The New England Patriots suffered a dramatic, costly, and heartbreaking loss by a score of 19-17 to the NFL champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady.
They lost when a 56-yard field goal attempt by Nick Folk hit the left upright and fell away. It was a tough, tough loss after a solid effort by the Patriots.
Brady’s return was surrounded by all the media hype that football fans could stomach without indigestion and maybe more.
Thankfully, that whole media circus is over except for the analysis stage. So let’s take a look at some of the positives and negatives of this excellent football game from a New England Patriots’ perspective.
It was a game that delivered on all that it promised and more, except a win for the home team, the New England Patriots.
The negatives for the New England Patriots against Tom Brady and the Bucs
First and foremost, the Patriots lost the game. That’s always the biggest negative of all. This was a game that was there for the taking, a huge upset, and they fell short.
The Patriots played fairly well in run defense, holding the Bucs to 119 yards on the ground, good for an average of four yards per carry. Not bad at all.
That’s OK, but Leonard Fournette was just too good for Tampa Bay. Fournette gashed the Patriots for 91 yards on 20 carries and a 4.6-yard average.
The big back also had 47 yards on 3 catches, a backbreaker for the Patriots. He was the difference in this game. The Patriots couldn’t contain him and it cost them big time.
And key defensive players Dont’a Hightower and Kyle Van Noy combined for a measly four tackles. That’s just not good enough for these defensive centerpieces.
And while Brady wasn’t his usual dominant self at all (more on that later), he did enough to win the game.
He deftly avoided sacks, only taking one, and he threw no picks. Tampa won the turnover battle, and that usually is a key determinant in the outcome.
And, as usual, Brady characteristically made the big play at right time to get the win. That’s why he’s always been the best of the best.
The New England Patriots running game was historically dismal
A bad showing to say the least was the Patriots’ own non-rushing game. Basically, it didn’t exist for New England. At all.
The backs had eight carries for minus-one yards. That’s right, negative yardage. Nothing like putting inordinate pressure on your rookie quarterback to carry the load.
It can’t get worse. It didn’t exist all night. And yet they somehow managed to stay in the game and had a chance to win it at the end.
This was as pathetic a running performance by the team as they have had in their entire history. That’s since 1960 folks. It was a performance for the ages, an exercise in absolute futility.
Not sure what other adjectives could describe this aspect of the offense except a complete and utter disaster.
Bell cow back Damien Harris had a grand total of minus one yards on four carries. Mac Jones could have fallen forward for more than that.
And J.J. Taylor fumbled. That’s an every game occurrence it seems as the Patriots lost the turnover battle zero to two. Forget about winning against a team like Tampa Bay if you give away the rock.
A disgraceful performance from the backs and the offensive line. And a favorite subject, the offensive line, opened no holes for them at all.
The New England Patriots offensive line was poor again
The big guys up front couldn’t keep a clean pocket for Jones and he took a battering again. That would be a four-sack bashing.
Head coach Bill Belichick stubbornly stuck with Justin Herron at right tackle and it’s not working, coach. Not at all.
Belichick still refuses to implement the changes upfront that may just rectify this situation. Moving one piece out and one in could salvage the offense and the season.
Coach Belichick refuses to move Michael Onwenu to right tackle and Ted Karras to left guard. There was a Karras sighting, however at left guard.
Belichick temporarily benched Onwenu after two uncharacteristic penalties by the young player, but he was back in at left guard not long after.
Yet, Karras, who was brought in as a free agent ostensibly for just this type of situation still can’t get any regular snaps. Why is a mystery and a blot on Belichick’s decision-making.
Herron wasn’t the only flaw, however. Isaiah Wynn is not at all justifying his status as a former first-round pick. He’s more suited to the right side or inside. Period.
Also, their opening no holes for the running game made the offense one-dimensional and that’s no way to beat anyone, never mind the defending champions. It’s been clear the Patriots offensive line needs work, and this game only reinforced that notion.
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.
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.