The New England Patriots were able to get off the schneid on Monday, defeating the Arizona Cardinals 27-13 to snap a two-game losing streak and improve to 7-6. With the win, the Patriots are back in the AFC playoff picture as they look to make a push in the final month of the season.

Here are four overreactions from the Patriots' win on “Monday Night Football.”

4. Mac Jones and the Patriots' offense are turning the corner

Sure, it wasn't all too pretty for the Patriots' offense in Game 1 following Jones' sideline blowup with offensive play-caller Matt Patricia. But they got the job done on Monday.

The Patriots continued to play the short game when passing, running so many screen plays that at one point in the third quarter, over 40 percent of their passing plays were either at or behind the line of scrimmage and 60 percent of their third-down plays were passes at or behind the line of scrimmage.

However, those kinds of plays seemed to open things up for the two biggest plays of the game for the Patriots' offense. The first big play came in the waning moments of the first half when Jones connected with tight end Hunter Henry on a seam down the middle for a 30-yard gain that set New England up for a field goal right before halftime. Those two connected again on a similar play to begin the fourth quarter when Jones found Henry on a seam on the right side this time for a 39-yard gain that put them at the Cardinals' 3-yard line. That play set the Patriots up to score the game-sealing touchdown.

Those two plays showed impressive decision-making from Jones, looking off safeties both times, and the ability to throw the ball within a tight window–especially on the first throw.

Jones didn't have the most impressive stat line on Monday, completing 24-of-35 passes for 235 yards with an interception, but those throws should give Patriots fans some optimism about who they have at quarterback.

You also have to consider what Jones was playing with. Arguably the Patriots' four-best skill position players were either out (Jakobi Meyers and Damien Harris) or departed the game really due to injury (Rhamondre Stevenson and DeVante Parker).

Don't get me wrong, New England's offense certainly felt like a chore to watch at times as it tried to get yards through screen plays and quick-outs. But it managed to put up 20 points with two rookie running backs that have played very little this season, backup receivers, and an offensive line that has played poorly and dealt with numerous injuries and ailments in recent weeks. So, not too bad considering the circumstances.

3. Josh Uche is turning into one of the league's premier pass rushers

The game ball for Monday's game should go to the third-year outside linebacker, who seems to get better with each game over the last month-plus.

Josh Uche had three sacks and while each of them certainly held importance, his biggest play of the game was when he didn't sack Cardinals quarterback Colt McCoy in time. When Arizona just got into New England territory on the drive following a scoop-and-score touchdown for the Patriots, Uche had a strong bull rush and appeared to hit McCoy as he was throwing it, which forced McCoy's pass to flutter short and end up in the hands of rookie corner Marcus Jones for the interception. If Uche wasn't able to get the hit, McCoy might have been able to get more power on his throw and connect with DeAndre Hopkins near or in the end zone for a touchdown that would've tied the game up.

Those kinds of plays show just what kind of impact Uche has brought as of late. He's recorded 10 sacks in the last six games and has been two plays that have forced turnovers in the last two games.

Uche's emergence might give the Patriots the best pass rush in the NFL–or at least the best duo. Matthew Judon recorded 1.5 sacks on Monday to bring him to a tie for the league lead with 14.5 and Uche has 10. So, even if the Patriots don't have the most talented secondary, they've got a pass rush that can make up for it.

2. The Patriots' rookie running backs have a future

When Stevenson went down with an ankle injury in the first quarter, it looked like the Patriots were going to have to panic about their running back situation. They were already without Damien Harris, meaning their only two running backs on the active roster for Monday's game were little-used rookies Pierre Strong Jr. and Kevin Harris.

The two stepped up to the plate in a major way on Monday. First, Kevin Harris created yards by using his power and scored a touchdown on a 14-yard run that broke the Patriots' streak of not scoring touchdowns when they reached the red zone, which was at seven drives.

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Photo: Ja'Lynn Polk in action in Patriots jersey, Drake Maye beside him smiling in Patriots jersey as well. Gillette Stadium, 2024 NFL Draft logo behind

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Deebo Samuel next to the Bills and Patriots logos

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Strong spelled Harris with his speed. The fastest running back from the 2022 NFL Draft ran for a 44-yard gain on New England's opening drive of the second half that set it up for a game-tying field goal. Strong ended up rushing for 70 yards on five carries, and one of those rushes was a three-yard run that resulted in a touchdown.

Both rookies showed promise on Monday, which isn't just a good sign for the remainder of this season but also for the future as Damien Harris is set to become a free agent at year's end.

1. In fact, the Patriots' 2022 draft class is very promising

The Patriots got contributions from six of their first seven picks from the 2022 NFL Draft on Monday.

In addition to the running backs, Tyquan Thornton made some plays on offense, recording four receptions for 28 yards as he got back on the field after seeing very few snaps in recent weeks. Guard Cole Strange didn't appear to have a bad game on first on Monday after some ups and downs over the last couple of months.

Defensively, Marcus Jones recorded an interception, which is the first of his career. He also looked like he was able to hold his ground against DeAndre Hopkins at points. And he was a weapon on offense again, being used on several snaps and recorded a catch for 12 yards.

Corner Jack Jones had to depart early, but recorded a strong pass breakup on a pass to Hopkins on the game's opening drive.