The Patriots didn’t need to be perfect on Thursday night. Just escape Atlanta with a win, however you gotta do it. Welp, defensively, the Patriots were pretty much perfect anyway.

New England pitched a shutout against Matt Ryan and the hapless Falcons offense on “Thursday Night Football,” on the road, on a short week. The front-seven, especially, wreaked havoc across the board all night. But the secondary made plays when the opportunities arose, too. They carried this one, on a slower night for the offense than we saw in the last game.

You can live with a dip by the offense if you’re a Patriots fan. You’re inevitably going to have ups and downs with a rookie quarterback. The key is can the defense shoulder the load, as they were supposed to do all season? They most certainly did in Atlanta.

So, with that, let’s get to the Ups & Downs from the Patriots’ fifth straight win…

• UP: S Kyle Dugger

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  The second-year pro looks like he’s really starting to come into his own. He’s thinking less and reacting more, and rarely getting caught out of position. He set the tone for this one with an early third-down pass breakup against dynamic rookie tight end Kyle Pitts, and also racked up seven tackles. The Patriots look like they’re really building something great on defense for both this season and the long haul, and Dugger is a key piece of that.

• DOWN: QB Mac Jones

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  It’s understandable, this being the rookie’s first short-week game on the road. But Jones certainly wasn’t at his best in this one. His third-quarter interception, an ill-advised deep ball when he had N’Keal Harry wide open underneath, had a chance to shift momentum back in the Falcons’ favor. But this team was always supposed to lift Jones up, rather than the other way around, so clearly they were able to overcome a shaky outing for the quarterback.

• UP: LB Kyle Van Noy

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  Van Noy got the thumbs-up even before he padded his stats with a pick-six (against Josh Rosen) late in the fourth quarter. A team-leading eight tackles for the veteran linebacker, who has looked more like the playmaker he was in 2019 over the last few weeks. Van Noy also had two sacks, one of which was an impressive adjustment to tackle Matt Ryan on a third down that ultimately led to a missed field goal attempt. Very active and productive game for KVN.
• DOWN: OT Trent Brown

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  Jones faced some pressure off the right edge, so it’s easy to look at Brown in that instance. He’s working the rust off, which is understandable, and it’s hard to play perfect in two games within a five-day span after missing almost the entire first half of the season. But tonight seemed a little off for Brown, which contributed to the Patriots’ inconsistency and inefficiency on offense.

• UP: DT Carl Davis

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  Davis made one of the bigger plays of the game, when New England stopped the Falcons’ Qadree Ollison short on fourth-and-1. Safety Adrian Phillips made the tackle, but Davis made the play by getting a massive push up the middle. Ollison had nowhere to go because Davis’ huge frame was in his way. Nice night for the veteran.

• DOWN: CB Myles Bryant

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  Wide receiver Russell Gage led the Falcons with five catches and 49 yards, mainly lined up against Bryant. Matt Ryan seemed to know early on that he was going to need to get in a rhythm with Gage in order for the Falcons to move the ball, because the Patriots had Kyle Pitts on lockdown. The duo were able to hook up for a handful of plays at Bryant’s expense. A step back for the slot corner after a few solid games in place of the injured Jonathan Jones.
• UP: RB Damien Harris

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  No Patriots skill player totaled more than Rhamondre Stevenson’s 69 yards (nice). But Harris deserves a thumbs-up for setting a physical tone early on. He had a few hard runs in the first half that let the Falcons know the game wouldn’t be easy, and wouldn’t be painless. It was a solid return for Harris, who missed Week 9 with a concussion.

• DOWN: ST Cody Davis

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  Nitpicking here, but this C. Davis should never have his name or number called. He had an early personal foul on a punt return that hurt the Patriots’ promising field position. That’s the one thing he shouldn’t do.

Net Ups & Downs will come after a mini-bye for the Patriots, who will be back at it on Sunday of Thanksgiving week in what will be a massive matchup against the AFC-best Tennessee Titans.

Click here for complete New England Patriots coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.

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