At home against the heavily favored Buffalo Bills in Week 7, the New England Patriots had a choice. They could either roll over and fall to 1-6, or they could stand and fight to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
They chose the latter, pulling out a shocking 29-25 victory on a last-minute touchdown pass by the beleaguered Mac Jones. New England's outlook for the rest of the season suddenly looks considerably better, and with over a week left until the Oct. 31 trade deadline, there's still time to get help.
The Patriots need reinforcements ASAP, though, especially with another tough divisional game coming up this weekend against the Miami Dolphins. Here are three trades they should make immediately if they want to boost their playoff chances.
1. Trade for a No. 1 Receiver
For the love of God, can we please get Jones a No. 1 receiver now?
Jones has never had one, or anything close to one. That didn't stop him from making the Pro Bowl and leading this team to the playoffs as a rookie in 2021, but it has obviously hindered him since. It's been most glaring at the end of games when he simply has no one who can step up and make a big play, like when Devante Parker dropped his perfectly thrown pass late in Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Bill Belichick hasn't drafted, signed or traded for a top wideout in a long time, going back to the Tom Brady years. That's simply unacceptable in the modern NFL, and it needs to change right now.
Belichick blew the chance to sign DeAndre Hopkins in the offseason, and JuJu Smith-Schuster has been an absolute disaster. There's still time to rectify those mistakes, but it's quickly running out.
Someone like Davante Adams, D.J. Moore, Adam Thielen, Tee Higgins, Marquise Brown or even Hopkins might be available. Belichick would have to give up some draft capital to get it done, but at this point he's better off trading picks for proven players rather than actually using them himself based on his recent poor draft record.
2. Fix the Offensive Line
New England's offensive line has been a mess all season, and it's absolutely killing this team. The Patriots can't run the ball effectively (27th in rushing yards, 26th in yards per attempt) or keep the pocket clean for Jones, who is constantly under pressure and forced to make throws under duress, which might have something to do with all his turnovers.
Again, this was something that New England failed to properly address in the offseason and needs to address now. The team is still searching for answers after reuniting with Conor McDermott last week, but signing guys off the scrap heap isn't the solution. In fact, it's the reason the Patriots are in this mess in the first place.
Belichick needs to trade for a legit, proven tackle who can anchor the offensive line and provide some stability there. All the shuffling isn't doing anyone any good and clearly isn't having the desired results, so it's time to go in a different direction and get someone with an established track record.
Good offensive linemen are valuable commodities and aren't given up easily, so Bill will need to get creative here. Packaging picks with an offensive lineman and perhaps Malik Cunningham might be enough to tempt one of the league's bottom-feeders to help them out. Jonah Williams on the Cincinnati Bengals could be an option as well given that he's an impending free agent who requested a trade last offseason.
3. Bolster the Defense
New England's defense was supposed to be a strength this year, but injuries have prevented the unit from living up to its potential. That's especially true now that two of the team's top defenders -- Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez -- are both sidelined.
Belichick traded for J.C. Jackson as a band-aid to replace Gonzalez, but that's not enough. He needs to do more to shore up the defense, and the trade deadline is the perfect opportunity for that.
The Patriots don't have enough offensive firepower to win games on that side of the ball, so having a sturdy defense is critical to their success.
With Gonzalez for the season and Judon potentially out as well, New England needs to add another big piece to its secondary if it wants to make a serious push in the second half of the season. Jackson hasn't done much since arriving and doesn't appear to be a long-term solution.
Brian Burns of the Carolina Panthers or Derek Barnett from the Philadelphia Eagles could be a nice upgrade. The Panthers in general are a young team with some promising defensive talent that could be coached up, making them a good trade partner.
If you're a sports bettor, BetMGM is a great partner as well. They're giving out $200 in bonus bets to new users who sign up through the link below and place a first wager of just $10. You'll even get your credits instantly, so no need to sweat your first bet! Just make sure to claim the offer below now before it disappears!
In other Patriots news: