Fool me once, fool me twice, the Patriots blow
Anyone who was duped by the win over the Bills thinking this team turned a corner should be ashamed of themselves. Anytime you’re in the same mental bucket as The Bottom Of The Totem Pole of Dumb, you’re going to want to check yourself. Look, it’s called sample size kids. I came into this season with a high mark prediction of 12 wins. That was a little tongue and cheek, the real ceiling was probably 10 wins. That prediction was based on what I saw from Mac Jones and this team as a rookie. I don’t count last year on offense because well..
Bottom line I anticipated the Patriots beating the bad teams, beating the mediocore teams, and competing against the good teams, but coming up short against the best teams. Well, the Bills are reeling right now. They have been land sliding for 2 seasons. That Patriots beat them last year throwing the ball 3 times! Nice win last week. It’s the NFL. It can happen. The Dolphins however, are the best offense in the NFL and Tua’s omelette brain is still intact in the pan. They are a team the Patriots were never going to beat. Not to mention the poor history of play in South beach and against Miami. Tua is 6-0 against Belichick. Shame on you if the Bills win blinded into thinking this was a winnable game.
Turning Points
Tyreek Hill TD
Tyreek Hill, ever heard of him? JC Jackson is a troff for all elite WRs to piss in across the league. It’s been that way his whole career. Even in his “prime” he was getting torched by the Stephon Diggs’ of the world. He is a decent 2nd CB who had no business matching up against Hill.
This TD was not totally his fault. What happened to the 3 safety coverage that held the Dolphins to 24 points in September? Frankly, the free safety play has been horrendous all season, but it at least kept Waddle and Hill in front of them in week 2. Mapu put his name squarely on that list of shit performance with that broken coverage. Given the choice between cheating over the top on Hill or into the box on a run which would you choose? Know you’re personal rookie!
Another Mac Jones INT
As the Captain of the Mac Jones defense club I have been reluctant to put blame on Mac because of the shit talent around him. How can you evaluate a guy who’s throwing to pregnant cows behind a Hurricane Katrina levy for a line? But, no can do on that INT to Jalen Ramsey. Bad all around. Shit arm strength. Stared down the Receiver. Didn’t look off the inside help. Text book garbage play from Mac. The bigger problem is the pattern of these plays.
There have been 3 horrendous INTs from Mac inside the “red area” (30 yard line) this season. The jump ball to Parker in week 2, the ghastly decision to throw across his body against the Raiders, and this lollypop to Jalen Ramsey. They took potential points off the board and demoralized the team. In this game it was a 6 point swing. If the Dolphins had just held the Pats to a FG before half time then the JuJu TD in the 4th would have put them within a 2 pt conversion of tying the game. It was the difference between having the ball in the 4th down 1 possession or 2. For so long we treated mistakes and hiccups with Brady, because he always over came them. It’s a different story now. They Patriots have two wins. In those wins Mac has zero INTs. He has thrown at least 1 INT in all six of the Patriots losses. Just sayin.
I still believe Mac Jones can be a productive QB in today’s NFL. It’s been discussed at nauseam, but you need to surround him with immense talent. It’s the nature of the league. I blame college. There is no real football being coached. It’s just elite athletes doing elite athlete shit. There are exactly ZERO elite athletes on the offensive side of the ball for the Patriots. Plus, now all the top guys are getting loot. The Gen Z mentality combined with no coaching and a shit ton of cash. Don’t expect to find the sharpest time route guys coming out of the draft. Time to get big and get fast, quick.
The defense sucked
Time of possession was dominated by the Dolphins 35 min - 24 min. Because they could not get off the field. The 3rd down efficiency looks ok on paper, 5/14, but it doesn’t take into consideration 3 of those 3rd downs were in clutch time and over 7 yards (3rd and long). One of them was the 3rd and 15 in the 4th quarter (that the refs screwed them on). None the less. The tackling continues to blow. Poor safety play by Dugger cheating in on the play fake blew the Waddle TD to seal the game. Yes, the Jones’ both picked up Hill, but Dugger has to remain the last line of defense there. Simply put the team is built on defense. When put in the position to get the ball back or make a big play with the game on the line, they more often than not come up short. Overrated.
The refs were horrible
Yes, it’s hard to say the refs cost a game, but damn. The big play of course is picking up the ineligible man down field penalty. That’s some conspiracy construction shit right there. Show me the script, Godell. A lot of people are complaining about the JC Jackson PI, but he grabbed Hill’s jersey after he got burnt. They call that. Ticky tack? Yes. Welcome to the NFL. Good teams get the benefit of the doubt, but it did feel slanted today. It also doesn’t change the talent discrepancy between these two teams. The Patriots were never going to win today. The refs were on board.
TAKEAWAYS
If nothing else this loss should cement the decision making Patriots sellers at the trade deadline.
There is a lot of chit chat around trading Mac Jones. Stop it. This is where I’ll put my C back on my chest. Trading Mac Jones is not the answer for anything. There is not a single QB in the league that could take this offense to the playoffs. Starting over at QB may be necessary soon, but not at the cost of shipping out your 3rd year guy for a 4th or even a 3rd round pick. You do not want to be a team that tanks for a QB. That shit doesn’t work. Ride it out with Mac. He’s stop gap. A cheap one for at least another year. Get the full scope of analysis this year. You’ve got some soft spots in your schedule coming up. By the end of the season we’ll know what Mac Jones is or can be here in New England.
It is time to start thinking about next year.
Move on from guys not in your future plans. Uche, Dugger, Parker, Etc. Shed some salary and open up roster spots for faster more talented players. The Patriots have a lot of money to spend next year and they will. They do every 3rd year or so. So, dump the guys with no future in New England now for a little compensation later.
How long does Belichick last?
The report that Belichick signed a long term extension should mean he is signed through 2024. They just fluffed up the language. I’d be shocked if Belichick is not coaching in New England next season. I’d be just as shocked if that meant he was not the Czar of football in New England. Maybe he has taken a couple steps back, but don’t get it twisted. BB still runs the show down there. The contract, Shula Record, and PR hit of letting Brady AND Belichick go are 3 too many reasons for Kraft to let the old grizzled bastard go. Boarder line mediocrity is our future in New England for now.
The Season isn’t over
This roster blows. So do a lot of other rosters. When we move into the second half of the season the suck get suckier. The Patriots won’t. Not against bad competition. Again, I’m using sample size. Traditionally they start to clean up on the bottom of the league to keep the record respectable. I anticipate that happening again. There are six middling teams left on the schedule. I’d be surprised if the Patriots truly bottom out against that lot. That being said, the arrow has been pointing down from the beginning of last season, so fuck me right? woof.