All week, Mike Vrabel’s message to the Patriots was get back to basics.

Well, how about back to butt-kicking?

The Patriots whooped the Panthers on Sunday, out-coaching and out-playing them in a way they hadn’t beaten anyone in almost four years. Marcus Jones powered them with a 87-yard punt return touchdown, then teed up another score with a 61-yard return minutes before halftime. Without Jones, the Pats don’t dominate like they did.

But that, of course, wasn’t all.

The Patriots’ offense almost matched its explosive play total from Weeks 1-3 and went a perfect 4-of-4 on trips inside the red zone. Drake Maye’s offensive line yielded the lowest pressure rate it has all season, which directly led to the cleanest performance of Maye’s career. Defensively, after sleep-walking through their

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