MEXICO CITY -- Without the benefit of film review, a look at which New England Patriots were “up” and “down” in Sunday’s win over the Oakland Raiders:
UP
Stephen Gostkowski -- His 62-yard field goal at the end of the first half broke his own franchise record (58) set earlier this year. Gostkowski, who takes pride in being viewed as more than a traditional kicker from an athletic perspective, received congratulations from seemingly all of his teammates after the kick. He later added a 51-yard field goal, highlighting how he remains the only player in team history to kick multiple field goals of 50 yards or more in a game (he's done it three times). After the game, Gostkowski joked how it seems Rob Gronkowski makes a big catch before he connects on a big kick, so "it's a nice little Polish connection." He also said, "You wait 12 years to kick a kick like that."
Dwayne Allen/Marquis Flowers -- File this into the category of “role players coming up big.” Allen recovered a Rex Burkhead fumble to keep the opening touchdown drive alive and Flowers punched the ball free from Raiders receiver Seth Roberts late in the second quarter to stop the Raiders from possibly going in for a score, and the Patriots recovered the fumble and turned it into Gostkowski’s 62-yard field goal for a 10-point swing.
Tom Brady-to-Brandin Cooks -- The quarterback-to-wide receiver combination reached a new level, with Cooks’ 64-yard touchdown catch early in the third quarter one of the highlight plays. Brady was in a rhythm early, connecting on his first 12 pass attempts, and Cooks’ speed was something the Raiders couldn’t match. Bill Belichick said of Cooks, "Brandin's been a great player for us all year. He's very unselfish, a great teammate. We're fortunate to have him on our team."
Jonathan Jones -- The second-year slot cornerback was around the ball with competitive coverage, as on two turnovers (Duron Harmon's interception and Flowers' strip), it was Jones who was in primary coverage.
Ted Karras -- Filling in at center for David Andrews (illness), Karras and the offensive line didn't miss a beat.
Dion Lewis -- He has decisively taken over as the Patriots' lead running back, with his only miscue on the day coming in the third quarter when he lost his shoe. His 15-yard catch-and-run touchdown got the Patriots off to the strong start they were hoping for.
Bill Belichick and entire Patriots operation-- Belichick moved past Tom Landry into third place on the all-time wins list (271) for head coaches, and it comes after a memorable week spent at the Air Force Academy. The decision to train at the Air Force Academy was made, in part, so the team would be more rested. Additional benefits were training in altitude and in an environment that fostered more team bonding. To pull that off, it takes all facets of an organization working together, and as Belichick said late in the week, there are a lot of behind-the-scenes folks who deserve a tip of the cap.
DOWN
Rex Burkhead -- His first-quarter fumble could have been costly, and he later had a drop. One week after playing more than any Patriots running back, he gave way to Lewis in this game.
David Harris -- The veteran linebacker appeared to miss a couple tackles, as the Raiders had some early success running against the Patriots’ six-man box. But when the Patriots jumped out to an early lead, it forced the Raiders away from that part of the attack that was working for them.