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Sep 28, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) looks to throw against the Carolina Panthers during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Patriots Offense Shines in Dominant Win Over Panthers

Originally posted on New England Patriots on SI
By Mike D'Abate | Last updated Oct 1, 2025 3:00 PM ET

FOXBOROUGH, MA. — As the New England Patriots prepare to turn the page from their Week 4 victory over the Carolina Panthers, they must continue to take stock in their areas of strength, as well as their areas of improvement.

While the Pats had much to celebrate during their 42-13 win at Gillette Stadium, there were both moments of value and areas in need of improvement on which they may build a solid foundation for their upcoming Week 5 matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

In that vein, here is a look at the Patriots offensive, defensive and special teams’ performances in Week 4, along with a grade for each positional group.

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACK

Maye turned in another solid performance by completing 14-of-17 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s dominant victory. He also ran for 11 yards with one rushing score. Overall, the 23-year-old protected the football, showcased his ability to rush for the first down and made plays all over the field to give his team the chance to earn the win. In short, the game is beginning to slow down for New England’s third overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft — a fact which should give the remaining teams on the Patriots’ schedule a degree of concern heading into their respective matchups.

Grade: A

RUNNING BACKS

New England’s running backs were deployed in a more even distribution in Week 4 — a strategy which resulted in zero turnovers. Starter Rhamondre Stevenson still led all rushers with nine carries for 38 yards. However, rookie TreVeyon Henderson was close behind with 32 yards on seven carries — one of which resulted in his first NFL touchdown. Veteran Antonio Gibson carried six times for 27 yards and a touchdown. While it may be a bit early to anoint a permanent change in philosophy, giving the backs a more equal share of the carries may be an effective way to secure the football.

Grade: B+

RECEIVERS

Veteran receiver Stefon Diggs continues to increase his workload, aligning on 63 percent of New England’s offensive plays. The two-time All-Pro delivered against the Panthers, logging six catches for 101 yards, his longest coming on a 33-yard connection with Maye in the second quarter. Kayshon Boutte chipped in one catch for 18 yards, while Mack Hollins caught his only target for a touchdown. Though the Pats would ideally like to spread the ball throughout their entire receivers group, cultivating Diggs’ relationship with Maye was clearly a smart objective.

Grade: B+

TIGHT ENDS

Both Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper remained among Maye’s most reliable targets in the passing game — catching a combined three passes for 63 yards and a second-half touchdown for Henry against the Panthers. In addition to their contributions as pass catchers, New England’s tight endage tandem continues to improve their blocking with each passing week. Overall, the Pats tight ends are Maye’s “go-to” targets when most needed, making them invaluable to the team’s offense.

Grade: A-

OFFENSIVE LINE

The Patriots had three players align for every snap on offense: left guard Ben Brown, center Garrett Bradbury and right guard Michael Onwenu. Brown, playing in place of injured rookie Jared Wilson, turned in a solid performance, playing an integral role in power-blocking on rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson’s second quarter touchdown. Starting left tackle Will Campbell logged 43 snaps, as did right tackle Morgan Moses, with reserves Vederian Lowe and rookie Marcus Bryant aligning on the remaining plays respectively during trivial time late in the fourth quarter. Overall, the Patriots tackles kept Maye upright and mostly free of pressure against Carolina’s defensive front.

Grade: A-

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE

New England’s defensive line dynamic duo of Christian Barmore and Milton Williams once again caused problems for the the Panthers’ offensive line. Tackle Khyiris Tonga has been a strong addition in situational packages, as well. However, the Pats’ defensive front yielded 129 yards on 28 carries for an average of 4.6 yards per run to Carolina in Week 4 — their highest allotment of the season. Despite their struggles with run defense, there were more ups than downs against the Panthers.

Grade: B-

LINEBACKERS

Notwithstanding their sputters on their first series against Carolina’s offense, the Patriots’ linebackers performed well, led by veteran Harold Landry, III and team captain Robert Spillane, who logged 10 total tackles. Veteran Jack Gibbens relieved Christian Elliss of his duties and led the team with 12 total tackles. Strong side linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson turned in New England’s only sack on Panthers’ quarterback Bryce Young for an 11-yard loss. While the group would clearly benefit from tightening up their run defense, the linebackers once again turned in a solid effort

Grade: B

CORNERBACKS

In his first regular-season action of 2025, cornerback Christian Gonzalez did not appear to be on a snap restriction — aligning on 71 percent of the team’s snaps on defense. Gonzalez collected three total tackles in Week 4, while providing tight coverage on Panthers’ star receiver Tetairoa McMillan. The Panthers’ rookie was held to only 60 receiving yards. Gonzalez’s presence not only strengthened the secondary, it also allowed for the return of both Carlton Davis and Marcus Jones to their respective positions along the perimeter and in the slot, respectively.

Grade: A-

SAFETIES

For the first time this season, New England did not align a defensive player on every play on the preventive side of the ball. Safety Craig Woodson nearly went the distance, logging 68 snaps while compiling five total tackles, one pass breakup and one run stuff. With a hamstring injury leading to a snap-count reduction for safety Jaylinn Hawkins, veteran Kyle Dugger played a season-high 35 snaps on defense. Dugger compiled three tackles, while Hawkins logged four.

Grade: B

SPECIAL TEAMS

In what may be the game’s best performance, Marcus Jones most significantly made his presence felt in the return game. Jones finished the day with 167 yards on three punt returns, setting a single-game franchise record. In addition to Jones’ standout showing, kicker Andres Borregales made all six of his extra points, while punter Bryce Baringer remained consistent throughout the day. Brenden Schooler helped pace the coverage team by logging three special teams tackles.

Grade: A

FINAL ANALYSIS:

In summation, New England’s Week 4 victory over the Carolina Panthers may be best described as a “complete team effort.” In coach Mike Vrabel’s first home victory at the helm, the Patriots played disciplined, fundamentally-sound and — at times — exciting football. While their efforts still require improvement, the Pats are justified in taking a degree of confidence into their Week 5 matchup with the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 5 in prime time.