New England Patriots: Quick takes on steady win over NY Jets
Here are some quick takes on the New England Patriots’ 25-6 victory over the New York Jets in New Jersey as Mac Jones shined again.
Ho hum, another game, another Mac Jones outing with a completion percentage of 70-plus percent. If anyone isn’t convinced yet, get real. This young man is special.
Mac Jones is doing this with a porous offensive line and average receivers. Shore up those two positions and look out.
Today, Mac Jones was crucial to the Patriots’ victory, his first in the red, white, blue, and silver as he had a pedestrian game for him, completing only 73.3 percent of his passes.
Last week it was 74-plus percent. If he had receivers who could hold onto the ball, it would be75-plus percent. This young man is a passing machine. Simply put, amazing. He’s an amazing young player.
New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick flubbed up again
Surprisingly, Bill Belichick must not read this space, or at least listen to it. He should have put Michael Onwenu at right tackle and Ted Karras at guard. Others thought the same.
Yet, the recalcitrant Belichick (that sounds better than stubborn) still kept using both Justin Herron and Yasir Durant at right tackle. The move suggested here was switching Michael Onwenu.
The suggestion was to move Onwenu back to right tackle and Ted Karras to left guard. It still holds.
What is Belichick waiting for, an injury to his prized possession? Hopefully, he wakes up soon before the collapsible offensive right tackle spot really costs the team. It did today.
Here’s what Patriots.com had to say before the game,
"For tomorrow’s game against the Jets, the Patriots could go back either to Herron or Durant, the latter of whom seemed to have a solid debut as a Patriot. The coaches might also decide that second-year starting left guard Mike Onwenu, who has some tackle-playing experience, could be a more suitable option. If that were the case, expect versatile veteran Ted Karras to replace Onwenu at left guard."
Deploying Herron and Durant is a prescription for disaster. They are turnstiles who completely disrupt any opportunities for Jones to implement the actual playbook.
There has been too much unnecessary pressure on Jones in passing situations, and that goes right to Bill Belichick, the head coach.
He has quality depth to deploy .If he doesn’t, any problems are on him. Put Onwenu at tackle and Ted Karras at guard. It’s the right thing to do.
Damien Harris leads Patriots offense
Running back Damien Harris rebounded from a good game in yards, but a truly backbreaking one as his fumble against the Miami Dolphins likely cost the Patriots the game.
Harris scored a huge touchdown against the Jets during which he broke tackles, made tacklers miss, and carried a few into the endzone. A nice game from the third year back.
On the receiving end, no one excelled again showcasing the need for Belichick to land a really top wideout before the trade deadline.
That and an offensive tackle could make all the difference this season as it is shaping up. It looks like with Mac Jones at the helm, this team can be a playoff contender, at least, right now.
Add that wide receiver and tackle, and anything is possible. Jones is an amazing player, never mind a rookie. His precision passing and decision-making are uncanny.
Now, it’s up to Belichick to make the right moves to allow him to be even better, this season. Why wait? Make those two moves and the sky is the limit.
New England Patriots defense excelled
And this space would be remiss if it didn’t give a shout-out to the New England Patriots defense. They were superb. Four interceptions. They also played the run pretty well (it can get better).
Also, we may be seeing the emergence of a possibly NFL-wide mega-talent in Christian Barmore. The young defensive tackle is showing why Belichick moved up in the draft to get him. Superb.
In addition, players like the amazing J.C. Jackson (two interceptions, why isn’t he signed to an extension?) and the truly emergent Ja’Whaun Bentley were terrific, among others.
All in all, a nice win, but one that has to be tempered with realism. This Jets team could lose 13-15 games this season. The real tests lie ahead. One against the former Patriots icon, Tom Brady.
Next. Patriots weren't good, Zach Wilson was just bad. dark
That will be in two weeks. This space has predicted a victory. We’ll see what happens. But one thing is clear, this team has a new, young, dynamic quarterback who’s a perfectionist.
It doesn’t get much better than that as we have all seen during the past two decades with Brady at the helm. The home team lucked out again in the draft. And, ain’t it great.