Patriots fixed their O-Line liability to spark run offense (report cards)

The New England Patriots saw a huge change in its performance when a starter went to the sideline to be replaced by someone playing their first snaps this season.

And it wasnt at quarterback.

Right tackle Isaiah Wynn was benched after a disastrous first half at Lambeau Field and was replaced by veteran Marcus Cannon, who was promoted from the practice squad this week to the 53-man active roster. Enter your email address here to receive MassLive’s Patriots newsletter every Monday and Friday.
      

It worked, as the Patriots running game was sparked in the second half. Oh, and Brian Hoyer left the game with a head injury and was replaced by rookie Bailey Zappe.

Lets hand out some grades from Sundays game at Lambeau Field.

Quarterback

(Hoyer stats: 5-of-6, 37 yards)

(Zappe stats: 10-of-16, 99 yards, 1 TD, 107.4 passer rating)

This is a fascinating game to grade. Hoyer took care of the ball in his limited action but mostly kept it short. The same can be said for Zappe, who avoided mistakes for the most part and made the throws that were there.

Zappe had a couple of nice throws, including the 25-yard touchdown to DeVante Parker. However, he also held onto the ball far too long in some instances and took some bad sacks.

Zappe looked uncertain in the pocket and certainly limited how much the team could do through the passing game. But for a rookie QB playing in his first-ever NFL game, this was an admirable performance.

Grade: CRELATED: Interested in sports betting? Sign up for news, advice and promos with our free newsletter

Running Back

This wasnt the flashiest game. But wow was it effective. Damien Harris rumbled for 86 yards on 18 carries (4.8 a pop). Meanwhile, Rhamondre Stevenson took his 14 carries for 66 yards (averaging 4.7 yards a touch) — in addition to four catches for 23 yards.

The backfield duo was key in keeping the Patriots in this game with their starting quarterback out.

Grade: B

Wide Receiver

There wasnt a ton for this group to do since the passing game was so limited at QB. Still, DeVante Parker and Nelson Agholor showed some explosiveness to help the offense in the second half.

Meanwhile, Kendrick Bournes playing time continues to rise. Thats a good sign. Getting him the ball on a 15-yard carry was encouraging.

LilJordan Humphrey is looking more and more like a tight end when he works in the running game. Hes been tremendous as a blocker.

Grade: B-

Tight End

Its unclear why the tight ends have been so quiet in the passing game so far this season. Regardless, the trend continued Sunday as Hunter Henry finished with two catches for 13 yards on four targets.

This group took a hit when Jonnu Smith left the game with an ankle injury, which will be a blow to the teams running game.

Grade: C-

Offensive Line

No. 61 has reported eligible.

That was a recurring theme for this group in the second half as Marcus Cannon lined up as a jumbo tight end throughout the second half. The Patriots went heavy and did plenty of damage running the ball after halftime, finishing the game with 5.1 yards per carry.

Cannon entering the game was a catalyst for the Patriots offensive hitting their stride in the running game and stabilizing in the passing game. A big part of that: Right tackle Isaiah Wynn was pulled from his starting spot in favor of Cannon, who arrived back in New England just a couple of weeks ago.

Now in his fifth season, Wynn has struggled on the right side. He simply hasnt progressed the way you would have hoped and was a liability on the right side against Rashan Gary on Sunday. Wynn was the guilty party on the sack that concussed Brian Hoyer. He was also the blocker who was beaten when Zappe was strip-sacked and was also hit with multiple penalties on the day.

Outside of Wynns struggles, this was a solid showing. The Patriots let up four sacks and seven QB hits on the day. Two of those were on Wynn, while some others were on Zappe holding on to the ball too long.

Grade: B+

Defensive Line

Christian Barmore had a key QB hit on Rodgers late in the game to force an incompletion. Meanwhile, Davon Godchaux had some strong run stuffs.

However, it wasnt consistent throughout the game as the Packers consistently surged in the running game, averaging 5.7 yards per carry on the afternoon.

Grade: C+

Linebacker

Matthew Judon was a menace in the pass rush. He was key in knocking Rodgers off of his game throughout the day. Hes had a terrific season.

Jahlani Tavais playing time shot up Sunday. He was all over the field, finishing the day with eight tackles.

Grade: B

Secondary

This group faced a huge test in going up against Aaron Rodgers with starter Jalen Mills sidelined. Despite the loss, they still had a strong performance.

Jack Jones had a heck of a day, single-handedly swinging the momentum in the first half. He punched the ball out on rookie receiver Romeo Doubs in the first quarter. Then he jumped an out route for a pick-six against Rodgers.

Coverage was solid throughout the day, with Rodgers needing some simply brilliant throws to get the ball to his receivers. The only nitpicks would be the Patriots playing soft on the final drive of the game to give the Packers easy yards to get into field goal range.

Grade: A

Special Teams

Jake Bailey had an uncharacteristic off-day. He had a wonky 31-yard punt in the closing minutes of regulation, a bad time for his worst punt in recent memory. He had a long of 62 yards, but also had two touchbacks.

Marcus Jones looked electric in the return game. He consistently gave the Patriots field position boosts on kick returns. He also returned two punts for 49 yards. His 20-yard return in overtime was almost enough to put the team in position for a game-winning field goal.

Grade: B+