Tag: pff patriots

Patriots’ top 10 defensive players in Week 17, according to PFF

Here are the top-10 highest-graded defensive players for the Patriots from Week 17.

There is no question that the defense has been the strength of the New England Patriots this season.

If defense wins championships, then the Patriots could be an interesting team if they somehow manage to sneak into the wild card round of the playoffs.

Of course, that would mean they’d have to upset the Buffalo Bills on the road on Sunday, which will be a daunting task unless the Bills decide to rest their starters. But then again, the Patriots defense did shut Josh Allen and company out for the entire second half of their first meeting back in Week 13.

And they also sparked a comeback victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 17. Sure, the Dolphins didn’t have Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback, but they still had the explosive receiving duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle against a Patriots secondary battered with injuries.

And this still happened.

Kyle Dugger was one of several Patriots defensive playmakers that shined in the team’s 23-21 victory over the Dolphins. Let’s take a look at the top 10 highest-graded defensive players for the Patriots, according to Pro Football Focus, from Week 17.

Patriots’ top 10 offensive players from Week 17, according to PFF

These are the top 10 offensive players for the Patriots, per Pro Football Focus.

The New England Patriots are as good offensively as they’ve been all season heading into Sunday’s road game against the Buffalo Bills. And most of those improvements can be attributed to things they’ve shown in recent outings, particularly their Week 17 matchup with the Miami Dolphins.

Rhamondre Stevenson, who clearly had the weight of the world on his shoulders as the do-it-all running back, finally got a breather with Damien Harris returning and splitting the reps.

Harris was back to being the hammer coming out of the backfield, and coupled with Stevenson’s ridiculous versatility, the duo made a solid one-two punch for the Patriots.

But the real story of the Dolphins game on the offensive side of the ball was the emergence of rookie wideout Tyquan Thornton.

The second-round draft pick finally showcased the blistering speed and deep ball threat talent that initially caught the Patriots’ eye. Thornton’s ability to develop into a true No. 1 receiver could reshape the face of the offense for years to come. Granted, there’s still a long way to go to get to that point, but there were major positive flashes of what he could be in the future.

Let’s take a look at the top-10 offensive players for the Patriots, according to Pro Football Focus, from Week 17.

3 Patriots players that could be next to join NFL’s top 100 list

These three players are burgeoning breakout stars for the Patriots.

The NFL Top 100 is an annual list recognizing the game’s top 100 active players. What makes it unique is the fact that it’s a list voted on by players in the league.

In many ways, it’s the ultimate recognition an individual can get by being voted amongst the best by their peers. In 2022, Mac Jones (85) and Matthew Judon (52) were the only two Patriots to crack the list.

With a young team ready to compete, let’s take a look at who could be the next Patriot to receive the Top 100 honor.