FOXBORO — Nothing to see right here.
When it involves Mac Jones and the Patriots offense, that was the message delivered Monday to the media sorts protecting the workforce.
If the partitions are crumbling round Jones or he’s developed glad toes, it’s information to the lads in cost.
Listening to each Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia, there doesn’t appear to be an excessive amount of concern over an offensive line that also doesn’t grasp the surface zone scheme. Or, a second-year quarterback who appears skittish within the pocket, and doesn’t seem to belief the offensive line. Aren’t they nervous about Jones regressing in Year 2?
Judging by the responses, there’s little concern at this stage. Belichick thinks his quarterback is completely effective mentally and each different approach.
“Mac’s had a great attitude every day,” Belichick stated throughout his weekly look on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show. “Comes in early. He’s ready to work. … He’s one of our most consistent workers and prepares very well. I haven’t seen anything other than that.”
Guess he missed all of the pacing on the sideline by Jones in Las Vegas. Guess he missed Jones tossing his play pill after one other three-and-out. Guess he missed Jones ripping off his arm band with the play calls, and chucking that.
Nothing to see right here.
Or, Belichick simply doesn’t suppose Jones’ tantrums are an enormous deal.
“When you come off the field, there’s always things you need to talk about or straighten out or fix. And there are things you’re going to feel good about,” he stated. “Just grind through it. It’s training camp. We still have another week to go in training camp even though the rosters are being reduced. … It’s a time for us to work and improve and get better.”
The preseason, it appears, isn’t a precursor of the longer term. Belichick stated he wouldn’t have an actual thought about his workforce till October, when the Patriots had been 5 or 6 video games into the season.
Belichick doubled down on that notion whereas talking with the media later at Gillette Stadium. Given Carolina and Las Vegas performed backups towards the Patriots’ starters, he’s proper when he says which may not be the most effective indicator. The starters ought to look good towards second- and third-stringers. Agreed.
But what in the event that they flopped towards the subs?
The Pats’ starters struggled each in video games, in addition to joint practices. They didn’t pile up factors Friday night time. Far from it. And but, no alarm bells seem to have gone off inside Gillette Stadium.
Instead, it appeared just like the powers that be had been preaching endurance. Or, merely doing what they may to purchase time.
So proper now, all of the free rushers allowed in on the quarterback throughout coaching camp and the preseason, all of the missed assignments with the brand new zone blocking scheme, isn’t any cause for concern. Seeing Jones barely resemble the quarterback he was final yr is only a blip on the radar at this level, listening to Belichick.
In different phrases, there was little to no indication about them scrapping the “new” blocking scheme at this stage — 12 days away from the season opener in Miami — and going again to what works.
Of course, Belichick & Co. might be fibbing. They might be altering the reality “for the good of the team,” as Belichick likes to say. After all, sport plans and techniques have to be protected and saved high secret in any respect prices.
Plus, they’re not going to confess it’s blown up of their face, or that it wasn’t a good suggestion having Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, two coaches with little to no expertise with the offense, a lot much less calling performs, observe Josh McDaniels.
Instead, their heads are both within the collective sand, or everybody’s simply making mountains out of mole hills.
Patricia, who’s the offensive line coach, in addition to play-caller, met with the media and stated they had been merely going to push forward, and “improve the offense any way we can.”
It didn’t sound like he meant pivoting from the surface zone scheme. Asked when the time can be to tug the plug as a result of the road wasn’t getting it, Patricia stated they had been nonetheless in a instructing section. It was like dumping the scheme didn’t apply.
It was extra about fundamentals, honing strategies in all various kinds of runs, and dealing by a few of the nuances.
“Sometimes the emphasis isn’t so much on what does the production look like at the moment. It’s how good are we with our pad level, our hand placement, our foot placement,” he stated. “Right now, we’ll run them into looks that maybe aren’t great, just so we can get the runs run at that particular moment. And make sure we get enough reps at everything.”
Patricia, nevertheless, did depart the door open for changes to be made. It didn’t sound prefer it was going to occur now, however in some unspecified time in the future down the highway ought to the necessity come up.
“We have the opportunity to tweak things as we go,” he stated. “And certainly we know as the season goes, we’ll certainly always modify and adjust as needed based on not only scheme but personnel. I think that’s a big part of it, too. Trying to figure out the bodies on the field.”
As for Jones, Patricia utterly dodged particular questions on Jones’ confidence within the new offense, the road, and so on.
What about Patricia? Has he seen sufficient to really feel assured within the offense he’s calling?
“Great question,” Patricia shot again instantly the questioner.
Then he proceeded to bail on the reply.
That’s as a result of the Patriots are doing their greatest to keep away from acknowledging that an issue exists. At least, that’s the way it appears from the surface.
Source: www.bostonherald.com