Concerns Around Another Trade Prospect

Brandon Cooks is another player unhappy with their team. Although what happens Sunday should determine if the Patriots are buyers or not, there is questions over if the Patriots should make a move for cooks.

Cooks has been targeted 64 times catching 71.7% of those passes for 502 yards and a touchdown. So cooks looks like he's doing well in Houston, although he's not scoring. Cooks is even supposed to be affordable for this season after the texans messes with his contract.

The Patriots are going to be tight on cap in 2022 and Cooks will cost $12 million dollars. The Texans are going to want compensation for cooks. Normally it would be a smart decision to go after a player of that quality if a team can afford him, however I see a problem.

Cooks went over a thousand yards when he played for the Patriots but it was also one of his worst years catch wise. Cooks only caught 57% of his passes in the "Brady offense" which is basically what they're running now. That was down 8% from his normal catch percentage. 

The Patriots are struggling to figure out how to use their pass catchers this season.  Agholor has 36 targets, Bourne 28 targets, Meyers 59 targets, Hunter Henry 32 targets, Jonnu Smith 30 targets. Meyers won't be the only player getting less targets if they acquire Cooks. In fact with how cooks is used, Meyers probably wont see a drop in targets at all.

Marlon Mack To The Patriots, Not So Fast.

The New England Patriots at one point had a stacked running back stable. Sony Michel, Damien Harris, Rhomandre Stevenson, J.J. Taylor, Brandon Bolden, and Tyler Gaffney. Flash forward and Michel is gone and White is on the injured reserve, while the Patriots are struggling to find consistency with that third down and pass catching back role.

The name that has been floating around is Marlon Mack from the Indianapolis Colts. After speaking with Lawrence Owens a member of the Colts media, Marlon Mack can do it all. He would bring just about everything to the Patriots that has been missing without James White. 

In September Mack asked the Colts for a trade. Mack told the press, "That’s part of the business. As a running back, they see you, they say I’m an old man already, but I’m only 25. That’s why I was like, I’ve got to go out there and get it now, because next year, teams will be like ‘I don’t want that old running back.’”

Over his career Mack has played in 46 games, missing most of last year only playing one game. Mack has rushed for 2484 yards with 20 touchdowns, averaging 4.4 yards per attempt. Mack has also caught 57 passes for 447 yards and 2 touchdowns. Mack also has 3 kick returns on his career, averaging 23 yards a return. 

On the season Mack has not really touched the ball. He's only carried it 28 times and caught 2 passes. The Colts have buried him and aren't using him.

Looking at what Mack provides, he's worth a third, maybe a fourth round pick. So what do the Patriots have to lose? Everything they spend on the trade. Mack is a free agents at the season. If the Patriots decided to make the trade, they would need a deal in place to keep him around because it's not likely that they're gonna get a compensation pick for him. 

The Colts seem content having him spend the season riding the pine and being used sparingly, so I don't see them making any moves that would make them have to pay anything extra to Mack. That would mean he would have to agree to a contract extension with the Patriots before the trade. That's a big risk. The Patriots might look into it but it could depend on how they feel about the season.

The Patriots have a big game coming up against the Chargers and losing would give them five losses on the year. The Patriots still have some tough games ahead, including playing the Bills twice. If the Patriots lose Sunday, they're season is all but over baring a miracle. And thus a trade would make no sense but a win could bring Belichick shopping. As much as people might not want to hear it, the focus at the moment should be all on the game and not the roster moves. So as Bill would say, "We're on to Los Angeles."

Mac Jones Is The Highest Graded Rookie

Before the draft, I had Mac Jones being the top quarterback in the draft, with Justin Fields right behind him. I am nobody in the world of sports, so my opinion doesn't matter but June Jones's and Charlie Weiss's opinions matter. They listed Mac Jones as the top quarterback in the draft. While things may change down the line, at the moment they're right.

Pro Football Focus gave Mac Jones a grade of 82.5. That's 22 to 32 points higher than the other rookie quarterbacks. The next closest rookie is Zach with a grade of 59.5. That's a pretty big margine and Wilson is playing on the Jets. Which excluding Justin Fields, we must ask how bad the rest of the other quarterbacks really are.

Of the rookie quarterbacks, here is where PFF ranks Mac Jones in various categories:

Wins: 1st
Completions: 1st
Completion percentage: 1st
Passing yards: 1st
Yards per attempt: 1st*
TDs: 1st
INTs: T-1st fewest*
Passer rating: 1st
Sacks: 2nd-fewest*
Rushing yards: 4th
PFF grade: 1st

*CBS Boston write, "Trey Lance has more yards per attempt, fewer interceptions and fewer sacks, but he has just 48 pass attempts and has taken just 28 percent of San Francisco’s offensive snaps."

For some of the other rookies, it really is unfair to compare them because of where they were drafted. Trevor Lawrence is in Jacksonville with a coach that wants to return to college but he was supposed to be a generational quarterback and should be doing better. Justin Fields went to quarterback purgatory by getting drafted by Chicago. And then Houston appears to be having a fire sale, which hurts Davis Mills. 

Mac Jones was said to be the most NFL ready quarterback in the 2021 NFL draft. The fact that he fell to the Patriots, who are in a rebuild on offense is still the best situation for any of those quarterbacks to have fallen into. By the end of the 2023 season, providing Bill Belichick is still the head coach, Mac Jones should still be the best quarterback of the draft class due to the dysfunction of the other teams that took quarterbacks this season. 

At the end of the day stats don't matter. Wins are all that matters. Mac Jones has more wins than all of them individual. Mac Jones also has 3 wins, the combined total of the other 5 rookie quarterbacksis 4 wins. And that is what matters. Mac Jones is winning more games and that too should continue. Mac Jones will get to go up against Justin Herbert on Sunday. That should be an interesting matchup. As Herbert maybe the best quarterback from last year's draft class.

Is Justin Herbert An Illusion Or The Real Deal.

The Patriots have to play Justin Herbert again. Due to my orginal scouting report on Herbert being blinded with my desire for the Patriots to draft Jalen Hurts, I have decided to go back over his scouting reports and to give him a proper one. What I saw from reports was a very inconsistent quarterback with potential but also a lot of risk. The chargers appeared to have won with this pick but they're about to face Bill Belichick. Who maybe can find pull out some of those red flags.

Justin Herbert senior Oregon 

Height: 6’6” Weight: 236 pounds Hands: 10" Arms: 32 7/8” Wingspan: 78 7/8

Combine results 

Broad jump: 123.0 inches Vertical jump: 35.5 inches 40 Yd. Dash: 4.68 seconds 20 Yd Dash: 4.46 seconds 3 Cone Drill: 7.06 seconds

Herbert reads as two quarterbacks and such I am writing this as his reports read. Knowing that he will be facing Bill Belichick, can he keep his jackel and hyde at bay. The upper portion tells his pros and the bottom was his concerns. Typically the player is someplace in between, although Herbert doesn't look like it. Gotta wonder though, how many of the red flags did the Patriots see.

Arm Accuracy - Can drop the ball in a bucket on deep throws. Very accurate on short and intermediate throws. Can threads tight windows with touch. Accurate throwing on the run. Can put the ball anywhere on the field. Accurate throwing to the middle of the field.

Inaccurate on touch throws to the outside. Struggles throwing consistently with touch. Needs to do a better job of leading receivers. Tendency to flat-out miss for no reason. Likes to throw high. Accuracy breaks down throughout the progression. Deep ball accuracy dips.

Short to intermediate throws could be placed better. Poor accuracy on screens.

Decision Making - Good pre-snap reads, spotting the favorable matchup. Keeps the safety at bay. Scripted big plays executed efficiently. Few interceptions over his career. Willing to test deep coverage. Doesn't force throws. Takes what the defense gives him.

Overly cautious throwing into the first two levels. Scared to throw into high/low zones. Doesn't trust his eyes. Makes one bad throw a game. Occasional faulty execution risks ball security. Gets in trouble for attacking leverage and spacing. Makes enough of ill-advised throws. Willingness to throw the ball up for grabs and force passes to covered receivers.

Progressions - Ability to make all reads, goes through reads quick and efficiently. Reads the defense and finds the open receiver. Stays calm and isn't phased when things aren't opening.

One read and run quarterback who doesn’t keep his eyes up to extend plays. Appears his coaches were trying to break him of this. Locks on to the first read, telegraphing throws has been a constant bad habit. Too slow progressing to his second and third reads.

Anticipation - Protects WRs from hits. Allows his receivers elevate and attack man coverage. Excels in quick game. Finds rhythm, throwing with anticipation and timing, including deep throws trusting the pass catchers to be there.

Is a must see it passer. Has a late release, holds the ball too long. Doesn't recognize blitz presnap and misses throws. Accuracy issues due to lack of anticipation on timing throws. Overly cautious and misses throws expected of early round quarterbacks.

Arm Strength - Can beat deep coverage and hit down field windows. Can hit anywhere due to excellent zip and velocity. Reportedly best deep ball in class. Can push the ball 50 yards with ease. Uses power to make up for late decisions. Has a tight spiral uses extra zip on the ball to make sure it gets there before defenders can.

Flat throws put the ball at risk. Deep throws need more air under the ball. Doesn't trust his arm when he has a cannon.

Pocket Awareness - Moves fluidly around and out of the pocket to avoid pressure, was sacked only 5% of attempts in 2019. Ability to escape danger and deliver the football with accuracy on the move. Stays calm under pressure. Listens to internal clock to avoid danger in the pocket, knowing when to leave. Keeps his eyes down the field when under pressure and while escaping.

Willing to stand in the pocket but is occasionally oblivious to the rush. Gets trapped frequently. Becomes statuesque but that may have been from coaching out his run first instincts. Big schools that applied pressure got to him mentally. Held the ball occasionally too long or was too quick to flee the pocket. Occasionally panicked after injuries started piling up. Steps up into pressure , too many QB hurries/sacks that are his fault entirely too often. Finding for gaps and gouging defenses isn't overly natural for someone with mobility.

Mechanics - Flawless mechanics, keeps ball tucked. Stays well-balanced. Able to work traffic with throwing motions. Side arm release helps him adjust to pressure. Won't need much improvement if any at the next level.

Dicey under pressure. Mechanics start to deteriorate under pressure, leading to turnovers. 26 fumbles in 3 seasons. Lower body mechanics causes passes regularly to sail balls downfield. Side arm releases the ball quickly causing short throws to be spike down. Frequently locks the lower half and doesn't drive the football

Footwork - Showed improvement in 2019 in his drop and his base. Fluid stride and throw rolling in either direction.

Inaccurate throws due to tendency of improper setting of feet. Breaks down under pressure. Occasionally sits on his back foot and forcing him to miss high.

Mobility - Zone read runner who's dangerous out of the pocket. NFL defenses will have to respect the threat of his legs, will draw spies. Can and will extend plays with his legs when plays break down.

Run first quarterback under pressure with ball security issues. Not consistent throwing on the move. Teams may want to force him to throw on the run. Doesn't have the best instincts or vision for a runner.

Misc - Prototype player, arm strength, size, and mobility. Great play action ability. Played well with lack luster supporting cast compared to other prospects. Three sport athlete. Learned several different offenses in college. Four year starter, with Intelligence and leadership are undeniable. High football IQ.

Disappointing end to college career, became a scrambling check down charlie. Not a field general. Internal clock broken from injury. Suffered a broken femur (2014) and broken collarbone (2017). Too many major issues led to frail body. Will need to bulk up.

Comparisions - The six NFL comparisons give a floor and a ceiling with a reasonable expectation level: Mitchell Trubisky, Blake Bortles, Ryan Tannehill, Carson Wentz, Josh Allen, John Elway.

Herbert has played well since getting the job but can he continue to do so. He looked like a starter in year one and hasn't slowed down much but is he showing improvement or has he reached his ceiling? I think he needs the organization to put better talent around him and that talent to elevate him. I am not expecting to see anything more from Herbert than we've already seen. 

They're On To The Chargers With Work To Do.

The New England Patriots steamrolled the New York Jets on Sunday 54 to 13. Everyone and their mother among pats nation is celebrating a victory that keeps playoff hope's alive but there were some areas that the team still needs to fix. The Patriots now move to 3 and 4 on the season. Open any Patriots media and you can find the positives from Sunday's victory but what about the negatives to work on, as they are now on to the Chargers? Yeah, good luck with that. So here are some takeaways to bring us fans back down to earth.

Although the Patriots put up 54 points, there were times where the defense had communication issues and it came back to bite them but they were playing the Jets. So how bad could making mistakes be when the opponent is just a giant smudge on the NFL.

The Jets quarterbacks picked on Jalen Mills. Mills was signed to be a versatile piece playing kind of a safety linebacker hybrid. Due to how things went with Gilmore, he has been playing outside corner and the Jets quarterbacks weren't scared of him. It wasn't all Mills's fault, the secondary overall made mistakes. Missed tackles, especially by Bryant and just not making the right play by the unit from occasional lack of awareness showed cracks in the secondary. Surprisingly JoeJaun Williams had a decent day according to a few writers.

The linebackers were about as effective as Mills in pass coverage. As Nick O'Malley noted that Carter and Johnson had a combined 14 catches for 132 yards. Some writers basically said this linebacking unit was built to contain the run and assist with the pass rush with no thoughts on their ability to assist in pass coverage.

Mike White, a quarterback I was hoping the Patriots would draft few years back, had over 200 yards against the Patriots defense and would've had over 400 against this defense had he had started. White was one of the few winners for the Jets as he got some game time and might get more depending in Wilson's injury. Personally, I think White is a better quarterback than Wilson. Not that it matters to the NFL because this is the Jets.

The Patriots gave up 6 penalties for 95 yards this game. One of the penalties negated a Jonnu Smith catch. And of course what would a game be without a pair of false starts from the offensive line. Mills, Dugger and King had penalties that could be costly in a closer game. Mills and Dugger with a PI, Dugger wiping a turnover and King with a unnecessary roughness.

Six penalties isn't double digits but it's enough to hurt the Patriots against a stronger opponent. Penalties are something the Patriots have shot themselves in the foot with going back to the preseason and even against the Jets, it's clear that's still an issue.

Nick Folk missed another extra point. Folk is perfect from the 20 to 49 range this season. However, Folk has yet to have had to kick a field goal from shorter distance and hasn't since 2019 but with his extra points, Folk has now missed three on the season and has tied his 2020 mark for missed extra points. If the Patriots need a must have field goal under 20 yards can Folk be counted on. That has to be a concern because extra points are still supposed to be gimmies.

Jonnu Smith left the game with a shoulder injury, McCourty would leave with an abdominal injury. Carl Davis, Harvy Langi and Shaq Mason would also eventually leave with an injury. The team has been hit with the injury bug this season, which just saw them put Johnathan Jones on the injured reserve for a few weeks. And the leader of the linebacking unit, Dont'a Hightower was kept from the game due to health issues.

Mac Jones continues to make a couple of throws a game that get ignored by fans, probably because of how bad the passers were in 2020. He had a throw to Jonnu that could've easily been a turnover. He's a rookie so it's to be expected but at the same time, like Edelman said, "He's got six games under his belt (now 7), he's no longer a rookie." Well as in terms of his experience compared to three months ago, Jones has to eliminate those plays. 

Pat Lane wrote about Jones after the blowout saying, Mac Jones really wasn’t that sharp at the beginning of the game, almost throwing a few interceptions, and sometimes missing open receivers in his progressions."

Another question I've had which is being echoed by the media is, did the Patriots over pay for Agholor. Agholor is hovering around a 52% catch percentage on his 36 targets. Damiere Byrd was one of the Patriots leading pass catchers of 2020 catching 61%, can be used in the same way and would be receiving the same amount of targets from a better patriots passer.

And since we're talking about negatives, Jake Bailey only had one punt, the guy is an all pro, I kid. Gunner Olszewski only got one target on the day in garbage duty, I would've liked to of seen more of him in the second half since he was one of the Patriots best receivers in training camp and preseason with Mac Jones.

The offensive line played well but Wynn had an up and down day. Pat Lane noting about Wynn, "he did struggle in space on some of the toss and screen plays."

The Patriots played well and did what they should've against the Jets but don't start screaming playoffs yet. The team is still just 3 and 4 with the Chargers, Browns, and Titans being three of their next five games. If the Patriots had won a couple of games they should've this season, this next stretch would be easier but the Patriots will need to come out of that stretch with four wins to stay in the playoff hunt.

Also want to send a shout out to the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors who beat the Aggies of New Mexico State 48 to 34. GO BOWS !!! Twenty one second half points is why teams should never play conservative when in the lead until there's mathematically no chance of losing. This was a much needed win for the Rainbow Warriors as they are now 4 and 4 on the season with new head coach Todd Graham and his new systems.

Patriots fans would be wise to pay attention to Hawaii's RB/WR/return specialist and former quarterback Calvin Turner Jr. He's James White 2.0.

The Offense Is Setting The Defense Up To Fail.

The Patriots offense is not what it was expected to be. I didn't expect a high powered offense but I didn't expect a bottom third either. The Patriots are currently ranked 24th in total offense, 26th in points and 19th in time of possession. The "bend don't break" defense is ranked 10th in yards allowed and 9th in points allowed. According to lineups, the Patriots special teams are ranked tenth in the league.

Now the Patriots defense at times doesn't appear to be hustling all the time and when they need a key stop, they cannot always deliver. However, look at their games against Tampa and Dallas. They held the Buccaneers to 19 points and left the offense a chance to put the game away. They held the cowboys to 20 points for 57 minutes and 33 seconds, and weren't on the field when the cowboys scored to take the lead in the 4th with under 3 minutes to go, the Patriots offense was. However that isn't stopping the defense from taking the blame ot accountability.

Although the defense is a top ten unit Adrian Phillips said “We don’t like where we’re at just because we haven’t been finishing. Everybody that plays defense, and this is probably the same for the teams around the league, they like when the pressure is on them. We like when the pressure is on us and we haven’t been holding up to that, but we’ve been getting better each and every week. … Our main thing is getting better each and every week and making sure when we get to those situations and points in the game, everybody is clicking and everybody is moving on the same frequency and we can come out with the win.”

Against the Cowboys, the Patriots defense was on the field for 82 plays not including penalties. The Cowboys had the ball for over 39 minutes or for two thirds the game because the Patriots offense was 3 of 9 on third downs and turned the ball to the cowboys offense once (not counting the pick six). It also didn't help that on 4th and 3 versus the cowboys in OT, Bill Belichick punted and sent the defense back out to try and stop the cowboys from attempting to get into field goal range instead of going for it.

While the defense is taking blame for the team's record when they are largely not to blame, at least Kendrick Bourne is keeping it real. Bourne addressed some of the offense's problems.

Bourne said, "We have little mistakes here and there. We could have done a lot of things better after watching the tape. Just can’t have little mistakes; can’t have a guy beating us off the edge; can’t have me getting jammed up or somebody missing an assignment. Whatever it may be we just can’t do that at crucial times.”

The offense is not executing and between Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels, and Mac Jones, the Patriots playcalling has been kinda bland and like normal, in need of perfection to be successful. The Patriots offense is truly a machine and as long as one player messes up, the offense is likely falter. The offense has 8 touchdowns on 18 redzone trips, and have converted on 32 of 76 third down attempts.

Let me put those numbers a little different. 10 failed redzone trips and 44 failed third down attempts. That's just under 2 failed Rredzone trips a game and just over 7 failed third downs a game. 10 to 12 drives is about average for an NFL offense a game. And they can be expected to be successful moving the ball on 30% to 42% of their drives depending on number possessions.

It's nice that defense is admitting they need to play better but if the offense was playing better the defense wouldn't be put in a position to make the little mistakes they're making. They wouldn't be required to make multiple must have stops late in the games. Right now where the offense is, It's a game managing offense but it's not efficient enough. What we've seen from this offense, justifies Bill Belichick's cautiousness or conservative approach this season. Even with all the additions, the unit is not playing good enough to be trusted.

I said the team was better than their record, I also have said that the offense's current identity is a .500 offense and I meant both statements. The defense is a product of the offense and maybe the special teams could give the offense better field position but the offense is currently the weak link and until it improves this team will struggle.

And us fans will be pissing and moaning, while celebrating moral victories just like teams that raised banners for losing to the Patriots in the AFC Championship games. Moral victories are nice for playoff teams but not for teams during the first third of the season. I gave the Patriots a floor of 5 and a ceiling of 10 wins on September 3rd, with the expectations of 7.5 to 8 wins. And I still am not ruling the floor out yet because the offense is just not playing good enough.

Receivers Have A Lot To Say About The Patriots Offense

Kendrick Bourne had the longest reception of the Patriots season on Sunday, taking a pass from Mac Jones seventy five yards for a score. On the previous drive, Bourne was targeted by Jones and the pass went for a pick six. Bourne admitted that he didn't run the proper route and it led to him not being where he was supposed to be. 

Bourne continued, “And then that play, it’s like, what kind of mindset do you have? Are you going to go to the sideline and cry or throw your helmet or yell at Mac? Is it his fault? But I literally took it all (on) myself. I was supposed to run a three-step slant. (The defense was) kind of all over the place, so I was like, I’m about to just go in the window. But that goes away from my technique."

That interception play is just one of many times this season where the Patriots have shot themselves in the foot and Bourne knows it.

Bourne continued, “We’re doing the wrong things at crucial times. It’s nothing crazy, but it affects the result of the play. Through the game, I thought we were playing well, but when we get to the end or a crucial drive, we’ve just got to execute better.”

Bourne isn't the only receiver taking issue with the Patriots. Former Patriots wideout Julian Edelman had some choice words for the Patriots.

Edelman said, “The Patriots just aren’t the Patriots right now, and it hurts me to say this. They are not the Patriots. We are so used to seeing the last 20 years  — and I know there’s different players, and this, that, but there’s still a group of guys in there that know how they should play. They need to start playing mistake-free football. They’ve had a handful of plays this year where they if they would have went their way, if they would have taken care of the football, if they didn’t get two blocked punts — hasn’t been done since ’93 in New England), if they would have not thrown an interception, if the linemen didn’t let the quarterback have guys running at him free … . I’m a little venting right now.”

Edelman got interrupted and the network pushed on so Edelman finished with  “There needs to be some accountability in those rooms.”

As for Bourne who just took the blame for the pick six on Sunday, he also had something to say that the Patriots maybe wish he didn't. Referring to a comment he made about Mac Jones. Bourne said the following comparing to Jimmy G.

“Mac, he’s throwing it hard, but when you catch it, it’s like a pillow, man. I could definitely say that dude – I don’t know, he’s special, man. Jimmy’s more – he’s got a rifle, and it comes in harder, so that’s the difference, I would say, about the two," said Bourne.

That was a knock on Mac Jones's velocity. Scouting reports on Jones coming out of the draft were very insulting to Mac, saying he had to throw the ball harder to get the ball to where he wanted it to go compared to most quarterbacks. They basically all said that Jones was a weak armed quarterback. It might not of been Bourne's intent but it's the sentiments he echoed.

There are some criticizing Bill Belichick for decisions he's made with the offense. Some of the media has stated that Bill Belichick doesn't trust the offense. With what Edelman and Bourne said, maybe that's true and why Belichick has been conservative when in years past he would've been aggressive with a middle aged quarterback at the helm.

Mac Jones Is The Best Rookie Now And His Trajectory Will Shatter His Projected Ceiling.

Mac Jones was said to be the most NFL ready quarterback in the NFL draft and six weeks in, he is clearly the best of the bunch. Unfortunately for the Patriots, that hasn't helped them in the standings. However, for fans it is a sign that things should get better.

Jones has a 71.1 completion percentage which should increase versus the Jets. Of NFL quarterbacks Jones is ranked 12th in attempts, 8th in completions, 20th in passing yards, 4th in completion percentage, 25th in interceptions, and 20th in rating which is around 10 spots better than all the other starting rookie quarterbacks.

Ryan Hannable reported that PFF had Jones ranked better than two elite level quarterbacks. Hannable wrote, "The Patriots rookie is even graded higher than Patrick Mahomes (19th, 78.2) and Aaron Rodgers (21st, 77.2)."

There are some that wouldn't be surprised by that. Like Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott who recently spoke about Jones with Peter King.

Prescott said, "You gotta be able to take a lick and not flinch and make the play when the hard hit’s coming. And when you have a bad play or an interception and the game changes right there, you gotta have the water-down-a-duck’s-back mentality. Let it go. It’s over. Mac’s got that. I really like what I see out of him. He’ll be a good quarterback for a long time.”

Before the draft former Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss also had some comments on Mac Jones, and thus I am certain that he is not surprised and was probably in Bill Belichick's ear about his young quarterback prior to the draft.

Weiss said, “I don’t want to be one of those people telling them (the Patriots) how they are dumbasses if they don’t do that (draft Mac Jones)..." 

Weiss added, "What are the two most important components of a star quarterback? They have the ‘it’ factor. And they’re accurate. That’s who (Jones) was.”

Former NFL, XFL, and NCAA DI head coach June Jones (no relation) was impressed by Mac Jones prior to the draft and said "Mac’s deep-ball accuracy is probably the best that I have graded in my years of coaching quarterbacks. He’s almost at 55 percent at over 20 yards, which is unbelievable.” Jones didn't stop his praise there. June has worked with a lot of pro quarterbacks and said of this draft class, "The quarterback that I think five years from now will be the best one is the Alabama kid, Mac Jones..."

Five years from now, Jones could potentially be the best quarterback in the NFL. There are a plethora more of people I could include quotes for since the season started. Mac Jones is good, yet there are still some concerns which will get answered in time but for now he looks like the best decision the organization could've made for their future.

Now we have heard the comparisons to various quarterbacks for Jones. We know he's limited in his physical abilities and won't improve much there. Here's where it gets interesting, the areas where Jones can improve are the same areas that one Tom Brady has been improving on to stay a top the NFL for twenty years. So while comparing Jones to Brady is unfair, his developmental track and thus his potential ceiling elevation follow the path of the greatest quarterback of all time. So while it's unfair to make the comparisons now, we have the blue print for projecting a successful career even if it doesn't result in ten superbowl appearances.

What's Up With The Conservative Playcalling and Is McDaniels Solely To Blame?

Anyone who knows me, knows I have been a  critic of Josh McDaniels since 2018. I dubbed him McVanilla. He has peaked as a coordinator and should not advance for the Patriots. This season the team has run an efficient playcalling that requires the team to be perfect. Is it conservative, maybe but he doesn't have to be aggressive if the playcalling is working. That's the problem but so is execution.

McDaniels this season has taken some heat for times when the team has run the ball instead of passing. I was like "what the hell is McVanilla doing!?!" until Mac admitted to opting out of plays, than it became how much is McDaniels and how much is Jones. They both gotta get blamed equally.

Reminder, it wasn't Josh McDaniels that chose to kick a near sixty yard field goal instead of going for it against Tampa Bay. It wasn't McDaniels who sacrificed points at halftime versus Dallas. It wasn't McDaniels who chose to punt in overtime against Dallas. That conservative playcalling was from Bill Belichick.

McDaniels has had to deal with Mac Jones changing plays, he's had to deal with Bill Belichick being conservative in game. In 2020 it was Bill's decision to stick with Cam over Newton. McDaniels let us know it wasn't up to him. McDaniels let us know that not going for it on Sunday was Bill's decision as well. It appears Belichick doesn't trust the offense or is over protective of Mac Jones. After two meltdowns before week one, maybe Bill doesn't think Jones can handle the pressure.

That's the thing us fans seem to forget, this is Bill's team. Unless Robert Kraft steps in, what Belichick says goes. We've seen Bill be conservative this season, can anyone say that this "new" Bill Belichick isn't restricting McDaniels's playcalling?

Now some of you are going to say that he's never done it before. Go back to last season, there's a lot of things he's never done before. This is the "new" player friendly Bill Belichick. Go back six or seven years ago and refer to him as player friendly and pats nation will call you an idiot. So it's not unlikely that Bill is meddling in the offensive game planning and playcalling this season. And I just gave one possibility as to why.

Things with this team this season have been weird. They hung in with and should've tried to put away both the Buccaneers and Cowboys but didn't. The team is playing conservative ball and seems to be lacking fundamentals, awareness, and discipline. Maybe Bill is treating this like the preseason, maybe this is how Bill tanks, maybe there's something going on internally, who knows.

Even though McDaniels is the offensive coordinator, at the moment we cannot give him all the blame because at the moment it looks like Belichick and Jones are owning some of it. Keep in mind that the Patriots are currently holding the number seven pick. The Patriots supposedly had a great draft. If we look at recent history Dallas had two bad seasons, and built a good team from the draft. Trying to mimic what Dallas did is the only other thing that makes sense besides the Patriots protecting Mac Jones. For all our sales, we best hope Bill doesn't see Jones as being as fragile as Ryan Leaf.

Oh No We Suck Again, Or Do We? Patriots Nation Needs To Put Aside Their Fandom And Take A Second Look At Where This Team Is.

The New England Patriots' twenty year dynasty is over. As fans we need to accept that the greatest era in NFL history is over with. The team is now about would'ves, should'ves, could'ves, and moral victories. It's in the second year of a rebuild and before anyone screams "we're going back to the pre Bledsoe Patriots," the team is showing signs that it could be playoff ready by 2022.

The defense is a bend don't break unit that has been keeping the Patriots in games and Belichick has been letting opponents beat themselves to allow the team a chance for a victory. Mac Jones is still developing and the offense hasn't had the best execution or fundamentals or the team would be 5 - 1.

"The (75 yard touchdown pass)call to pick on Diggs, one of the league’s most dangerous—but also most vulnerable—cornerbacks was reminiscent of the kind of mental warfare the Patriots used to wage. The defensive lapses that allowed the Cowboys to walk back down the field for a game-tying field goal and a game-winning touchdown in overtime were reminders of the distance between what was and what could be again," wrote Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated.

The AFC east was supposed to be greatly improved and yet the Dolphins who were supposed to be a wildcard team are 1 - 5 sitting next to the Jets. While the Patriots who are sitting 2 - 4, we're a score or a stop away from beating the Buccaneers and Cowboys. The Patriots record is an illusion and I dare to say this team is currently better than the Buffalo Bills. Yeah, I said that. 

From fumbles and slipping by the backs, to drops and miscommunication by the pass catchers, to penalties and failing to block by the line, to changing out of plays by Jones and failing to make clutch stops by the defense; if this team stops shooting themselves in the foot, even with a rookie quarterback they'd be a playoff team. Their record reflects what we thought they would be but what we've seen on the field is another. 

Sure the roster can use some upgrades still. And yes some players need to start playing better (Isaiah Wynn). It's true McDaniels is calling boring efficient plays that have worked for twenty years over new risk-reward plays that other teams are running but again this team is better than they're letting on. If the Patriots string a couple of wins together and get confidence, which is the only thing this unit is missing, watch out because there's gonna be no stopping them at that point. Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels, Steve Belichick, and Jarod Mayo have this team on the path fans want, regardless if fans want them fired for the stupid reasons they do.

There's a reason why we're called fans and why the analysts on tv are sitting in front of a camera instead of standing on a sideline. Look at how many superbowl appearances this staff has made, look at all their years of knowledge. This staff knows more about football than the combined knowledge of most of us. It's been said for twenty years, and while it was easier to say with Brady around, "In Bill We Trust."

The Patriots Identity Is Five Hundred

At first I didn't think there was enough to write about after Sunday's win. In fact here's what I wrote about the Patriots after there 25-22 victory over the Houston Texans on my Facebook Vicariously Patriots page.

"The Patriots could be 4-1. And although the standings don't show it, their stats do. The team is a .500 team. Before Cam was cut I had them as a 9-10 win team, I reduced that to 7 after he was cut. My buddy Ray had them as an 8 win team. To be honest and people might disagree. But if the Patriots don't have a realistic chance at the wild card, if Kraft will let them, I want them to play for a top 10 pick. The problem is I believe just like last year that the defense is too good to let that happen unless the coaching puts them in a bad position with play calling."

Afterwards I would go on to see that I was having the same opinion as many unpopular media personalities when it comes to Patriots nation. I am not a homer, I do not get loud watching my teams's games. I watch games alone because other fans tend to get irrational, and I am not afraid to criticize my team.

Mac Jones has played well. Thus far my concern has been is it McDaniels play calling or is he the one opting out of plays? He's already admitted to doing it, so the question if the play calling is still unanswered.

The other issues with Mac that I have had was decision making because there's been better options on occasion that he's not seeing. I get that the line hasn't played the best this season but still. I also have had an issue with his ball placement. While it's been decent and a huge upgrade to the 2019 Patriots' quarterbacks, it could be better. Mac Jones commented on that.

Jones said, "I let the other team touch the ball too much... Either our guy touches it or no one touches it. I can work on that but I'm not going to be gun shy"

There are times where Jones doesn't appear to have the fastball needed. Where his passes look slow. According to many the Rookie quarterback needed to hit the gym this offseason and although his arm strength was the best, it was said that it "could be improved" by those in the media.

Evan Lazar tweeted, "Vast majority of Mac’s INTs or close calls this year are because he’s throwing off his back foot or trying to hit a passing window that closes too fast on him at this level. Mostly on decision making/knowing his limits. Very fixable."

So Lazar is basically saying what I already said. Rex Ryan has an opinion of Mac's velocity and his choice of words is insulting to the Patriots 2021 first round draft pick.

Ryan said "The Patriots won't make the playoffs because they have a peashooter at quarterback. This team should've been beaten by the Houston Texans."

I don't disagree about the Texans should of won, the Patriots played bad for two and a half quarters of football and the Texans played bad and made mistakes the rest of it but back to Ryan.

Ryan would also say, "When the ball travels down the field more than 15 yards [in the air], it's bad news for this guy. He's like Danny Wuerffel."

To be honest. I didn't know who that wass but some of the media was quick to let people know. He was the heisman trophy winner at Florida in 1996 and world bowl champion in 2000. That doesn't sound bad, right?  The saints drafted him in the fourth round so obviously he was seen as a project quarterback coming out of Florida. Still not that bad but he never did anything or wasn't given the opportunity.

Brian Mazique of the Heavy wrote, "Wuerffel’s weakness was always his arm strength. His positive qualities were his intelligence, accuracy and football IQ..."

That sounds like Mac Jones's scouting reports for the most part out side the few who wrote that he could do no wrong or no right, depending on the writer.

Mazique continued "While there are some similarities in overall makeup, it is safe to say Jones has already surpassed Wuerffel with his play in the first five games of his career. It’s a different time, system and overall situation, but on this alone, Ryan’s comparison is a bit exaggerated."

So yeah, Mac Jones is a little to blame for the Patriots 2-3 record but he's not alone. The offense has been bad running, and blocking. The pass catchers in my opinion have been so-so. I give as much blame to Mac for missing opportunities as I do lack of separation. And you know I also split the blame equally on play calling between the quarterback and offensive coordinator.

Bob SoccI wrote The Patriots have "been unable to protect it's young quarterback; struggling to establish a running attack, failing to adequately pass protect; and often falling ‘behind the sticks.’

The Patriots were supposed to be better without Sony Michel and although I get the trade, I do. The Patriots are ranked 31st on the ground. Now some of that falls to the offensive line but the committee is so far bad without Sony.

The defense has not been great either. Yeah the secondary played good against an injured Buccaneers team but the secondary was non existent versus the Texans for most of the game. I wasn't the only one who thought the secondary lacked hustle Sunday in their victory.  The Patriots are ranked 15th in yards given up on the ground. When the defense needs to make a stop, they cannot be trusted. 

This season the Patriots have had an issue with fundamentals and penalties. They have had an issue with making key plays when needed. The first month of the season, the Patriots normally treat like the preseason as they search for their identity. The only identity I can see at the moment is that the Patriots are a developmental .500 team in the middle of a rebuild.

I'm sure this doesn't sit well with the rest of Patriots nation but I'm being honest with how I see it. The Patriots aren't bad but they're barely average. The coaching staff has to do their jobs and get this team into shape or we as fans have to start looking at the draft and free agency. That's how I see it.

Patriots Send Gilmore To A Retirement State

In March of 2017 the Patriots signed cornerback Stephon Gilmore to a massive 5 year $70 Million dollar contract. Bills mafia rejoiced as he was basically a bust in Buffalo. However Bill Belichick did what he does and took a player being misused and made him good. Gilmore became a defensive player of the year under Belichick.

In 2020 there were calls to trade Gilmore. Some were in board with the idea, some weren't. It's unclear how Belichick felt or how the offers were for Gilmore. For whatever reason Bill Belichick didn't not trade him. In 2020 the Patriots signed former league MVP Cam Newton to play for the team. Many believed Bill thought that Cam would be good enough to plug in and run the Patriots offense. At the trade deadline the Patriots were still alive in the playoff hunt. Maybe Bill bought into the hype.

On Wednesday October 6th, 2021 the Patriots traded Stephon Gilmore to the Carolina Panthers after early reports said he was cut. Some think it was a year too late. However, if Gilmore turns out to be washed up, then getting anything for Gilmore is a win for the Patriots. Sure it's not as big of a win as netting a second or third round pick but a win is a win.

Gilmore has been out since he got injured last season. He's sure to be a bit rusty, maybe even Hightower rusty. So his decline might be a false positive. We'll have to wait and see what Gilmore looks like over this season and the 2022 season to be sure. Personally I wanted Gilmore to retire a Patriots corner but with his asking price, that was unrealistic.

At least Malcolm Butler played his final year knowing he was gone. Gilmore leaves the Patriots borderline Levon Bell territory. He could've practiced this offseason but chose not to. His getting put on I.R. was on him just as much as it was on the Patriots. What a sad way to end a once respectable Patriots career. Best of luck in Carolina, And in the words of my good friend Ray, "Thank you but you're no longer a Patriot, so F*$@ you!"

What happened to the Patriots blocking?

The New England Patriots came into the season with a projected elite offensive line. Mac Jones was supposed to be protected and the running backs were supposed to have holes all game long. Fast forward four games and it's the exact opposite. 

Fans are screaming for the offensive line to be shuffled and for Ted Karras to be inserted while Trent Brown is out. The problem is, it's not just Trent Brown's replacement that is having an issue. If you listen to people, it's the entire line. Karras cannot play the entire line and thus isn't going to make a difference if the other guys can't block.

So what's going on? Before I try to answer this, let me say it's just my opinion. Cole Popovich retired because he didn't want to be socially responsible. Is the problem the coaching? If it is, the Patriots need to get someone in there who can coach the offensive line. It's very late, who is really available to come in?

It could be injuries. Isaiah Wynn is playing for his career. Who knows about the rest of the line. Job security isn't a gimme for linemen. Who knows who else is hurt. It's been said players will stay quiet and hide injuries from medical staffs to avoid losing pay. The Patriots have also been accused of having guys play injured in the past. In fact look how serious both Edelman's and Sanu's 2019 injuries were. Could this be a case in New England?

If it's not the either of the two, then it's a mutiny. People cannot understand what's going on with the line, and things just don't seem to make sense. A mutiny could explain things. The cutting of Cam Newton was a shock to everyone outside the organization. It's possible that it was a shock to some in the organization. Newton's funk friday interview suggested that the decision to cut him came from upstairs. Newton was also a beloved guy by his teammates. Could the line be sending a message to Belichick or Kraft by leaving the offense out to dry? It would not be the first time an offensive line was rumored to refuse to block for a quarterback for various reasons. 

The Patriots have a problem blocking. I am not an expert. I don't know what's going on behind closed doors. Anything is possible. There is a problem in New England. Two of the three scenarios are correctable but if it's the last one, then Bill Belichick may have to make a cut or two to get a message through that he is the captain and what he says goes.

At the moment anyone who lines up behind this line is in danger. Maybe I'm being a little overly worried but better to error on the side of caution than not. I would expect owner Robert Kraft to say something if things continue because he made it clear that losing wasn't an option for the Patriots when talking about the quarterback position in the spring. And if Kraft is behind the cutting of Newton, that word should be coming this week.

Shannon Sharpe Stirring The Pot, Trying To Scrape The Last Bits Of Hate From The Bandwagon Fans

Cam Newton, one of the greatest rushers to play the quarterback position got signed by the Patriots in the summer of 2020 to be the passer for the season. That made some fans of Patriots nation happy, while it made others very concerned. It also brought a huge percentage of bandwagon fans to the Boston market. 

Newton would have a good season running the football. Getting 12 touchdowns and 592 yards on 137 carries, while fumbling 6 times. Very good numbers for a guy who gets paid to rush the football. Only Newton was getting paid to throw the football. Newton would throw the ball 368 times for 2657 yards with 8 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Bottom tier to backup numbers for a quarterback.

Newton had 20 interceptable throws, Newton's True Incompletion percentage was 28.8% which was the 9th worst among quarterbacks. When having a clean pocket Newton threw an incompletion 25.8% of the time, the 13th worst in among starters. Newton was the 38th worst quarterback throwing catchable passes, 26.1% of his passes were uncatchable. With the play action Newton's competition percentage was ranked 29th, he was 28th in completion percentage in the red zone, and under pressure, the area Newton was supposed to make his money in he was ranked 34th. 

Teams didn't care that Newton could throw the ball over their defenders heads. They played in the box and dared Newton to throw, counting on Newton to make a bad decision or bad throw. Which led to the Patriots drafting Mac Jones. Jones who would beat out Cam Newton for the starting job.

There have been fans saying that Cam Newton would have this team undefeated. The odds have to be worse than the odds the Patriots had of beating the Buccaneers this past Sunday night. Sure a few plays this season and it's possible with Jones that it could be that way, so I'm not saying Newton could not of done that.

Newton has experience but even he admitted he can't set the mike or make adjustments the way Mac can. He said that's the center's job. If people think Mac Jones is under a lot of pressure. Remember Newton's completion percentage under pressure form last season wasn't even good enough to be a starter.

Talking head Shannon Sharpe tweeted a couple of things Sunday.

Sharpe said, "I’m watching Mac in the regular season and it doesn’t look good."

He also said, "I might be the only one, but I feel very comfortable in saying, Cam Newton could be doing a better job than what Mac is doing currently."

If Sharpe is talking about running the football, then without a doubt. However, I doubt he's talking about that.

Mac Jones was under pressure all night. Completed 31 of 40 for 275 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He played better than Brady Sunday and led the Patriots to a Nick Folk field goal attempt with a minute remaining. Almost everyone was happy with what they saw from Mac in the loss.

Over his first four games, Jones has completed 112 of 160 attempts for 1012 yards with 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. With 7 carries, 4 first down runs and 2 fumbles.

Over his first four games of 2020, Newton went 79 of 116 for 871 with 2 touchdowns and 4 Interceptions. With 45 carries, 20 first down runs, 5 touchdowns, and 2 fumbles.

Over the first four games, Newton had the same amount of turnovers as Mac Jones. While Newton had 5 running touchdowns, the running backs have those scores instead of Jones this season. Jones may not be running as much but he has a better percentage at this point of the season picking up first downs with his legs than what Newton had last season.

Jones's ability to do what the Patriots want has made him the better passer for this offense. Cam Newton is a free agent, and while there is speculation that he might sign with any of the teams that have an injured starter at the moment, the fact is he's a free agent because nobody but his die hard really believe that Newton would be out performing Jones as a whole.

Especially when the separation with this improved group is seemingly as tight as it was last year and Jones has been making his money on the short pass, an area Cam Struggles probably the most with completing. Newton's fans need to come out of 2015. Life is passing them bye.

People are just trying to cause hate on Jones because they can't handle that a young pocket passer beat out a running quarterback with a decade of experience. And many of them want the fast pace big play, big risk offenses that guys like Cam Newton bring to the table. It's why they turned on ultra conservative mobile quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Newton fans don't want safe intelligent play, they want reckless abandonment from the quarterback position, and that's the way the league is trending.

Belichick Has A Decision To Make

Tom Brady came to New England, that was the big story. Brady versus Belichick, who's responsible for the 20 year dynasty? That was all anyone was talking about prior to the game and it's still kinda what's being talked about afterwards. Patriots fans are over looking something.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers coming into the Sunday night game were averaging 34.3 points a game. The Patriots went in with a game plan of let Tampa run and let Brady dink and dunk but don't give up the big play. Bend but don't break. While the defense never forced the needed turnover, they beat the Buccaneers offense, only allowing the Buccaneers to score 19 points. They also held the Buccaneers to under 400 yards total offense.

Mac Jones was the better quarterback on the day. Jones went 31 of 40 for 275 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception. The Buccaneers decided they were going to take away the run and force the Patriots to beat them with Mac's arm. And that almost happened.

Mac Jones is a rookie and there were times when he could've gone elsewhere with the ball. There were also times he could've moved around the pocket but instead of focusing on the rush, he kept his focus on his pass catchers. 

The Patriots defense played a good game and while some of the defenders could've played better, one couldn't of asked for a better game from the unit as a whole.

Jake Bailey is Jake Bailey, and Nick Folk with everything working against him still boomed one off the uprights from almost 60 yards away. There is no shame in that miss or decision to go for it. Folk hitting the upright showed that he was very much capable of hitting from that range.

Overall in the loss the Patriots showed they're a better team than their 1-3 record and have room to and should improve. That should scare people as all three phases looked decent, even if Tampa's defense stopped Harris and the running game as they intended with a Patriots banged up line. The question that I wonder now is does Belichick have the team hold back a little to get better draft picks to bolster the 2022 roster or does he play for a wildcard spot and will Kraft stand by that decision?