10 issues we realized from Patriots vs. Jaguars
The New England Patriots received embarrassed in Jacksonville on Sunday. The offense struggled, the protection struggled, particular groups struggled. It appeared just like the 2024 season another time, as there was nearly nothing positives to remove from the sport.
Let’s get into our classes realized from the 35-6 blowout loss that dropped New England to 1-2 on the yr.
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Drake Maye is enjoying like a bottom-5 QB
Drake Maye was a finalist for MVP final season, and all of us anticipated him to take one other leap ahead this yr and put a agency declare in that he’s a top-5 quarterback within the NFL. So far, he’s trending in the exact opposite course: he’s enjoying like a bottom-5 QB in the meanwhile.
Not solely has he appeared unhealthy, however the lengths of unhealthy he has been is downright spectacular. He dropped the ball as he was attempting to make a throw on Sunday; he threw one other horrendous interception in the long run zone; he fumbled a couple of different occasions, however recovered twice or was already down earlier than the ball got here out.
Maye would not simply look unhealthy proper now, he seems like one of many worst quarterbacks within the NFL by means of three weeks and it’s costing the Patriots.
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The offseason strikes have not labored out
Last offseason, the Patriots hit on nearly each single one among their free company strikes. This season, not a lot.
Kevin Byard has been a non-factor on a protection that received gashed on Sunday; Romeo Doubs has been, to place it properly, underwhelming; A.J. Brown was harm in Week 1 and may be out by means of October as properly; Alijah Vera-Tucker has been positive however not Eleventh-highest-paid-left-guard-in-football nice; Dre’Mont Jones is presently harm, and Reggie Gilliam has had nearly zero affect on an offense that can’t persistently run the ball.
The change from Kayshon Boutte and Stefon Diggs to Brown and Doubs particularly, whereas good on paper, has not paid any dividends up to now and the remainder of the offense has taken a flip for the more severe due to it. It’s nonetheless early, however, after seemingly making all the proper strikes final yr, the Patriots seem to have made all the flawed ones this yr.
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Coaching issues are actual
Multiple pre-snap penalties on the protection, some baffling choices on each offense and protection, and being clearly outplayed on particular groups leaves however one conclusion: the Patriots did not look able to go on Sunday.
The execution clearly hasn’t been good, however the teaching employees has not been as much as the duty both. It feels just like the protection overthought this sport; after enjoying a ton of man protection, the Patriots performed a ton of zone, and it was not efficient in any respect, partly as a result of the Patriots merely do not play zone on fairly the identical degree properly given the personnel they’ve.
We will not speculate whether or not or not a few of Mike Vrabel’s further curricular actions have had an affect on the staff, however the reality is he must be the one to start out righting the ship — and rapidly.
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Carlton Davis competed properly in his return
Starting cornerback Carlton Davis missed final week’s sport towards the Steelers, however performed bodily in his return this week in Jacksonville. Multiple occasions, he blew up performs along with his fast click-and-close talents, nearly intercepting one cross alongside the best way.
The Patriots have a shutdown nook on one aspect with Christian Gonzalez, and if Davis can play persistently properly on the opposite aspect, it could possibly be an enormous increase for the Patriots protection (particularly if Zak Kuhr begins leaning into their man-cover talents extra).
There will not be many optimistic issues to debate from a 29-point defeat that was very a lot over by the third quarter, however two of them need to be the Patriots’ younger edge defenders, Elijah Ponder and Gabe Jacas.
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It was removed from good from them, however they each have a number of performs each sport the place they stick out because of their effort and talent to generate strain. The protection wasn’t near ok on Sunday, together with Ponder and Jacas, however there are some optimistic indicators from the youth on the Patriots protection.
No matter what’s going on, you at all times know that one man goes to be busting his butt on the market, and that is Marcus Jones. He received his first interception of the season on Sunday, and had a stable return after as properly.
His aggressive spirits at all times run sizzling, regardless that he did get beat for a landing on back-to-back performs (the primary of which did not rely because of an offensive penalty). I might classify these as superb performs by Jaguars wideout Parker Washington as an alternative of unhealthy performs by Jones, nevertheless it deserved to be talked about nonetheless.
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The Patriots selecting a developmental offensive sort out within the first spherical this yr in hopes of getting him change a longtime starter no before a yr from now drew some criticism after the NFL Draft. However, plainly they may be needing Caleb Lomu sooner relatively than later.
Morgan Moses, in any case, has been subpar in nearly each regard this yr. Against the Jaguars, for instance, he was flagged for holding to negate what would have been a game-tying 21-yard landing on the very subsequent play after Marcus Jones’ second-quarter decide.
The Patriots want him to play properly, particularly with Mike Onwenu lacking prolonged time, and presumably the remainder of the season, at proper guard. On Sunday, Lomu went in and changed him on the finish of the sport however the staff gave up a security off the proper aspect on the primary play he was in there. It stays to be seen how a lot he can and can contribute within the close to future, however till the teen is totally ready to take over, Moses merely must play at the next degree.
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It’s awfully exhausting to belief Kyle Williams proper now
The Patriots want as a lot assistance on offense as they’ll get proper now, however I do not know the way the staff might belief second-year receiver Kyle Williams. He struggles to get open on something however deep go routes, and Drake Maye was picked attempting hit him on a hitch the place he had zero separation and did not combat again to the ball, even when it wasn’t throw.
The actual situation to me, nonetheless, is his sport readiness. He caught a kickoff on the sideline — he actually needed to toe-tap to catch the ball — pinning the Patriots inside within the 10 as an alternative of letting it get out of bounds to permit his staff to start out on the 40 as an alternative of the 9. Then, when he lastly did make a catch, he stepped out of bounds when operating in direction of the top zone.
For a staff just like the Patriots whose margin of error is slim proper now, missed alternatives equivalent to these merely can not occur. And with Williams lacking two of these in restricted motion, I do not know the way the staff might presumably belief him shifting ahead.
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More harm questions come up
The Patriots have already positioned 16 gamers on injured reserve this season, so their depth, which wasn’t all that good to start with, has already been examined considerably. On Sunday, the Patriots misplaced Greg Van Roten, who was in for the injured Mike Onwenu at proper guard, and he was changed by Walter Rouse.
The depth is a critical concern. We will see how lengthy Van Roten is out, however they can not afford to lose many extra guys to nonetheless have an opportunity to compete.
A probably season-defining sport awaits
The Patriots are teetering, and so they have to enter Buffalo subsequent week and attempt to take down the Bills, who’ve appeared superb, a minimum of when Josh Allen is not turning the ball over. Even when he does, although, their offense is sweet sufficient to maintain scoring anyway.
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The Patriots have an opportunity to combat again and present that they’ll nonetheless be a critical contender this season, and that their first three video games have been an aberration. On the opposite hand, they may proceed to battle and look nothing like a staff able to retaining its division crown. Unfortunately, it is exhausting to observe a sport just like the one towards the Jaguars and never put together for the latter.
