FOXBORO, Mass. — It wasn’t always pretty, but the Patriots on Sunday earned a 36-13 victory over the Titans for their sixth straight win.
Mac Jones made some bad plays, especially in the red zone, but the rookie nevertheless completed 23 of 32 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns. Ryan Tannehill had a very Tannehill-like game, completing 11 of 21 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown to go along with one interception.
Nick Folk converted on five of six field goal opportunities, with his lone miss coming from 53 yards. He knocked through a 52-yarder late in the fourth quarter.
New England improved to 8-4 with the victory while Tennessee dropped to 8-4 with the defeat.
Each week, we’ll give you three studs and three duds for the Patriots, no matter how hard it might be to fill either category.
Here’s the Week 12 edition:
STUDS
Jakobi Meyers, WR
Meyers had one of his best games of the season, racking up five catches for 98 yards. Nothing extraordinary, but another impressive day at the office for New England’s most consistent receiver.
Jonnu Smith, TE
Smith also enjoyed one of his better performances of the campaign. The former Titan finished with three catches for 49 yards, three shy of his season-high. Smith added a nine-yard carry in the first quarter.
Kendrick Bourne, WR
Bourne provided two spectacular touchdowns. The first came on an excellent reception in the end zone, with the second on a ridiculous catch and run in the third quarter. Bourne showed off the speed and playmaking ability that make him such an intriguing weapon in the Patriots offense. He finished with five catches for 61 yards and two scores.
Honorable mentions: J.C. Jackson; Kyle Dugger; Nick Folk; Jalen Mills
DUDS
Run defense
No Derrick Henry? No problem for the Titans.
Tennessee ran for a combined 270 yards on 39 carries, averaging 6.9 yards per rush. Dontrell Hilliard, who finished with 131 yards, delivered the biggest play: a 68-yard touchdown run late in the first half. D’Onta Foreman added 109 yards, including a 30-yarder. Overall, this was a bad, disappointing showing from the Patriots run defense, which entered the game on a hot streak.
Devin McCourty, S
McCourty took bad routes on multiple big runs, including Hilliard’s big play. It’s not normal for McCourty to struggle with his tackling, but this was one of those days. It wasn’t all bad, though, as the veteran safety played a key role in J.C. Jackson’s fourth-quarter interception.
Running game
New England finally got things going on the ground in the fourth quarter, but it was tough sledding for the first three. Smith, Jones, Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson combined for 106 yards and one touchdown (Harris) on 23 carries.
Honorable mentions: Adrian Phillips; offensive line; Myles Bryant
