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Patriots Ups & Downs Week 4

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AP Photo/Steven Senne

Ah, that was a tough one to take. A great game to watch, exciting, nailbiting, encouraging, but crushing at the same time. Let’s have a quick recap of the Patriots ups and downs from the loss to the Bucs on the night Tom Brady returned to Gillette Stadium.

Ups ⬆️

Mac Jones

Mac went toe to toe with Tom Brady on a night where he did little wrong, but he continues to be let down by his offensive line. Jones took plenty of hits and also overcame an early interception to finish with 31/40 275 yards – 2 TDs – 1 INT. I think this game really told me a lot about Mac’s character, not awed by the occasion, he just put his head down and worked, and almost helped the team win. Not without some rookie errors, but another positive performance.

Receivers

I thought the position group as a whole deserved mentioning, they all chipped in with decent performances. Jakobi Meyers led the group with 8 catches for 70 yards, another solid performance by him, barring a fumble which went in the Patriots favor, he was reliable again for Mac. As I said last week, with James White out for the year, Meyers will be crucial in Mac’s development.

Elsewhere, Bourne and Agholor chipped in with some important catches, Bourne specifically was able to get hot in the first half and managed to get open a fair bit.

Matt Judon

Another good game for Judon, who was the only player to really put any pressure on Brady, getting to him a number of times and recording a sack. Judon, who can’t be missed with his trademark long red sleeves is leading the pass-rush attack and as I said after the Saints game, he’s the only FA addition who’s earning the money he’s been paid.

Secondary

I thought the secondary played well, they managed the limit the GOAT to just 269 yards and kept one of the best pass-catching attacks out of the endzone all night. Jonathan Jones did a good job covering AB for most of the night, even when he was struggling with a tight calf. Elsewhere J.C. Jackson did a good job covering Mike Evans and all in all, I was pleased with the group’s contribution. With Gilmore potentially returning in the next few weeks, this performance was something to build on for sure.

Downs ⬇️

J.J. Taylor

We’ve been screaming for one of the depth-option backs to get more involved in the offense, Taylor got his chance and blew it with a fumble. Again the ball security issues arise, troubling stuff, don’t be surprised if he’s inactive next week.

Offensive Line

It’s not getting much better, is it? The line wasn’t great again, couldn’t help establish the run, and offered hardly any substantial protection for Jones. Mike Onwenu got benched after multiple holding penalties on the same drive and Durant stopped hardly anything from the right side. Teddy K came in and did ok at left guard for a while. To add further headaches to the line questions, earlier today both Isaiah Wynn and Onwenu were placed on the COVID list, likely ruling them out of the game in Houston next Sunday. Can Trent Brown return this year at all, please?

Gunner Olszewski

I’m being a little picky here, but Gunner gets on the list for his muffed catch that fortunately hit the endzone pylon to avoid catastrophe. I still hold out hope Gunner will get hot again like he did last year in the return game, but with the microscope on ball security, we can’t have that.

The Patriots may have lost, but the torch has well and truly been passed in Foxborough!

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(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Okay, I know Mac Jones has been the Patriots quarterback for four regular season games, now but The Return of Tom Brady and the success of the rookie makes it feel like perhaps a closure moment.

Many fans don’t need that, many may already have had it, and many don’t give a care either way. I’m not here to tell anyone how to feel – I’m just sharing my opinions and a bit of game recap to boot.

The loss was close. A  reasonably low scoring game that not many had predicted (I can’t quite believe my One Patriots Place tongue-in-cheek on the spot prediction very early in the week of Pats 9 Bucs 13 was almost close!) with a heart in your mouth ending. 

There were highs and there were lows, and that in itself wasn’t what many were expecting. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the recent Super Bowl champions, with the greatest of all time quarterback, but Mac Jones and the Patriots defense held them to a mere 19 points. 

Moral victory is something that’s been bandied about and there’s a bit of love and hate with it. Moral victories don’t get you titles. Yes, they are soon forgotten as Mac said. But work with me a little here, because I can make a case that they do, at least a little bit. 

Yes, yes, I hear the cries of “get this girl another coffee, she’s crazy!” And whilst that’s not necessarily in dispute, and I do really, really need more coffee, I have some logic.

Mac Jones seems to wear his heart on his sleeve on the field, and the devastation on the guy’s face after the loss to the Saints was intense. And although this is another loss, I know the numbers aren’t great at 1-3, but I genuinely believe he should be proud of his progression and his performance. And so I think going forward, a “moral victory” against the greatest of all time, could help build his strength and determination even further. 

Something I hate to say is that a lot of this is still on the offensive line and not only does this disappoint me, it shocks me too. Going into the season, the one thing that looked super strong, granted “on paper,” was the list of the o-line guys.

I’m kind of loath to say it, and not because I have anything against steady Teddy, but did anyone else feel things calmed a little on the offensive line when Teddy Karras stepped in? I’m a big Mike Onwenu fan, so it pains me to say that. I’m just hoping they get the o-line straight soon because right now I think it might be the biggest weakness. Onwenu had 33 snaps and Karras stepped in for 27. 

What isn’t a weakness is the receivers. I know many of you would still argue the Patriots need a WR1, but what they do have looked (mostly) rather good last night.

I am known for my tight endage enthusiasm, we all know this. So my relief at the Jonnu Smith catch of the short pass from Mac Jones in the middle that resulted in a touchdown is expected, but my reasoning was more from concern over the terrible game he had against the Saints more than my tight end fervour.

Jakobi Meyers had a great game, playing 56 snaps, although that elusive receiving touchdown still hasn’t arrived, I would say he’s WR1 and worthy.

I have more positives too. Christian Barmore got in Tom Brady’s face, Matt Judon continues to earn every darn dollar and has got to be the beast of the defense, and Davon Godchaux had a delicious chase and sack of TB12 early in the fourth quarter. 

Hunter Henry had some fabulous blocks and his short pass catch from Mac Jones for 11 yards and a touchdown was a thing of beauty (I may be a little biased there).

So as I sit here sleep deprived, I know things aren’t perfect, the Patriots are 1-3. But they fought last night and they have the makings of a fabulous new story with Mac Jones at the helm and some great players around him. 

So, unlike many out there, I’ll take the moral victory. And now that the “one last night, for closure” has happened with TB12, we can move on. 

Bring on the new razzle dazzle… and the coffee, please, more coffee.

Go Pats!

PatsProp Preview – Brady Comes Home

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(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Well, this is the one we’ve all been waiting for, the New England Patriots take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as Tom Brady returns home. If you have any nails left, save them for tomorrow, it’s going to be an experience never to forget.

One’s To Watch

Mac Jones

Tomorrow night will be an experience like no other for Jones, but hopefully, among all of the craziness, he’ll be able to slip under the radar and have a solid game. The Patriots need Jones to have a better performance, but to allow that, they need to do a better job protecting him. Jones won’t have James White as a pass-catching option, so he’ll need to focus more on Meyers and his tight-ends. As always, Jones is one to watch.

J.C. Jackson

Jackson like every week so far this season will be the starting cornerback for the team and will need to be locked in if he’s gonna pick off Brady. Jackson has been impressive in the first few weeks, again, with his contract up in the air, a strong game covering Godwin/Evans will help his cause.

Jakobi Meyers

After hauling in 9 catches for 94 yards against the Saints, Meyers will now shift to Jones’ safety blanket option following James White’s injury. Meyers’ rise continues and whilst he isn’t an explosive-type player, he’s reliable and will be an important piece this week against the Bucs.

Christian Barmore

In the build-up to this game, much was talked about how the Patriots need to disrupt Brady through the middle, as in previous games where Brady lost, that pressure in the middle contributed to the loss. I agree, and I think Barmore is the player for that role, he’s shown the ability to cause disruption so far this season, he’ll be worth watching tomorrow night.

The Brady Bunch

Who for the Bucs could cause problems for the Patriots?

Tom Brady

You all know why this man is a danger, the greatest of all time, looking to beat the Patriots for the first time.

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Patriots RB James White to miss the remainder of the 2021 season through injury

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Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Boy, this is gutting. Per reports, James White’s hip injury that he sustained against New Orleans last Sunday will end his 2021 season.

White suffered a hip subluxation on Sunday following an awkward landing after being tackled. For reference, Ryan Fitzpatrick had a similar injury and he may return this year, but, my thoughts are that White will perhaps want to fully rehab to try and play another year or two before retiring.

This is so gutting, White is one of my all-time favorite Patriots, I really fear his career may be over, but let’s see how his recovery goes. Life is cruel sometimes.

Patriots Lose Running Back James White to Injury

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The New England Patriots dropped to 1-2 in the season after a 28-13 loss at home to the New Orleans Saints. The lost might have been more costly to the team than a single loss in the standings after running back James White needed to be carted off the field with an injury.

Just a little over a quarter into the game, White took a handoff and darted around the left end for a six-yard gain before being tackled by Demario Davis.  White rolled over and grabbed his right hip, in obvious pain.  While the team gathered around White, he was carted off the field for X-rays.  Coach Bill Belichick saw White during the halftime intermission. However, even after the game there was no update on White, just a word from Belichick saying, “we’ll see.”

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Patriots Ups & Downs: Week 3

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Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

Yesterday wasn’t fun, the Patriots were awful. But, we dust ourselves down and reflect ahead of TB12’s return home next Sunday. I’m going to keep this one short, I could add a lot more in the downs column, but I’ll keep it to the main ones that stuck out to me. Here are your ups and downs from yesterday’s loss to the Saints.

James White

First I just wanted to add a quick note about James White’s injury yesterday. It might sound odd, but that’s what bummed me out the most yesterday, I was crestfallen to see him get carted off the field with a serious hip injury. I hope it’s not the last we’ve seen of him, he’s one of my favorite Patriots ever.

Ups ⬆️

Matt Judon

Judon stood out among all others on the defense yesterday. A couple of sacks to go along with a disruptive day for Judon, who’s been the only free agent pickup playing anywhere near close to how much he was paid. We’ll need more like that from him, especially next week.

Jakobi Meyers

Sign this man to a multi-year extension please, just keep him around. Jakobi Meyers is WR 1, he’s proven time and again he’s the best wideout on the roster, yesterday he hauled in 9 targets for 94 yards, a good day for him.

Kendrick Bourne

Bourne showed glimpses of what he could perhaps bring to the offense when it gets going (hopefully). His touchdown grab was impressive on the sideline with a tight rope walk to stay inbounds and score his first as a Patriot. He also finished with a career day, 6 catches for 96 yards along with the touchdown.

Downs ⬇️

The Offensive Line

It’s like banging your head against a wall, the line is hampering any potential progress for the offense currently. I honestly don’t know what needs to be fixed, but they need to try something different, mix payers around and try and find a new working dynamic. Hopefully Trent Brown will be back for the Bucs game, he just makes things better.

Jonnu Smith

I have not been impressed by Smith so far in the regular season, which is a real shame because by all reports he was coming along well in the preseason. He had a horrible game yesterday, couldn’t block, and dropped a catchable ball into a pick-six which effectively sealed the game for the Saints. He’s doing all he can to find his way into Bill’s doghouse, the team needs a lot more from him.

LB Dont’a Hightower

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’ve hardly noticed Hightower out there at all, he’s really been a non-factor through the first few weeks and it was the same yesterday. He’s getting paid well for not a whole lot in return right now, another trending theme, a veteran that the team needs more from.

The Saints came marching into Foxborough and stamped out a win!

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  • Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Monday morning dawns with the recall that the Patriots are still not playing so great, and no amount of coffee will change that! There was some bad, and there was some ugly, but was there any good? Hold tight folks, I’ll answer that one in a minute.

For those of you who perhaps did not see the game, it has been commented that it was a pretty darn bad showing at Gillette Stadium, and plenty of us were really hoping that Julian Edelman would crack open that jersey case and put it on!

To be honest, many of us were hoping that, even if the Patriots had played well, we miss you JE11!

Now, I am well known for my tight endage enthusiasm, and whilst I had a little bit yesterday (a touch more on that later), Jonnu Smith did not raise any. 

Since the big tight end free agency signings, I have been a Hunter gal, whilst recognising that Smith is more of a versatile weapon, but I like me a traditional bit of tight endage. However, I am afraid last night Smith showed less tight endage than we saw in 2020 (yeah I said it folks – you know I still love me some Ryan Izzo). But in grave seriousness, Smith was not great at blocking, he had a poor block in the third quarter that would have helped Brandon Bolden power through, but Jonnu’s target got free and took Brandon down for zero gain. His “not so great hands” that I mentioned last week were still around and he had too many drops/failed catches for someone of his calibre. Sticky gloves anyone?

Shockingly, plenty of negative reports can be handed out towards special team. We saw poor punt coverage, two special team penalties, a blocked punt, and surprisingly, for the second game in a row, a Jake Bailey kick out of bounds. 

The word of the day, the week, maybe the season, is inconsistent – and not really any of the team hasn’t fallen foul of this.

Whilst Matt Judon brought it in beast mode again with two and a half sacks, two tackles for losses, and three quarterback hits, veteran Kyle Van Noy had two solo tackles, and Dont’a Hightower… one.

The front defense weren’t actually too bad but the same cannot be said for the offensive line as Mac Jones took 11 hits. 

But before you decide to drown yourself in the last bit of coffee in your mug, hear me out.

Now, I’m not going to try and sell you sunshine and rainbows, sure I’m bubbly and a little bit crazy, but I am realistic, and Sunday’s display was not good, not good at all.

However! (Ah yes, there it is!) There were some glimmers of hope amongst the “dumpsta fiyah” some are branding the game.

The front defense wasn’t bad, it has improved a teeny amount, and that is good! They had some containment of Alvin Kamara, not all the time, but Davon Godchaux showed his prowess. Ja’Whaun Bentley and Adrian Phillips definitely showed up, whilst Deatrich Wise had a lovely clutch defense play taking Jameis Winston down towards the end of the second quarter.

So, Smith may have put his gloves on the wrong hands yesterday morning, but Hunter didn’t and he was undertaking some good blocking, playing 52 of the 72 offensive snaps. There was a beautiful throw from Mac Jones that resulted in a catch where Hunter powered through with a guy hanging off him. I have put in a formal request for more of this but am still waiting to hear back from the Coach.

Kendrick Bourne attended the party with a lovely 31 yard catch, playing 55 of the snaps. A glorious little quarterback rush by Mac was followed by a long ball to Bourne who orchestrated great body positioning for the touchdown. Nice.

The two things that I take away from this game are: 

  1. The surprise at how much I’m not concerned about the one thing I thought would be at the forefront of my mind for this 2021 season, worries over Mac Jones (other than his literal safety after all the hits the kid has taken).
  2. How we are on a road not very well travelled. 

This team isn’t looking like the Patriots of old. Of course it isn’t, it isn’t the Patriots team of old and not just because of the quarterback. Things are different now, and things are changing. And good or bad we are in it for the long haul. 

A phrase I am sure I will use far too much early on in this season, but is so apt and I am rather proud of it is, the journey is long and we are still at the beginning. There may be trouble ahead, but there will be moonlight and music so let’s grab the coffee and just love! 

Go Pats!