For the Patriots, it’s 9 weeks down. And 9 weeks to go. That’s the great thing about having a bye week on the halfway level of the season.
It’s additionally a good time for the Pats to perform a little self-scouting with the hope of bettering a few of the bother areas once they return.
At 5-4, the Pats at present sit within the basement of the AFC East. The Bills (6-2), Dolphins (6-3) and Jets (6-3) are above them, however there’s loads of time for the Pats to make a transfer.
No doubt, Bill Belichick and his teaching employees spent a very good a part of the off week making an attempt to determine how you can get higher, and get themselves into the postseason race within the AFC.
The gamers additionally checked out movie, and seemed within the mirror, critiquing their respective performances.
That stated, there was rather a lot to evaluate in the course of the 9 video games performed to date, each good and dangerous.
Whether it was the offense, protection, or particular groups, loads of storylines emerged.
So with the workforce off, right here’s some midseason superlatives to assist go a Sunday with out Patriots soccer.
Best teaching choice
Moving Jonathan Jones from the slot to outdoors nook to assist make up for the lack of J.C. Jackson.
With his pace and protection abilities, Jones has excelled out on the boundary, and capably dealt with no matter task he’s been given, whether or not that’s guarding the opposing workforce’s prime receiver in man protection, or inside the realm of a zone.
He’s come away with two interceptions, one a pick-six towards the Colts, and a compelled fumble.
“Jon’s one of our best players,” Belichick stated of Jones, who he moved to the surface halfway by way of coaching camp. “He started out as an undrafted free agent out of Auburn, came in here and lit up things on special teams with his speed, his toughness, his intelligence. He’s a smart football player. Worked his way into a big role defensively.”
He certain did. He was an excellent slot nook. Now, he’s become an excellent outdoors nook and invaluable piece within the secondary.
Most baffling teaching choice
Not giving Mac Jones an offensive guru. And not offering the offense with an skilled play caller.
While Belichick believes a very good coach can coach any place, or carry out any number of roles, he overshot on this one.
Having two coaches with little to no expertise coping with the offense exchange Josh McDaniels’ following his departure has been a catastrophe, particularly in the case of Jones.
While Matt Patricia has had some good moments calling performs, it’s laborious to disregard what’s occurred to Jones, their 2021 first-round choose and quarterback of the long run.
He’s taken a step again, after which some, after a promising rookie season.
Some of it’s on him, however not having an skilled play caller, a lot much less a coach who’s handled a quarterback, has weighed closely in his regression.
And he’s not alone. Like Jones, others have taken a step again. Kendrick Bourne was poised for an enormous season, however he’s been almost invisible. Tight finish Hunter Henry is one other who hasn’t been almost as efficient as final season.
Much of that has to return to the play caller and coaches working the offense.
Best offensive participant
Rhamondre Stevenson.
To this level, he’s primarily carried the offense each working the soccer, and catching it out of the backfield. He’s one participant who hasn’t gone backwards. He’s in the midst of a breakout season.
After 9 video games, he has 618 yards dashing, with 4.8 yards per carry. He’s additionally pulled in 35 catches for 227 yards.
He’s gained a lot of these yards with a eager skill to power missed tackles.
And Belichick completely loves him.
”Mondre simply will get higher day by day,” Belichick stated earlier this month. “He’s one of the guys that I’ve coached that just shows continuous improvement almost every day he walks into the building. In every phase of the game.”
Jakobi Meyers, Mr. Dependable, will get honorable point out. He’s additionally gotten higher.
Best defensive participant
Matt Judon.
Like final yr, he’s off to an excellent begin. He’s been a power terrorizing opposing quarterbacks, as he leads the league with 11.5 sacks.
Right now, he’s a official candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.
The trick for Judon will likely be sustaining his quick begin, one thing he struggled to do a yr in the past. He labored laborious in the course of the offseason on his conditioning, taking over Pilates. The coaches have additionally been easing his workload barely maybe with a watch towards the second half of the season.
Fellow go rusher Josh Uche says it’s no thriller who the most effective edge rusher on the planet is.
“This is one of the greatest I’ve ever seen in my life,” Uche stated following final Sunday’s win over the Colts, “so it’s an honor to be able to learn from him and watch his game each and every day.”
Best rookie
Jack Jones.
The numbers midway by way of inform the story. Nine video games in, enjoying roughly 50 % of the snaps, he’s had 24 tackles, two interceptions, one landing, 5 passes defensed, one compelled fumble, one fumble restoration, and one tipped area objective try.
The fourth-round choose has labored each on the surface and as a nickel again, and boosted the secondary along with his presence.
Offensive lineman Cole Strange may need been the simple selection right here having began each recreation, however he’s struggled mightily of late. Receiver Tyquan Thornton hasn’t actually performed sufficient for consideration.
Returner Marcus Jones, who’s been terrific giving the offense good area place, backup quarterback Bailey Zappe, who gained two video games with each Jones and Brian Hoyer out, and particular teamer Brenden Schooler get honorable point out.
Most un-Belichick-like statistic
Leading the league in turnovers with 17.
Ten have come through interception, and 7 through fumble.
Add within the reality they’ve been referred to as for 52 penalties, thirteenth within the league, and it’s an actual head-scratcher how a lot they get in their very own approach.
Historically, Belichick’s groups haven’t been recognized for beating themselves. This workforce does very often.
Most Belichick-like statistic
Being second within the league in takeaways.
They have 17, one behind the Philadelphia Eagles, with 11 picks, and 6 fumble recoveries.
To a level, all of their ballhawking exploits have helped negate the turnovers on the different finish.
Worst improvement
Mac Jones’ regression.
Quarterback is crucial place. Having Jones take a step again in virtually each statistical class doesn’t bode properly for the long run.
Having new coaches and a brand new system hasn’t allowed for any form of Year 2 leap by Jones.
Missing three weeks with a excessive ankle sprain additionally hasn’t helped his improvement.
Worst improvement II
Bourne’s disappearance.
Last season, his first with the Patriots, he had 55 catches for 800 yards with two TDs.
Nine video games into the 2022 season, he has 14 catches for 167 yards with no touchdowns.
He’s one in every of their solely explosive gamers, and, save for one play towards Miami within the season opener, has just about been a non-factor.
Worst improvement III
Watching Jake Bailey punt.
The Patriots are final within the league in web punt common.
Bailey was once the king of dangle time, and ball placement. He’s been neither this season. His excessive, lengthy majestic bombs have been MIA.
Ditto his share of kicks contained in the 20.
Best break
Jets defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers being referred to as for roughing the passer on a pick-six delivered by Mac Jones.
It was an absolute stroke of luck for Jones and the Patriots.
With no name, the Jets would have had a 17-3 lead at halftime because of Michael Carter taking his interception of Jones again 84 yards.
But due to the questionable name, which nullified the landing, the Pats prevented that catastrophe, and as an alternative moved into place for a area objective, making it 10-6 on the half earlier than happening to win the sport.
Most dependable
Nick Folk.
The 38-year-old kicker has transformed 90.5% of his field-goal makes an attempt to date this season (19 of 21) and all 20 of his additional factors. The final two video games alone, he went 9-for-9 on area objectives.
Folk owns the NFL report for many consecutive area objectives beneath 50 yards. That streak ended at 64 final month. The earlier report was 56.
He doesn’t boast the most important leg, however at all times makes the kicks he’s speculated to make. That form of reliability is priceless within the NFL.
Best beneath the radar participant
Michael Onwenu.
Granted, there isn’t a lot to brag about with the offensive line. But Onwenu has quietly become the most effective guards within the NFL.
The former Michigan standout has been extremely graded all yr, performing his job at an especially excessive stage every week.
Based on how he’s performed to date, he deserves Pro Bowl consideration.
Overperforming place group
Cornerbacks.
This has been removed from the doom and gloom that was forecast after dropping Jackson in free company, coupled with buying and selling Stephon Gilmore final season.
Along with Jonathan Jones excelling out on the boundary, he’s had firm. Jalen Mills is enjoying properly reverse Jones. Same for rookie Jack Jones, who has seen fairly a little bit of time both spelling Mills, or subbing in when Jonathan Jones has been harm.
Add in Myles Bryant, who has taken over for Jones within the slot, and the Patriots haven’t been fairly the catastrophe at cornerback that many had predicted.
We’ll see what occurs when the unit has to defend some elite receiving corps forward, particularly Buffalo, Minnesota, Miami and Cincinnati, however to date, with Jon Jones having a extra everlasting position on the surface, and the emergence of Jack Jones, the Patriots have survived.
Underperforming place group
Receivers.
While the Patriots don’t have an elite receiving corps alongside the strains of the Dolphins, it’s nonetheless an honest group.
It simply hasn’t carried out like one.
While Meyers has been a stud, nobody else has picked up the slack.
Meyers at present leads the workforce with 40 receptions, and that’s with lacking two video games. After that, it’s DeVante Parker (15), Nelson Agholor (15), Kendrick Bourne (14) and Tyquan Thornton (9).
Too a lot of them aren’t getting open, or dropping catchable balls.
Best backup
Bailey Zappe.
The Patriots third-string quarterback, a 2022 fourth-round choose, had New England abuzz and all agog to see him beneath middle throughout a three-week window in October.
Zappe Fever gripped the Hub after the rookie almost beat the Packers in Green Bay after approaching for injured Brian Hoyer, then producing back-to-back wins towards the Lions and Browns.
If the Patriots go on to make the playoffs, look no additional than Zappe getting the job accomplished when referred to as upon Weeks 5 and 6, and almost pulling it off Week 4 towards the Pack.
It unravelled a bit when he got here on in aid of Jones Week 7 towards the Bears, however Zappe nonetheless made everybody comfortable for a very good chunk of time in the course of the first half of the season.
Source: www.bostonherald.com