Even essentially the most optimistic Patriots followers needed to come to the conclusion that the 2023 season was successfully over following winnable Week 5 and 6 losses to the Browns and Raiders.
Next on their schedule, the Patriots have the Bills at residence adopted by the Dolphins on the highway, which means the staff is probably going dealing with a 1-7 begin to the season.
Head coach Bill Belichick would possibly as effectively attempt one thing new on the one-third mark of the season. Here are 4 gamers we need to see play main roles in a troublesome matchup towards the Bills.
QB/WR Malik Cunningham
There’s actually no different option to describe what the Patriots did with Cunningham final week apart from bizarre.
To recap: The Patriots signed him off of their observe squad Saturday and made him the one lively quarterback behind Mac Jones. Cunningham loosened up his arm within the halls of Allegiant Stadium to maintain his position “low-key” from the Raiders and solely lined up at vast receiver throughout pregame warmups. Then he performed six whole snaps with three of them coming at quarterback. Oh, and in the course of the week, he didn’t solely observe at quarterback. He additionally acquired reps at vast receiver and on particular groups.
The Patriots don’t have to go all-in on the Cunningham experiment, however they may as effectively give him greater than three snaps at quarterback in Week 7. The staff believes he can add some upside together with his athleticism. Let him present it with choice runs and gadget performs.
Get inventive. Be attention-grabbing.
WR Demario Douglas
If Douglas isn’t the Patriots’ greatest vast receiver, then he’s No. 2 behind Kendrick Bourne proper now. The sixth-round rookie missed Week 6 with a concussion. Now that he’s again on the observe subject, the staff ought to see what the offense seems like with Douglas as their every-down slot receiver.
The Liberty product is barely 5-foot-8, however he can beat man protection and make performs with the ball in his arms due to his top-tier agility.
Whether it’s Jones, Cunningham, Bailey Zappe or Will Grier at quarterback, Douglas can present a helpful weapon for the Patriots’ quarterback transferring ahead.
A brand new proper deal with
We’ve seen sufficient of Vederian Lowe, proper?
He’s began the final 5 video games, the primary at left deal with and the remaining at proper deal with. In that span of time, he ranks 62nd of 64 certified tackles in general PFF grade, forty fifth in run blocking grade and useless final in go blocking grade. He’s allowed essentially the most pressures and has the second-lowest pass-block effectivity price.
Riley Reiff, Conor McDermott and Sidy Sow have but to get a shot at proper deal with. Calvin Anderson might be moved again there after an ineffective first two weeks of the season. Or Mike Onwenu might shift to proper deal with with Sow taking his place at proper guard.
Try anything. Lowe might nonetheless be a future starter. He’s younger. But he’s not slicing it proper now.
CB J.C. Jackson
This isn’t a lot a couple of greater position however extra about making a higher impression. Jackson performed all however three snaps in his second recreation again with the Patriots. He coated Raiders high vast receiver Davante Adams effectively and let up only one 6-yard catch on six targets.
It’s been a robust begin to Jackson’s return to New England. But the staff desperately wants extra takeaways, and Jackson was probably the greatest ballhawks within the NFL in his earlier tenure with the Patriots.
It’s solely been two video games, however Jackson doesn’t have any interceptions or go breakups with the Patriots thus far this season.
It nonetheless hurts to be with out Christian Gonzalez, however cornerback Jack Jones returned to observe this week after starting the season on injured reserve with a hamstring ailment.
A cornerback group that includes Jackson, Jones and Jonathan Jones as its starters is fairly strong. Myles Bryant then might be utilized in a flexible position as a slot cornerback and security.
Source: www.bostonherald.com