Running the ball represented one of the New England Patriots' biggest weaknesses heading into their Week 7 matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
Mike Vrabel, unwavered by his team's ground game inconsistencies, didn't hesitate to establish the run early in Sunday's game.
It proved to be the sweet spot for the Patriots as they compiled a season-high 175 yards on the ground — not counting two kneel downs by backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs — in a 31-13 thumping of the Titans. Rhamondre Stevenson appeared to be back to his old self, rushing for 88 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown, while QB Drake Maye compiled 62 yards on the ground.
The Patriots came into the game ranked 27th in the NFL in rushing (91.5 yards per game). Maye is playing at a MVP-caliber level at quarterback, but a successful ground game takes pressure off of a quarterback, especially a second-year one.
Averaging less than 100 yards on the ground per game isn't good enough. Vrabel knows that, and he wanted to establish the run right away on Sunday to take some pressure off Maye. It worked, as Maye enjoyed a 21-for-23 day — a 91 percent clip — something Tom Brady never did in a New England uniform.
.@Patriots QB Drake Maye set a franchise record for the highest completion percentage in a single game (min. 20 pass att.) with a 91.3 completion percentage at Tennessee. The previous record was held by Tom Brady, who had an 88.5 completion percentage vs. Jacksonville on Dec. 27,… pic.twitter.com/3MT5AdpEQr
— Patriots Communications (@PatriotsComms) October 19, 2025
But this game was won on the ground.
If the New England Patriots can keep running the ball this way, they'll be just fine
While the Titans' defense won't invoke memories of the 1985 Bears, the fact that the Patriots averaged 4.9 yards per carry is encouraging.
Stevenson was often getting to the second level of Tennessee's defense with very little contact, and New England's offensive line was doing an exceptional job at the point of attack.
Even though Maye was sacked four times (one of those came on a scramble in which he ran out of bounds at the line of scrimmage) the Patriots' emphasis on the ground was a huge factor in Maye having a clean pocket throughout the game.
Vrabel kept stressing that the running game would turn a corner, and perhaps the Patriots punching the Titans in the mouth at the line of scrimmage in Vrabel's return to Tennessee represents the ground game finding some traction. They did it early and often on Sunday, too, with Stevenson gaining 42 of his 88 rushing yards on the Patriots' opening drive.
That trend will need to continue as the season reaches its grind point and the temperatures drop.