New England Patriots: Review of dramatic loss to the Tampa Bay Bucs
The pros for the New England Patriots against Tom Brady and the Bucs
The defense was solid. Holding Brady to 269 yards and no touchdown passes is about as good as you’re ever going to do. But they couldn’t make the big play at the big moment.
Only one sack wasn’t nearly enough against Brady. They needed to bring him down several times and just didn’t get it done.
The Brady run for six yards on a key third-down was a backbreaker for the team. Those are defining moments. No one held contain and they paid for it. On to the pros.
The Patriots’ defense gave the reigning champs all they could handle in the return of the master maestro to Foxboro.
They did a good job, just not quite good enough. They say a play or two wins games. It’s true and one or two by the defense would have sealed the deal for the New England Patriots.
They didn’t get them, yet, nonetheless, they held Brady to 22 of 43 completions for a pedestrian 269 yards and no TDs.
That’s a meager 51 percent completion rate and few defenses have ever been able to limit Brady like that in his 22 years or so.
That performance should have been good enough to win. But the Bucs escaped by the proverbial skin of their teeth.
Jonathan Jones with nine tackles and Matt Judon with the only sack stood out along with Kyle Dugger who had seven stops. Judon is their best defensive player.
The Patriots have to get a rookie second-round pick, Christian Barmore, more reps. He could be huge for them.
New England Patriots Mac Jones the best in the game
Now onto the star of the night for the New England Patriots. That would be Mac Jones. After being downcast after the loss to the New Orleans Saints, the rookie came back with fire in his eyes.
Jones continues to defy the odds and almost all expectations. He’s everything the team could have hoped for and then some. Tough luck, 49’ers!
With no running game, a porous offensive line, and no time to throw, he continues to excel. He was the better quarterback on the evening, better than the best, and that portends well for the future.
Jones was an uncanny 31 of 40 for 275 yards passing mostly under extreme duress. That’s 77.5 percent folks. Against the champions.
And for the season, he’s at a whopping 70 percent completion rate! Amazing. And he is getting better each week. The only blemish was one pick.
It’s been said before and it’s nice to repeat this; if he ever gets an offensive line that can protect him and a great weapon to throw to, there is nothing this young slinger won’t accomplish.
He outshined the best ever and after a head-down dejected look after the loss to the Saints, he came back with a vengeance and ripped the Bucs defense to shreds.
They knew he was going to pass and he still completed them. At one stretch, 19 passes in a row. Yes, that’s Brady-esque. The 18 tied a rookie record that had stood for 30 years.
His receivers were solid in this one. Jakobi Meyers had seven catches and Kendrick Bourne had five along with Brandon Bolden who had six for 51 yards. Finally, he contributed something.
The two highly paid and touted tight ends came through as well. Jonnu Smith had three catches and a touchdown, and Hunter Henry had four catches and a score, as well.
To sum up the pros, Mac Jones is the real deal and it’s incumbent on Belichick to shore up his offensive line and also bring in one super key weapon, no matter the cost in draft picks.
If he does, even absent any running game whatsoever at times (though one might ask where is Rhamondre Stevenson? Inactive is the answer) they can still win.
Next. 3 studs from Patriots Week 4 loss. dark
Mac Jones will take the New England Patriots back into the win column on the strength of his fantastic arm.
It’s time to trade for that good tackle and receiver, Coach Belichick. You didn’t get that done in the offseason but maybe you can still get it done before the trade deadline.
It’s time and if there is any hope whatsoever of salvaging this season after a dismal one and three start, it needs to be done before the trade deadline whatever the cost. You owe it to Mac Jones.