Tom Brady and Wes Welker were unstoppable while Stevan Ridley busted out with a big game. The defense, however, managed to cough up some serious yardage and will have to clean things up for Week 5.
Here is this week’s Patriots report card.
OFFENSE
Jeff Howe: B+
This was by far the most balanced the Patriots’ offense has been this season, but Tom Brady’s downfield throws weren’t working. That’s about the only negative.
What grade would you give the Patriots offense against the Raiders?
DEFENSE
Jeff Howe: C
The Patriots surrendered a ton of yardage again but looked more like the unit from 2010 that capitalized on their opponents’ mistakes.
What grade would you give the Patriots defense against the Raiders?
SPECIAL TEAMS
Jeff Howe: B
Status quo here. They held Jacoby Ford in check and got good days out of Zoltan Mesko and Stephen Gostkowski.
What grade would you give the Patriots special teams against the Raiders?
COACHING
Jeff Howe: A-
Give Bill Belichick credit for getting his team to respond after a bad loss and having a good week of practice. The Patriots also performed pretty well while dealing with a slew of injuries, including the all-important loss of Jerod Mayo in the second quarter.
What grade would you give the Patriots coaching against the Raiders?
OPPONENT
Jeff Howe: D
Richard Seymour‘s penalties, Jason Campbell‘s horrific end-zone interception and some curious coaching decisions doomed the Raiders.
What grade would you give the Raiders?
GAME MVP
Jeff Howe: Wes Welker
He’s become that unstoppable player who dominated the slot game from 2007-09. Forget leading the league this season, he’s chasing Jerry Rice‘s yardage record.
UNSUNG HERO
Jeff Howe: Stevan Ridley
The rookie ran 10 times for 97 yards and a touchdown, and he’s been the team’s most effective rusher with his increased duty in the last two weeks.
