FOXBORO — Heading into the bye week, what’s one of the simplest ways to explain Mac Jones and the Patriots offense?
Three phrases: Painful to observe!
While the Patriots slipped above .500, producing a much-needed win over the Colts, there’s nonetheless loads to fret about on one aspect of the soccer because the workforce heads for a break.
Nine video games in, it’s onerous to really feel very assured about what we’re watching with regards to Jones, and by extension, the offense.
Watching them from one sequence to the subsequent has nearly turn out to be as irritating as fingernails scraping on a chalkboard.
Jones continues to regress, continues to look uncomfortable within the pocket. Of course, it doesn’t assist that his offensive line is woeful, and doesn’t measure up towards the higher defensive traces. Much of Jones’ pocket jitters are the results of continuously having strain and pass-rushers in his grill.
But even when there’s time, Jones’ two finest property – his thoughts and accuracy – have been misplaced within the shuffle.
And play-caller Matt Patricia doesn’t appear to know what to do to repair it. The offense is primary, boring, predictable.
There’s one phrase for that, too: Yuck!
Don’t be fooled by the 26-3 rating. One landing was scored on a pick-six by Jonathan Jones. And the opposite landing got here after Jones arrange the offense on the three-yard line after a blocked punt.
So counting that, the Patriots offense is mainly Nick Folk.
He added 4 extra area targets to the 5 he had the earlier week towards the New York Jets.
Yes, the Patriots have gotten the job carried out for 2 straight weeks, but it surely’s onerous to consider the offense will have the ability to carry the day towards Cincinnati, Buffalo (twice) and Miami following the bye week.
Winning isn’t sustainable when the offense consists of operating the ball and throwing check-downs. At the outset, it appeared as if this is perhaps a superb recreation to get Jones and the offense again right into a rhythm.
But Jones & Co. may do subsequent to nothing towards Gus Bradley’s Cover-3 protection, the identical kind of protection the Patriots used to select aside at will with Tom Brady underneath middle.
While Jones hit on 20 of 30 passes, the sum whole of these completions was 147 yards. The longest play from scrimmage was a 30-yard completion to Hunter Henry. Take that away, and the Pats gained underneath 4 yards per cross play.
That’s not going to get it carried out after the bye. And the gamers realize it.
“I think there was a lot of plays left out there. We just gotta be better,” stated tight finish Jonnu Smith. “You look at the score of the game, and you’d think there’s a lot of complementary football. But from the offensive side of things, we know there was a lot of meat left on the bone … we have to capitalize when the opportunities present.”
If there’s one bit of excellent information, Jones stopped his interception streak. He had thrown not less than one decide in every of his previous six video games (courting again to final season), which was the longest lively streak within the NFL.
But that got here to an finish, which was one optimistic takeaway.
His receivers (Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne) then again, put the ball on the bottom twice, dropping only one, so the turnovers proceed.
And so does an impotent offense, because the Patriots gained simply 203 yards of offense total. It was the fourth time, since 2010, the Patriots totaled that quantity or fewer.
“I think we definitely want to move the ball. And when we get the ball as an offense, we want to score on every possession, and we want to score touchdowns,” stated Jones. “And generally once we don’t do this, we get slightly pissed off, myself included. But on the finish of the day, it’s about controlling the ball.
“When we don’t turn the ball over, our statistics are really good to win the game.”
In different phrases, take what the protection provides you, don’t make errors, and that’s a superb place to start out.
That all sounds good. But it positive doesn’t look good.
Fortunately for the offense, the protection and particular groups rose to the event towards a Colts soccer workforce that simply isn’t superb.
Rhamondre Stevenson additionally fought for each inch of the 60 yards he gained dashing on 15 makes an attempt. He additionally caught Jones’ lone landing cross with a terrific one-handed seize with the Patriots dealing with a second-and-goal from the three.
Otherwise, the operating recreation went nowhere. J.J. Taylor, pressured into service with Damien Harris unwell, rushed 10 occasions for 9 yards.
The Patriots protection, fortunately, rolled. As many suspected, Sam Ehlinger, who was making his second NFL begin, was no match for Bill Belichick. Actually, he was no match for the cross rush, which bought to Ehlinger for 9 sacks.
But even given all the great area place from the protection, from blocked kicks, and from Marcus Jones returning punts, the offense sputtered.
Jones & Co. continuously confronted second-and-long, or third-and-long, and had a tough time changing (6-for-17 on third down).
“We just gotta finish better, execute better,” stated Bourne, who had three catches for 11 yards. “Obviously, we’re just not finishing especially after the position the defense put us in. We just need to finish better. Hopefully this bye week, we can draw some stuff up, and score more touchdowns.”
Jones, who was sacked 4 occasions and harassed numerous different occasions, wants extra time within the pocket. Not having it has led to him being sped up, and in salvage mode, simply attempting to keep away from making a mistake.
He additionally isn’t attempting to achieve additional yards for concern of being hit and fumbling, or getting harm once more. He made positive to slip nicely earlier than being hit. So clearly, he’s nicely conscious of the turnover bugaboo.
After the sport, Jones tried to sound upbeat, and assured he and the offense would ultimately determine it out.
“We want to play our best team ball. Our defense and special teams are playing really well,” stated Jones. “We’re playing good at spots, but we need to continue to go up here and stop riding the wave, you know, which we will.”
Smith agreed.
“It’s the bye week, I’m sure we’ll address all of those issues and get back on track,” stated the tight finish. “Hey, I would rather have a win like we did today, than have 500 yards of offense and lose. But there’s a lot of football left, and a lot of improvement for us to achieve.”
That a lot is clear.
Source: www.bostonherald.com