New England Patriots: Studs and duds from Week 4 vs. Chiefs

Stud: Damien Harris

The first stud for the Patriots was the play of running back Damien Harris, who stepped up to lead the rushing attack for New England in Week 4 on the road. As a unit, New England finished the game with 35 carries for 185 yards out of the backfield, and Harris led those efforts. The running back finished the game with a team-best 17 carries for 100 yards, including running for a 41-yard run in the second half.

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We’ve often seen the Patriots ability to hurt you in multiple ways via the run game, and Harris was the latest example of a player stepping up on the ground for Bill Belichick and company.

Dud: Brian Hoyer

Coming into the game on Monday Night Football, one of the things everyone was watching was how quarterback Brian Hoyer would step in for Cam Newton to lead the New England offense under center.

Well, things didn’t go as well as the Patriots would have liked with the veteran quarterback taking the reigns of the offense against Kansas City.

In the game, Hoyer completed 15 of his overall 24 pass attempts, throwing for 130 yards and one interception in the game. In the third quarter, he was replaced by Jarrett Stidham who ended up leading the Patriots to a touchdown shortly after.

It was a night to forget for Hoyer in his first start of the season. And New England will hope Newton is able to return sooner rather than later.