 10, GB 7: Joe Mixon 2-yard run (11:52)
GB 14, HOU 10: Dontayvion Wicks 30-yard catch (8:51)
GB 14, HOU 13: Ka’imi Fairbairn 52-yard field goal (4:30)
HOU 19, GB 14: Joe Mixon 4-yard run (1:13)

Third quarter

GB 21, HOU 19: Josh Jacobs 8-yard catch (7:25)

Fourth quarter

HOU 22, GB 21: Ka’imi Fairbairn 35-yard field goal (1:44)
GB 24, HOU 22: Brandon McManus 45-yard field goal (0:00)

It was over when…

… Daniel Whelan got down the hold and Brandon McManus snuck his kick inside the left upright as time expired, giving the Packers a dramatic 24-22 win over the Texans.

Game balls

Offense — WR Romeo Doubs/QB Jordan Love: Love gets a game ball for delivering a game-winning drive and making a handful of special throws. Doubs, meanwhile, caught eight passes for 94 yards, including a pair of catches on the final drive.

Defense — LB Eric Wilson: The veteran linebacker delivered two sacks, four tackles for loss and a pass breakup. His production helped the Packers limit the Texans to 55 net passing yards.

Special teams — K Brandon McManus/P Daniel Whelan: McManus gets a game ball for a game-winner in his first appearance as a Packer. Whelan gets one for five field-flipping punts, including three over 60 yards, and a great final hold on the game-winning kick.

Key stat

55: The Texans finished with 55 net passing yards. C.J. Stroud completed only 10 of 21 passes, and the Packers sacked him four times for -31 yards. Stroud found only six completions to wide receivers and finished with one completion over 20 yards.

Deciding factor

Overwhelming offensive depth: On one touchdown drive in the first half, seven different players touched the ball in a meaningful way. On the game-winning drive, Love connected with three different targets. Three different players caught a touchdown pass, and Josh Jacobs produced three explosive runs. It wasn’t always pretty, but when the Packers needed plays in big spots, the sheer number of playmakers helped Matt LaFleur’s team find them.

Jordan Love watch

Sunday was a rollercoaster experience for Jordan Love and the Packers offense. Love threw sublime touchdown passes to Tucker Kraft and Dontayvion Wicks in the first half, extending his streak with two or more passing touchdowns in a game to 11, including the postseason. He also led a terrific go-ahead touchdown drive to start the second half, and he masterfully executed the two-minute drill late to set up the game-winning field goal. That’s all high-level stuff. Love also threw two picks, including one on a terrible throw targeting Christian Watson, and the Packers offense stalled too often against a defense missing five starters. Still, Love completed 24 of 33 passes, threw three touchdown passes and won the game late.

Play of the game

Love’s first touchdown pass was a thing of beauty. He rifled the ball into a small window, and Tucker Kraft made an incredible diving catch to haul in the 14-yard score on third down.

Injury updates

Linebacker Quay Walker exited the game with a concussion and did not return. He will need to go through the league’s concussion protocol before he returns to the field.

What’s next

The Packers will go to Jacksonville to play the Jaguars, who are coming back from a two-week trip in London. Doug Pederson’s team beat the New England Patriots earlier Sunday to improve to 2-5. A week earlier, the Chicago Bears cruised past the Jaguars.

Instant analysis of Patriots disappointing Week 7 loss to Jaguars

Instant analysis of the Patriots’ 32-16 loss to the Jaguars

The New England Patriots swallowed the bitter pill of defeat for a sixth straight time on Sunday. They cruised to a 10-0 lead in the beginning of the game, and then it all came tumbling down in an ugly 32-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.

New England has long been praised for their great defensive play, even while the offense ranked amongst the worst in the NFL for the previous two seasons.

This year, however, the offense has shown sparks of life, but the defense has completely flat-lined. The biggest struggle has been slowing down the rushing attack, and that continued in Week 7 with the Jaguars racking up 171 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence did manage to hit a few deep passes downfield, but the entire game ultimately came down to the Patriots’ defensive front being bullied by the Jaguars’ offensive line.

Not having Christian Barmore and Ja’Whaun Bentley in the mix has really hurt the Patriots this season.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Patriots continued to show strides with rookie quarterback Drake Maye under center. He went 26-of-37 for 276 passing yards and two touchdowns.

The Patriots failed to get the running game going, and rookie wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk had multiple drops in the game. It was a situation where it felt like the offense let Maye down for a second straight week. Granted, there were a few throws the 22-year-old quarterback likely wishes he had back, but overall, it was another strong showing.

The degree of difficulty will go up significantly next week when the Patriots host legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium.

Given how poorly the Patriots performed in London, it’s hard to feel optimistic about their chances.

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Instant Analysis: LSU rolls in road victory against Arkansas to extend winning streak to 6

The Tigers got the win on the road Saturday night to move to 6-1 on the season.

LSU went on the road to win a rivalry game against Arkansas on Saturday night in Week 8, extending its winning streak to six games as it moved to 6-1 with a 34-10 win over the Razorbacks.

The Tigers had early success in the game, jumping out to a 10-0 lead at the end of the fourth quarter bolstered by an opening drive touchdown. The game was never particularly competitive from there as Arkansas made things briefly interesting with a touchdown to cut the lead to six in the second quarter but couldn’t turn it into anything.

LSU outscored the Hogs 18-3 in the second half, with the offense delivering another strong performance with 384 yards. [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] didn’t have his most prolific day of the season, throwing for just 224 yards without any touchdowns with [autotag]CJ Daniels[/autotag] (seven catches, 86 yards) being the favorite target.

But the Tigers totaled 158 yards on the ground with freshman running back [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] rushing for 101 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries.

LSU gave up some big plays to Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green through the air, but it completely shut down the run game, allowing 38 yards on 19 carries.

The Tigers remain in the College Football Playoff race with a win and could secure sole possession of first place in the SEC next week against Texas A&M.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno