On Thursday Night Football, the New England Patriots walked out of Pittsburgh with a 21-18 win. New England's victory snapped a five game losing streak, and for the first time since a last-second win over Buffalo in Week 5, Patriots fans had a reason to be optimistic.
Second-year quarterback Bailey Zappe rejuvenated a putrid offense in the first half, tossing three touchdown passes as New England jumped out to a 21-3 lead early. The Patriots hadn't scored 21 points in an entire game since that win over Buffalo, and their 21 points were the team's second-highest total of the season.
Although the offense's failure to put up any points in the second half and attempted choke job down the stretch should give Patriots fans some pause, it's been 46 days since they've been able to enjoy a win, so they can have their minute. For those Patriots fans on "team tank", they will be relieved to know that (at least for now), New England maintains the second overall pick in the upcoming 2024 draft. It's really a win-win for everyone.
The road doesn't get any easier, as New England will take on perennial Super Bowl contender Kansas City, after the Patriots had the embarrassing distinction of being the first team ever flexed out of Monday Night Football.
Despite some optimism emanating from Thursday night's win, here are four players who should be a little less optimistic about their future in New England.
4. Mike Gesicki
Tight end Mike Gesicki is in New England on a one-year deal, and that will also likely be the entirety of his stay with the team.
Although it's difficult to point the finger at any of the Patriots' offensive skill players given the team's quarterback play, Gesicki's production pales in comparison to his time with the division-rival Miami Dolphins, and preseason hopes of a dynamic tight end duo of Gesicki and Hunter Henry has never materialized.
At 28, Gesicki should be in the midst of the prime of his career. Instead, he will set numerous career lows this season in New England. In his first five NFL seasons, he averaged 74 targets, 46.2 catches, 3.6 touchdowns, and 523 yards receiving. In 2023, Gesicki has been limited to 32 targets, 21 catches, 182 yards, and only one touchdown (albeit a dramatic game winner over the Bills with 12 seconds left in Week 5).
Gesicki's value has been one-dimensional, as he's failed to provide any real contribution in the blocking game. Per Patriots radio color commentator Scott Zolak, Gesicki was taken out of the tight ends room and the team is coaching him as a wide receiver.
A parting of the ways may be best for both parties in this situation. Gesicki doesn't seem to fit into what the Patriots want to do on offense, and Gesicki has to feel that he can be far more productive on another team and emulate the production of his Miami days.
3. Jalen Mills
Jalen Mills inked a four-year, $24 million contract with the Patriots in March 2021, and was a mainstay in the Patriots secondary during his first two seasons in New England.
Mills was on the field for 89% of the Patriots defensive snaps in his first season in 2021, and 75% of last season. His playing time has fallen off this season, as he has only been on the field for 32% of the team's defensive plays this year. He didn't exactly help his own cause either when he took to Twitter to complain about his snaps following the Patriots Week 5.
The team clearly isn't sold on him in a Patriots uniform either, as evident when the team released him in March and re-signed him five days later.
When Mills was re-signed, there was speculation that he could transition from corner to safety, but the emergence of Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers at the safety positions have been one of the Patriots' few bright spots this season, leaving Mills to warm the bench.
Mills will be a free agent after this season and turns 30 in April, so it would be surprising to see him back in a Patriots uniform in 2024.
2. J.C. Jackson
Despite the Patriots win on Thursday Night Football, cornerback J.C. Jackson had a tough night. Jackson was called for pass interference in the first quarter, which negated his interception. The Steelers ultimately ended the drive with a field goal. He gave up a 25-yard touchdown to Diontae Johnson in single coverage in the second quarter, and later committed another pass interference foul in the fourth quarter that moved Pittsburgh to the one yardline. The Steelers punched it in from there and converted the two-point conversion to cut New England's lead to three with 11:44 left.
Jackson was a second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2021 with the Patriots, before he took his talents to the West Coast and the Los Angeles Chargers on a five-year, $82.5 million deal.
His time in Los Angeles was such an unmitigated disaster that following Jackson's trade back to New England, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco attended his team's defense backs' meeting to apologize for signing Jackson and continuing to give him opportunities, while acknowledging Jackson's lack of commitment to the team.
The Chargers jettisoned him back to New England in a classic Bill Belichick move, as he brought back a former Patriot for cheap. The Patriots received Jackson and a seventh-rounder in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
Changing teams didn't appear to positively affect Jackson's commitment level, as he made headlines when he was left home during the team's overseas trip to Germany to play the Indianapolis Colts. Jackson reportedly never showed up to the team hotel before the team took on the Washington Commanders, and didn't take part in pregame warm-ups. Ian Rapoport reported that the decision was a consequence of larger questions about Jackson's reliability.
Declining play and issues concerning your commitment and reliability (on two different teams) isn't a recipe to keep your job in the NFL.
1. Mac Jones
Ironically, the player who takes the number one spot didn't even see the field during Thursday's game. The team's patience with Jones appears to have hit empty.
Quarterback Bailey Zappe brought life to what has been an offensive unit bordering on unwatchable. He threw three touchdown passes in the first half, Jones hasn't thrown three touchdowns in a game since Week 1 of this season.
Jones' rookie season was promising, as the Patriots made the playoffs and the Alabama product earned a Pro Bowl appearance. Since then, it has been all downhill. Jones and offensive play caller Matt Patricia butted heads last season, and Belichick was reportedly furious with the young signal-caller for seeking advice outside of Foxborough regarding the offense's struggles.
He was pulled on four different occasions this season, and his poor play led New England to start Zappe the last two games and demote Jones to the bench.
If Zappe continues to put in productive performances under center and elevates the offense as he did Thursday night, it will become less and less likely that Jones is in New England next season. There just simply might not be any more that Jones can do at this point.