What Are The Patriots Options At Running Back Versus The Browns?

The Patriots maybe without both Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson on Sunday versus the Cleveland Browns. That leaves halfbacks Brandon Bolden and J.J. Taylor as the main rushers on the team. The question is, are those two up to the task?

Part of their success will depend on the blocking. With Trent Brown supposed to be ready, how good will the blocking be against the Browns front seven? The Browns are only giving up 3.5 yards a carry. The other question is how good can McDaniels scheme things up? McDaniels has taken some heat for his play calling and without his top two backs, he will need to be on point.

Brandon Bolden has done an okay job of replacing James White but can he handle the main back duties for a game? Bolden is averaging 4.9 yards a carry on 22 attempts. Bolden has evaded 14 tackles. And is averaging 3.4 yards per carry when they stack the box. However, Bolden has never been allowed to be a feature back.

J.J. Taylor on the other hand isn't the same spark plug the Patriots had in 2020. This season he is averaging 2 yards per carry on 13 attempts. He's not been very good when the box gets stacked, averaging only 1 yard per carry and he's only got 1 evaded tackle on the season. He also doesn't seem to be as good of a pass blocker which may be hindering his playing time.

Jonnu Smith is expected to get some carries versus Cleveland if neither of the two injured backs return. Smith has 4 carries for 20 yards. Smith is not a back and if he lines up in the backfield as the halfback, better believe Cleveland will be expecting the run. This means Josh will have to get creative if he puts him back there.

The name nobody is talking about is Jacob Johnson, the Patriots fullback. He's been okay as a pass catcher but the Patriots have not given him a carry since adding him to their team. Even in his German football days, Johnson is hard to take down and may want to mix it up with Smith, so not to get anyone hurt. Having Johnson run from the fullback spot could create issues for the defense and allow for misdirection.

How the Patriots approach the running game will effect the outcome of this game as the Patriots are a run first team. However, the Patriots like to use the screen and short pass as runs. If McDaniels can lure the defense in and hit the backs coming out of the backfield, they might not need worry about how well they can run in between the tackles. It's a big if and if the Patriots cannot work the play action, Mac Jones could be in for a long day.

OBJ Chooses The Rams Over Patriots Nation

OBJ wanted his release from the Browns and he got it. Then he was rumored to want to play for the Chiefs, Saints, and Packers. There was also rumors that the Patriots were still in the mix because he had great respect for head coach Bill Belichick. After Wednesday, the OBJ camp said it could be a few days before he signed.

A day later and OBJ is a Los Angeles Ram. He gets an offensive minded coach. A good quarterback, and goes to a team that is only seven and two on the season. Pretty much everything he asked for, whether or not it's a one year deal.

As for why I am writing about this. Not every fan wanted OBJ in New England. Some thought he was overrated. Some thought he was just another name. And some of the fanbase thought he was in decline and wasn't worth adding him to the Patriots roster. With OBJ choosing to sign with the Rams over the Patriots, maybe this article will help the rest of the fanbase.

See OBJ could've taken the Patriots offer to come to New England. He passed on the team, he passed on Belichick, but most importantly, he passed on you. He passed on us, he passed on the fanbase. It doesn't matter of he's ring chasing because once in the playoffs, every team is a real contender.

The 29 year old will probably never, ever get another chance to be a member of the New England Patriots. And the one chance he got, presumably he was polite and said "no thanks" but for all we know, he could've just as very well have said "Nah, F' that place!" He's never worn the jersey and it's time to stop treating him like he has. He doesn't want to play for the Patriots, he doesn't want to play for us, and will only come now if he gets desperate. If he ever comes crawling to the team for a contract, I want everyone to remember this moment. If we're not good enough for him now, why should we think he's good enough for us ever again?

Cam Newton Returns Home

The Carolina Panthers cut Cam Newton in 2020 and the New England Patriots signed him just weeks before fall camp was to start. Newton would play all but one game but his performance as a passer was bad enough that not only did the Patriots select a quarterback in the first round, that quarterback took his job and the Patriots cut Cam just prior to the start of the 2021 season.

The excuse train had slowly quieted down as teams continued to pass on Cam. Throughout the season, quarterbacks got injured and one by one teams continued to pass on the veteran quarterback. The more teams that passed on him, the quieter his fan base got. Maybe, just maybe they had started to hold Newton accountable for his play.

This afternoon the Carolina Panthers have decided that with Sam Darnold's injury, to bring back the veteran quarterback, and the first article I read by Brian Mazique of the Heavy is quick to start blaming the tight ends and receiving core for Cam's faults as a passer.

At the end of the day, Newton was at fault. Newton had 12 rushing touchdowns, let's not forget that, as it often gets overlooked but he's to blame for his struggles as a passer in 2020. The Panthers were in need of a quarterback and now at the very least Cam can retire a Panther, if he so chooses.

Being Thursday, Cam will probably backup the former Houston Roughneck XFL MVP, quarterback P.J. Walker but after that, who knows. This maybe Newton's last chance in the NFL, so he needs to approach it that way. If he cannot beat out Walker, his time should be over. For Newton to be successful, he needs to take the job from Darnold and prevent the panthers from drafting a quarterback in 2022. All we can do is wish the former Patriots starter luck and send him off properly.

Thank you Cam for all you did for the Patriots but you're not a Patriots quarterback anymore so piss off because you're no longer relevant in New England. Your chapter in the organization is closed and soon a footnote to be forgotten like the guys between Grogan and Bledsoe.

And with that hopefully the bandwagoners who came to foxboro will return to Carolina where they belong. And maybe the fanbase can start to heal from the divide they caused. As we've moved on to Mac Jones the new face of the franchise and the only ones still hung up on him aren't fans of any team and will jump to Lamar when Newton retires.

It's Improbable That The Patriots Will Sign OBJ

I recently wrote about why I don't want OBJ on the Patriots on my Facebook page. That does not mean I do not think he would be better than some of the options the Patriots have on the depth chart of pass catchers. There are just things I'm not happy with about OBJ, his true catch percentage and the number of drops he's on pace for this year are the main two. 

Here are the Patriots top five pass catchers true catch rate and drop percentage and OBJs.

Kendrick Bourne has a true catch rate of a 93.5% and a drop rate of 5.1%.

Nelson Agholor has a true catch rate of 91.7% and a drop rate of 2.4%.

Jakobi Meyers has a true catch rate of 85.2% and a drop rate of 1.4%.

Hunter Henry has a true catch rate of 93.1% and a drop rate of 2.6%.

Jonnu Smith has a true catch rate of 80.8% and a drop rate of 5.9%.

Compare that to OBJ. OBJ has a true catch rate of 70.8% and a drop rate of 11.8%. That's not on Mayfield. Those stats are on OBJ and he analytically would be coming in as the sixth best pass catcher in need of some help. Averaging his season ending totals since 2017, OBJ has had a true catch rate of 76.98% including this season so far. His drop rate over the same span is 8.04%. So Troy Brown will be busy.

Baker Mayfield's true QBR is the 6th best according to player profiler and his 72.5% true completion is good enough to be the 13th best quarterback in the nfl. Compare that to Mac Jones. Mac Jones's true QBR is ranked 18th and his true completion percentage is 71.6% ranked 18th. Baker analytical is better in two important areas then Mac, on a dysfunctional Browns team.

OBJ has to be held to some level of accountability for his stats. Patriots fans have been unhappy with Jonnu's production and OBJ's production this season has been worse according to analytics in those two areas. With a true catch rate of 70.8% and a drop rate just under 12%, how reliable of a pass catcher is OBJ but I guess that's besides the point at the moment.

It's been pointed out to me that "it's OBJ man, OBJ!" And fans have suggested that i "go watch his Giants highlights." He hasn't been a Giant since 2018, we're midway through his third season away from New York. A lot can change in three seasons, especially when it comes to a players abilities but again I digress.

The Seahawks, Chiefs, Saints, and Packers are all linked to the wideout free agent. OBJ wants to play for a contender with a good coach. Which puts the Patriots in the mix but if one looks at what Schefter said OBJ wants, the Patriots maybe at the bottom end of the mix.

Schefter said OBJ wants “a playoff contender and in a winning environment, where he believes he would be happy and productive.”

Currently the Packers are being reported as the front runners but why?

Belichick and McDaniels will use OBJ to where he's the most productive for them. However, the Patriots spread the ball around, would OBJ get the type of production he's looking for in New England to be happy? That's the question and why other teams are ranked a head of  them. 

Also with Bill Belichick being one of the oldest coaches, and his retirement nearing, how stable are the Patriots over the next few seasons? That could also be factoring into this equations. When OBJ is picking his team.

I would temper expectations on the Patriots ability to sign him and of what type of production he will deliver if signed. The Patriots would be needing to get the guy back into 2018 shape and it might not be possible or it could take time to get there. The probability of him coming to the Patriots and him being the player everyone is expecting is low. Just like there is only one Tom Brady situation, fans need to be reminded that Moss is another improbable situation to try and duplicate.

*Also to note, OBJ Number of games over the past few seasons varies.

The Great Divide Among Patriots Fans

Patriots nation is a family. Families often get into disputes but unless it's something serious, they can normally come back together for the sake of the family. Patriots nation has had a rift for a few years but it's not just over one thing.

There is the Brady versus Belichick debate. It's silly but a debate. And then there's another on whether or not the Patriots should've paid Brady to stay in New England. Brady's stats were coming down and there was a visible drop in some of his play but Brady went to Tampa and has been playing at a high level. Brady didn't just go to a bum team though, he went to a stacked team that got even better.

As for the Brady versus Belichick debate, sure one could look at Manning in Denver or Brady in Tampa as signs that it was Brady who was responsible for the dynasty but Shanahan in Denver or Gruden in Tampa are just two examples of where a good head coach had to go to a franchise to win. Elway had been in denver over a decade but could not win a ring. Pop in Shanahan and boom, Elway gets his ring.

The divide doesn't stop there. There are fans upset that the Patriots cut Cam Newton. That believe he would have the Patriots undefeated. Many of these fans don't think the Patriots should've drafted Mac Jones. Then there are the fans who think the Patriots record would be the same if not worse with Cam and know the passing offense would be worse. If Newton was as good as people think, he would be on a team.

There's a group of fans that believe Belichick needs to step down as general manager and don't think he knows what he's doing. And there are those who disagree.

There are fans that think Belichick should step down as head coach and there are those who disagree and ask replaced with whom?

There are those who want Josh McDaniels to be the next head coach and those who don't. There are also fans that think the league has caught up to McDaniels as a coordinator and then there are those who blame Belichick and the roster for McDaniels over the past few seasons.

There is a divide over whether or not Steve Belichick should be fired or not. Whether or not he should be stripped of play calling duties, and a divide over whether he should replace his dad as the next head coach.

Then there is a divide over whether the Patriots have a losing history. Prior to 2020, post millennium fans were saying "the Patriots don't know what losing is," and they meant it. They are some of the most arrogant and entitled fans in sports.

Then there is the pre 2001 era Patriots fans, who saw the team be one of the laughing stocks of the league for part or most of the team's first forty years. While a little cocky at times, these fans knew that at anytime the Patriots could return to obscurity like the way the cowboys did after their 1970 & early 80s dynasty. These fans were referred to as elitist by the new generation of fans.

If you monitor social media you can find arguement between fans over the Patriots team history. Yes for twenty years the Patriots have been good but that's only a third of their team history. And it's true we shouldn't live in the past but we shouldn't ignore it either.

There are other rifts also like the Patriots fans that are only fans of winning, and there are rifts over whether or not it's okay to criticize the team. For some fans, if they hear anyone criticize the team, they will label you in the same category as the "negative" boston media. In fact the Patriots media has two factions, the "negative" and the "homers." And any information from the other side is instantly discredited unless one of their own presents it.

There are even rifts over how football is to be watched. Some fans only watch the Patriots and think they're the only football team to pay attention to, while other fans think you have to watch and pay attention to every team or you're not a real patriots fan. 

Patriots Nation is a family and just like any family blood doesn't make right. Family can be wrong and just like any other family, there will be internal fights. The family will either eventually come together or divide into clicks and cut the rest of the family off. Now that the Brady era is over, the only thing at the moment that can truly unite the family besides time, is if Mac Jones starts a new dynasty. 

Remember we as Patriots nation have one job family, and that is to support the Patriots any way we know how. Don't let anyone tell you how to be a fan of the Patriots, just continue to wish and cheer for their best. 

I don't know, it's just a thought.

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.