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.