For all the names on the card, the loudest question went unanswered. The Patriots walked out of the weekend still thin at wide receiver, a hole that has a way of deciding seasons. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B.

On the needs board they went 1 of 8, with edge rusher the one that mattered most. Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.

Not a headline-grabber, but a perfectly good weekend's work.