Somehow, someway, the New England Patriots looked even worse than they have this season in Week 5. The offense once again was lifeless, while the defense struggled to stop a mediocre New Orelans Saints defense.
This is the kind of loss that should put people's jobs on the line. And there's a few major changes the team should make ahead of Week 6 as a result.
Changes Patriots Need to Make to Save 2023 Season
1. Bench Mac Jones
It's time to send Mac Jones to the bench.
The third-year pro was not only ineffective once again at leading his team down the field, but an actual liability because of turnovers. Jones tossed two interceptions in Week 5, including a pick-six after he opted to throw through contact instead of just taking the sack in the first quarter.
Jones keeps getting the Patriots into a hole early on in games, which has disastrous consequences. It forces the offense to get into pass-heavy attacks, which is not their strength. That leads to easy stops for opponents and then puts even more pressure on New England's defense.
Unsurprisingly, that unit's made plenty of mistakes. Partly because they're shorthanded, but also because they're gassed since the offense can't put together long drives to eat up the clock.
There is no actual reason for Bill Belichick to stick with Jones after two seriously dreadul performances. It's worth giving Bailey Zappe a start, and even seeing what Malik Cunningham can do in a backup role. While Zappe hasn't been stellar in relief so far, having an entire game to establish a rhythm could do wonders for this offense.
Jones doesn't have to be inactive through the rest of the season, but he needs a major wakeup call. Putting him on the pine is the least Belichick can do to inspire his uninspiring signal-caller.
2. Get the Run Game More Involved
New England's early offensive gameplan, when the team isn't trailing big, continues to be befuddling.
The Patriots have a legit rising star talent at running back in Rhamondre Stevenson, and they bolstered their backfield by signing Ezekiel Elliott prior to the regular season. It's clear this squad wanted to rely on its rushers.
However, outside of the win, we've failed to see Belichick and co. utilize their RBs properly.
The first drive of Week 5 was yet another example of the Pats' unexplainable run game attack. Stevenson picked up a great gain of eight yards on first down, setting up an extremely manageable 2nd-and-2. Yet, New England then dialed up two straight passes -- both of which were deep attempts, no less -- and unsurprisingly were forced to punt.
It's obvious this passing attack doesn't have the firepower to keep up with electric offenses. In fact, picking up first downs is a major struggle right now. So there's no need to force something when it's not working.
The Patriots have the talent in the backfield to go run-heavy. Stevenson is major playmaker, while Elliott provides a sledgehammer who can excel in short-yardage situations. Both backs can help the team keep drives going and chew up clock; which, in turn, will make things easier for the defense.
Yes, the ground game hasn't been productive in the early going, but that's because New England's getting into big deficits in the first quarter. That makes it even tougher to establish the run when you need home runs instead of singles.
Relying on the passing attack has resulted in this dismal 1-4 start. It's time for the Patriots to shift the emphasis to its backfield instead.
3. Bring in a New Kicker
Add kicker to the list of problems areas on the Pats' roster right now.
New England had a chance to put some points on the board in the first quarter of Week 5 after New Orleans took an early 7-0 lead. While the offense stalled out, they did manage to get to the Saints' 30-yard line. That set rookie kicker Chad Ryland up for a manageable a 48-yard attempt.
Well, he missed, and it wasn't that close. Meanwhile, Saints undrafted kicker Blake Grupke nailed both of his attempts from 50-plus yards on Sunday.
Ryland already looks like a bust after being a fourth-round pick. He's just 4-of-8 on the year, with a pair of misses from both the 40-49 range and 50-plus. That's a glaring issue, especially for a kicker who was known for his big leg coming out of college.
With how this offense is playing right now, New England needs someone who's capable of putting points on the board. Yes, he's not getting a ton of gimmes right now, but he hit these kind of kicks in college.
The decision to part ways with Nick Folk, who entered Week 4 a perfect 10-of-10 and has already won a Player of the Week award, looks extremely disappointing in hindsight. The Patriots can't afford to have another underpeformer at a key position, so they need to bring someone in to either push Ryland in practice or straight up replace him if the rookie can't turn it around.
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