OCTOBER 2021
SPORTS
Patriots Assessment
Sam Shuster
The New England Patriots off to a two and four start is not something the New England faithful are used to. The Patriots have had their share of bad luck, and the season has been a disaster so far, but there are some things going in the right direction for the Patriots.
Week 1 was an example of the Patriots’ bad luck this season. Mac Jones played extremely well in his debut. Jones threw for 281 yards and one touchdown with no turnovers. Running back Damien Harris served as a prime playmaker as he rushed for 100 yards and added a catch for seven yards. The Patriots had the ball in the Miami redzone with under two minutes left, down one point, and would have gotten at least a field goal, but Damien Harris had a costly fumble that iced the game for Miami. New England goes to 0-1.
Week 2, the Patriots took care of business versus the New York Jets. The defense really stole the show, picking off rookie Zach Wilson four times. Jones threw for 186 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, and Damien Harris added a score on the ground. This was a performance everybody expected from the Belichick-coached team.
Week 3 was a week to forget for the Patriots. A 28-13 loss at home versus a very beatable Saints team was not what the Pats needed after losing their first home game against Miami. Mac Jones threw three interceptions, and the defense looked horrible. The Patriots failed to get a first down in the first quarter. This was an uncharacteristic loss for the Patriots who historically do not make many mistakes.
Week 4 was the return of the GOAT Tom Brady as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made their way to Foxboro for a Sunday night matchup. Mac Jones played great, throwing for 275 yards (more than Brady), two touchdowns, and an interception. The defense limited Brady to only 269 passing yards. Leonard Fournette, Ronald Jones and Ryan Succop damaged the Pats in other ways. Down two with fifty five seconds left, the Patriots elected to attempt a 56 yard field goal for the win. Kicker Nick Folk made a great effort but the ball just cleared off the upright, sealing Brady’s victory over his former team.
Week 5, the Patriots visited a depleted Houston Texans team. The Patriots played very sloppily and were lucky to get the win. Letting up 22 points to a below average Texans offense is not very Patriot-like. Jones was solid but threw one interception. Kicker Nick Folk bailed the Patriots out 4/4 on field goals, hitting two from 50+ yards. Not the best game by the team, but will always take a win.
Week 6 just about sums up the Patriots season so far. After getting up to an early 14-7 lead against a very good Dallas Cowboys team, the Patriots scored what was thought to be Jakobi Meyers’ first receiving touchdown ever, but it was called back due to holding. The Cowboys would then get the ball back and score 13 straight points. The Patriots would respond with a Rhamondre Stevenson touchdown rush to take the lead by one. Up 1 with two minutes and thirty four seconds left, Mac Jones throws a pick six to Trevon Diggs to give the Cowboys the lead. Luckily, Mac Jones would hit Kendrick Bourne on a 75-yard touchdown to take the lead, just for the Cowboys to tie it up on a late field goal. The Patriots would punt in overtime and lose on a Ceedee Lamb touchdown.
The Patriots had truly competed in every game but one this season. They have a real quarterback in Mac Jones, and with some work on the defense, they can be back to being a real contender. Better times are ahead for New England.
What is Wrong With New England? A Deep Dive Into the Patriots' Early Struggles
Matthew Schultz
Going into the 2021-2022 season, many experts had the Patriots high up on their power rankings. The record free agency spending and the Mac Jones pick had the league scared that the second coming of New England's powerful reign was approaching. Despite the high expectations, the Patriots have started out with a meager 2-3 record. They have lost very winnable games and the victories have felt more like defeats leaving many people wondering: “What is wrong with the Patriots?”
The Main Issue: The Offensive Line
Every NFL fan knows that their team cannot be good without a sustainable O-Line. Last year's worst O-line (Los Angeles Chargers) was in a similar situation as New England: a talented rookie quarterback that can’t get the ball off cleanly for the majority of pass plays. Going into 2021, Pro Football Focus (PFF) had New England’s line ranked 3rd in the entire NFL, only trailing the Colts and Browns. It has not played out that way so far. The loss of Trent Brown in week 1 didn’t help the overall morale to begin the season. Although being listed as day to day with a calf injury, the 6 foot 8 inch monster was recently placed on injured reserve. New England has struggled to find a solid replacement at right tackle through the first quarter of the season. The rotation between Yasir Durant and Justin Herron has failed miserably up until week 5 with Herron playing particularly well.
According to PFF, the former 1st rounder Isaiah Wynn (LT) is currently the 47th best offensive tackle out of a total of 74, not what you would expect coming off an impressive 2020 season. Wynn has allowed 13 pressures, 3 QB hits, and 2 sacks throughout 4 games along with a below average run blocking grade. He was also inactive against the Texans due to COVID-19.
The interior line has not been the issue. Despite the below average PFF grades, Shaq Mason, David Andrews, and Michael Onwenu have held the offensive line together.
The fact that the backup offensive line played 10x better than the starters in week 5 against Houston can either be taken as a positive or a major negative. One of the key bright spots from the week 5 victory was tackle Yodny Cajuste, a 2019 third round pick. In his first start, Cajuste only allowed 1 hit and a few pressures while playing well in the run game.
The absence of legendary offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia may be the reason for this. Ever since he retired, the OL has struggled. With an average 61.2 PFF grade (well below average) through 5 weeks of football, the big guys up front need to wake up.
Run Defense
New England spent lots of money in free agency bringing in run stoppers like Davon Godchaux and Henry Anderson as well as retaining Lawrence Guy and drafting Christian Baremore. On paper, the interior line looks pretty decent regarding experience however, that has not been the case through week 5. Godchaux has been the only feasible player in the run game, posting a low PFF grade (58.5). While being a skilled pass rusher, Baremore has struggled making plays in the backfield.
The line has also had a hard time setting the edge. Deatrich Wise Jr., after receiving a contract extension, has played fairly well, but whatever happened to Chase Winovich? The former third-round pick has barely gotten on the field. Edge defenders like Josh Uche and Kyle Van Noy have also been below average at best when stopping the run. Rookie Ronnie Perkins has yet to see the field, and it may be time. Perkins can bring the physicality to the edge and help contain the run while providing assistance rushing the passer. Other than Matthew Judon, this entire defense is a question mark.
The Secondary
Without Stephon Gilmore, New England’s secondary has taken a turn for the worse. J.C. Jackson is clearly not ready to be the number one cornerback. (He’s still a great CB2.) Jackson hasn’t played terribly, he’s just not what this defense needs. He has had his moments in both man and zone coverage but he has also been exposed multiple times in each game. Jon Jones and Jalen Mills have also played fair but they give up big plays constantly. Joejuan Williams hasn’t even come close to living up to his second-round expectations, posting a 49.8 PPF grade. Safety and, most importantly, cornerbacks need to be addressed in the offseason. The inconsistency, not only in the secondary, but throughout the entire defense, is abysmal, especially under Bill Belichick.
