Sporting their longest winning streak in four years, the new New England Patriots look to continue their dominance over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Winners of five consecutive games, New England (6-2) enters Week 9 with as much confidence as any team in the NFL. The Patriots have MVP and Coach of the Year potential in Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel, while also owning the fourth-best defense in the league (18.3 points per game allowed).
Facing an Atlanta team that New England hasn’t lost to since 1998, Vrabel’s first year as Pats head coach went as expected as the midseason approached.
“We’re eight games into what we see as a program that we want to build,” Vrabel said. “We have to continue to find ways to improve. Whether it’s success early in the season, mid-season or after the trade deadline, we have to continue to take that approach.”
During his winning streak, Maye threw 10 touchdown passes with just one interception, establishing himself as one of the best young quarterbacks in the league. Kayshon Boutte has been Maye’s favorite target of late, scoring four goals in the last three games.
“I keep throwing to the guy and (Boutte) keeps making plays,” Maye said. “It’s that simple.”
Atlanta (3-4) was hoping last week was rock bottom. After a Week 6 win over the Buffalo Bills, the Falcons fell 20-10 to the San Francisco 49ers before an uninspiring 24-point loss at home to the Miami Dolphins, who entered the game with just one win this season.
With the team’s next two games against the surging Patriots and the NFL’s top-ranked Indianapolis Colts (7-1), the next stretch will likely make or break its chances of ending a seven-year playoff drought.
“It’s a long season,” said head coach Raheem Morris. “You have to be resilient. It’s about going out there, practicing and finding a way to win this week. That’s the only thing that really matters.”
Not much has gone right since the Falcons’ last victory, highlighted by two inept offensive performances. Atlanta has recorded just 107 rushing yards in its last two games and 213 total yards against Miami was its fewest at home since a total of 165 in its last meeting with the Patriots in November 2021.
“I told the guys we’re still two weeks away from what we did against Buffalo,” running back Bijan Robinson said. “We haven’t forgotten how to play. We still have good players. We have good coaches. It’s just about getting back to that and maintaining a level of consistency across the board.”
Part of the Falcons’ offensive struggles have been due to injuries. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. missed the Miami game with a bone bruise, leading to Kirk Cousins’ first unimpressive start of the year. The 37-year-old threw for just 173 yards in the loss.
The injuries included senior receiver Drake London, who missed only the second game of his four-year career with a hip injury.
As of Wednesday, Penix and London were still considered day-to-day, but “are both feeling much better than last week,” according to Morris.
No matter who starts under center for the Falcons, the offense must succeed in the running game. After rushing for 170 yards against the Bills, Robinson was held to just 65 yards in back-to-back losses.
The road won’t get any easier, as New England’s defense is the first since 1950 to not allow an opposing running back to rush for 50 yards in a game through the first eight weeks of the season.
“They’ve played outstanding all year when it comes to stopping the run,” Morris said of the Patriots’ defense. “The teams coached by Vrabel will always be fundamentally strong and we must prepare for that.”
Atlanta defensive linemen Zach Harrison (knee) and Leonard Floyd (hamstring) did not participate in Wednesday’s practice, while right tackle Storm Norton (foot) returned to practice after missing the first eight weeks. New England running back Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) did not practice, while wide receiver Stefon Diggs (ankle) was limited.
–Field level media
