At long last I have something good to share. The Patriots won! And not against just any mediocre team. Mac Jones and company took down the Buffalo Bills, a team many consider to be a Super Bowl contender and a division rival. Forget everything bad I said about the Patriots…We’re so back! Well, not quite, but there were a lot of good things about this game so let’s talk about them.

Mac Jones Came to Play

Coming off of some of the most disgraceful quarterback performances I’ve ever seen, the man at the helm of the Patriots offense actually delivered this week. What’s better than throwing two interceptions and zero touchdowns? Throwing two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Oh, and winning. This week the Patriots get to enjoy a tangible step in the right direction rather than the moral victories we saw earlier in the season, and it started with Mac Jones.

Get ready for this state line:

• 25/30 on completions (83.3%)
• 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions
• Sacked only once
• 78.5 QB rating

I think the thing that quantifies the improvement the most is the QB rating from this week; 78.5 is a very solid rating, especially when compared to the insanely good 6.0 Mac put up against the Saints a few weeks ago (sarcasm intended). Mac Jones made a very obvious improvement this week, and I believe it came with the fact that the offensive line was relatively healthy in this game. Despite the deep injury report during the week, starters like Mike Onwenu and Cole Strange were able to play and the difference was noticeable. Jones enjoyed much more time and less pressure in the pocket, which allowed him to settle in, making accurate throws and good decisions. The offensive performance in this game just goes to show that with good protection, Mac Jones can be a very effective quarterback.

Gesicki Griddy

Mike Gesicki–Patriots tight end and professional griddy-er–notched his first touchdown of 2023 at a crucial time to secure the win for the Patriots. After the Bills took the lead with less than two minutes left there was time for one more drive. Typically these two-minute drills end in despair and defeat, but not this time. A huge gain by Rhamondre Stevenson to kickstart the drive got the Patriots into Bills territory and a few plays later, they found themselves on the one-yard line. First and goal. One measly yard.

One incomplete pass later and I was losing hope. If anyone were to mess this up it would be the Patriots. However,  my lack of faith was misplaced and Mac Jones hit Gesicki over the middle for the one-yard score. Cue the celebration. The most foul griddy (dance made popular by players who have a lot more swag) to ever grace the screens of NFL fans. Mike Gesicki and a few teammates joined in; I will not lie, I was also hitting the griddy in my dorm room to the dismay of my roommate.

@espn

Gesicki #Griddy on #NationalTightEndsDay is just right 😮‍💨 (📺 CBS) #patriots #touchdown

♬ original sound – ESPN

Mike Gesicki’s rendition of the griddy (click the replay button to see the video). (source)

What’s Coming Next

It’s great to see a win, especially against a division rival and a good team, but the Patriots still have a long way to go before fans can be satisfied with this season. Unfortunately, next week they play the Miami Dolphins…in Miami. If you are unaware, the Dolphins own the Patriots when the two teams play in Miami. Going back to 2018, the Patriots have only beaten the Dolphins once in Miami, and that was when Tom Brady was still around. Since the dreaded Miami Miracle, it seems like every time New England travels down South, something goes wrong. Furthermore, the Dolphins have already beaten the Patriots this year and are simply the better team. With no home-field advantage, I give the Patriots approximately 0% chance to win this game.

Looking past Miami, the Patriots actually have quite a favorable schedule. In the following five weeks, they play the Commanders (3-4), Colts (3-4), Giants (2-5), Chargers (2-4), and Steelers (4-2)–all beatable and mostly sub-par teams–and have a bout with the lowly Denver Broncos (2-5) after playing the Kansas City Chiefs. Now let’s not get our hopes up and think the Patriots are making the playoffs, but if key players keep getting more healthy and they play like they did last Sunday, it’s not out of the question. Maybe they will surprise everyone.

Another game finished and, shocker, another loss for the Patriots. In a nutshell, this is what happened: the offensive line was absolutely terrible which hindered our ability to score points. The defense played decently, holding the Raiders to only 19, but scoring 17 points is rarely enough to win a game. With a final score of 21-17 (a safety in the final minutes got the Raiders from 19 to 21) the Patriots did not pleasantly surprise me, but at least they scored two touchdowns this week.

Injuries Upon Injuries

As I reflect on the biggest problems with this team, the most glaring issue I see is the rost. If you look at the Patriots’ working roster compared to just about any other team, it is absolutely abysmal. Even the worst teams in the NFL typically have at least one player who you can look at and say, “Wow I feel bad for them but they are the one bright spot on the team.” These players do not exist right now for the Patriots, but I don’t think it’s entirely the coaching staff’s fault.

Do I think the Belichick did a good job in the off-season? Absolutely not. Do I think that the roster is the worst in the league? Also no. The problem is that our healthy players are not serviceable. I won’t list out everyone who is hurt right now because that would take too long, but here is the full injury report if you are interested. Here are the important takeaways from that list:

1. All of the Patriots’ star defensive players are injured
2. There are five offensive linemen listed, three of which are full-time starters
3. Three of the better receivers on the team are on the list

Now I’m not saying that the Patriots would be a great team by any means if they weren’t plagued by injuries, but not having Matt Judon, Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones, and Jonathan Jones definitely puts the defense in a tough position. The Patriots are a team that relies on their defense to keep them in games, and through the first three games this season, that was the case. Once these injuries pile up, it’s incredibly difficult to stop even mid-ranked offenses. With essentially all the star players being defensive specialists and all of them being hurt, the Patriots are struggling to keep games close. It’s like trying to ride a bike without the chain. You are bound to fail.

I genuinely don’t think I have ever seen a team more affected by injuries in my many years of being a sports fan. It seems like every other play, another important player goes down. One of the craziest stats I heard while watching the game that also best explains the situation, is the fact that at the start of the game, no Patriots player who was dressed for the game had an interception on the season. That changed in the first quarter when Jahlani Tavai caught a tipped ball, but essentially what that stat meant was the Patriots started a secondary of almost all backups and inexperienced players.

Where Do We Go From Here?

You may be wondering what options the Patriots have in this situation. Well, I’m sure you also came to the conclusion that we can’t just quicken the recovery pace of all the injured players, but the team can look for some other options. With the trade deadline coming up on October 31, I think it’s time for the coaching staff to take a hard look at who will be available for the foreseeable future, and make some tough decisions.

First, the Patriots need to find some answers on the offensive line. No shade to Vederian Lowe, but he has one of the highest rates of QB pressures allowed in the NFL, and he looked like an absolute sieve against Maxx Crosby on Sunday. I’ve seen enough of him and would love to see the Patriots trade for a better right tackle.

Second, there needs to be upgrades to the receiving core. Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott are solid runningbacks and Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki and two above-average tight ends. However, the Patriots lack a real number-one receiver, instead relying on a committee of very average players who do not get it done week in and week out.

As a fan, it’s hard for me to fully give up on this team, so I would definitely like to see some immediate roster changes to hopefully get a few more wins. I can’t justify rooting for continued losing and hopping on the “tank for Caleb Williams” train, but I can’t say I would be mad if the Patriots were able to draft him next year to replace the lowly Mac Jones. It’s hard to be willing to wait an entire year to see a better team, so I will continue to hope that the Patriots will give me something that is actually entertaining to watch.

I come back to you since my last blog post in a much more somber mood. If you do not readily follow the NFL, you may be wondering what could have happened in the short span of two weeks. Where do I start? Here are just a few of the problems:

1. The Patriots lost to both the Cowboys and the Saints
2. The Patriots were outscored 72-3 in those contests
3. The Patriots have not scored points in 7 quarters of play
4. The Patriots have a -8 turnover differential (they have turned the ball over 8 more times than they have taken the ball from opposing offenses)
5. The Patriots lost their two best defensive players, Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez, to significant injuries

Usually, I have good things to take away from these games and report on. Often it’s moral victories. But as for right now, I have plenty of terrible, god-awful things to report on.

Belichick on the Chopping Block

The man who was credited with all of the Patriots’ success over the last 20+ years is seeing his reputation crumble around him. It seems as if the Belichick vs Brady debate that I have spoken about on this blog before is finally being settled. Including the seasons before and after Tom Brady played for the Patriots, Bill Belichick has a combined 80-92 record–not exactly GOAT or even Hall of Fame status–and has had double-digit wins in just three of those seasons.

It’s easy to say that the lack of success is due to the lack of talent on the roster, but who do you think makes roster decisions and signs players? Saying Belichick is not responsible for the roster issues is like saying a quarterback is not responsible for throwing an interception. Belichick is the one who decides who he wants on his team just like a quarterback decides who to throw the ball to. Both involve risks. Even if an interception seems to be the receiver’s fault (maybe the ball went through his hands) it goes down in the stat sheet as the quarterback’s fault. The same can be said for a head coach who is incapable of making decisions that will field a competent team.

Furthermore, Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft has said that Belichick’s job is not guaranteed and that he is open to firing the coach. After the last two weeks, we may see the end of the Belichick era in New England sooner than we thought. I can’t say I would be sad to see him go after the last two weeks. Watching this team play is like vacuuming the whole house… You don’t want to do it.

Preview for Week 6

I’m not even going to sit here and say I think we have a chance of winning. Week 6 sees the Patriots take on the Las Vegas Raiders, a team that frankly is not very good. However, the Patriots are even worse. With Christian Gonzalez out it’s hard to be optimistic about the matchup the defense has with star wide-out, Devante Adams and Matthew Judon’s absence will be sorely missed while trying to stop RB, Josh Jacobs from running all over the Patriots. Additionally, this game will be Jakobi Meyer’s (former Patriots WR who was actually good) first game against his former team. He will be playing with an extra chip on his shoulder. The Patriots did not resign Jakobi Meyers and instead chose to pay JuJu Smith-Schuester, an awful decision in my opinion.

As for the offense, I don’t think much needs to be said. They are averaging 11 points per game this season and haven’t scored a touchdown in well over two weeks. Mac Jones has looked terrible the last two weeks. I doubt any defense in the league would have trouble stopping the Patriot game plan.

Hopefully, all my pessimism proves to be misplaced, but I won’t hold my breath. There are no more moral victories at this stage of the season. A major turnaround is needed right now if there is any hope for this team.

Week Three is in the books! With two games played since my last post and another on the horizon, there is a lot to talk about. Before we dive into the headlines of Week Four, here is a quick synopsis of Weeks Two and Three.

Week Two: Patriots Vs. Dolphins

I may have predicted that the Patriots would win this game because of the favorable matchups, but long story short…they didn’t. A final score of 24-17 however, isn’t too bad considering how potent the Dolphins’ offense has been this season. Why isn’t that bad? Well, 24 points is pretty good compared to the 70 the Broncos let the Dolphins score last Sunday. The Patriots’ defense played very well this game and successfully shut down Tyreek Hill’s “big play” attribute. As usual, the offense left something to be desired but they had their moments and had a chance to tie the game up late in the fourth quarter once again. Mac Jones continues to prove competent, but may be lacking in the “clutch gene”.

Week Three: Patriots Vs. Jets

Back in the win column! After falling to 0-2 the Patriots really needed to pull this game out. The final score of 15-10 illustrates a low-scoring defensive battle between two premiere defensive units. Both offenses struggled to get going, but a 58-yard strike to tight end Pharaoh Brown was the difference maker. Rookie first-round pick, Christian Gonzalez, continued to shine at cornerback and held New York’s elite wide receiver, Garrett Wilson, to only 48 yards. My reaction to the game: offense, please be better. The Patriots will need to figure out how to score points if they are going to hang with some of the tougher teams on their schedule.

Zeke Revenge Tour?

The Patriots Week Four matchup is the Dallas Cowboys, a talented but inconsistent team. This matchup has a little bit of drama sprinkled in. Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott will be facing his former team for the first time since being released earlier this year. Along with the extra chip on his shoulder, Elliott is coming off a very solid performance last week (16 carries for 80 yards) and has been seeing reps as a starter at practice this week.

Rhamondre Stevenson has not been very effective carrying the ball this year–averaging only 2.9 yards per carry–so this week may see a changeup in who gets more snaps and carries. Bad news for fantasy owners of Stevenson, good news for Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott may be in for a big game this week, hopefully, one that includes getting one-up on his former team. Let him eat!

The Cowboys are coming off a rather embarrassing loss to the lowly Arizona Cardinals, so they will look to bounce back. Hype surrounds this team every year, but they always seem to disappoint. Dallas is considered to have one of the most talented defenses in the league, and their offense is no joke either. Christian Gonzalez should give elite receiver CeeDee Lamb a good battle and if the Patriots’ offense can find ways to exploit the defense just like Arizona did last week, there is a good chance a 2-2 record is in their future.

Mac Jones Avoids a Fine

On a less positive note, Mac Jones was accused by Jets CB Sauce Gardner of hitting him “below the belt” during a small tussle after a play last Sunday. Unfortunately, Jones already has a “dirty player” narrative surrounding him after some questionable antics last season. Nothing has been obvious and Jones has denied doing things to harm other players in the past, but some have accused him of purposely falling or getting up in ways that put opposing players in harm’s way. It’s getting harder and harder to write off all of these instances as just coincidence. Sauce Gardner accused Mac Jones of some fine-worthy extracurricular actions, but video evidence was not enough to prove Jones did anything malicious. Thus, Mac Jones avoided a fine, but his reputation continues to be questioned.

Posting this so I don’t get fined lol pic.twitter.com/2KjcAVTNsW

— SAUCE GARDNER (@iamSauceGardner) September 25, 2023

Above is the video of the incident. I’ll let you be the judge. (Source)