Three weeks into the season, the New England Patriots already look like a team trying to outrun a bad start that has no interest in slowing down. They are 1-2, and the way they’ve played has pushed the playoffs from goal to long shot in a hurry.
The offense has been the biggest problem. Drake Maye has looked like a mess, though fans shouldn’t give up on him just yet.
The running game has been mostly lifeless, and nobody besides Mack Hollins has consistently found a way to get open or make a play. New England is scoring just 12 points per game, including its defensive touchdown in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and that total is tied for the fewest in the league with the Miami Dolphins, who have a nonzero chance of becoming the first team to go 0-17, especially with De’Von Achane set to miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL.
The defense, which is supposed to be the safety net, hasn’t bailed them out either. In Week 3, New England was undisciplined in a 35-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, piling up nine penalties for 68 yards.
This is the same team that lost to a mostly Drew Lock-led team on opening night and then got embarrassed in Jacksonville. Yes, the Patriots were 1-2 to start last season as well, but they never got humiliated like this and never looked this bad at any point during the year. Right now, they’re getting outcoached, and the offensive playcalling has been predictable and lackluster.
There’s still plenty of season left, but there isn’t much here to inspire confidence that things are about to change.
Injuries are only making the climb steeper. Mike Onwenu is expected to miss the rest of the season after breaking his ankle.
A.J. Brown will be out for at least another two weeks, though his return still wouldn’t solve New England’s biggest issues.
Dre'Mont Jones, the Patriots' best edge rusher, missed Week 3 with a shoulder injury he is still working through, and Harold Landry III is on the PUP list with a knee injury.
That’s only part of the list.
Stack those absences on top of the hole New England has already dug, then compare it with the rest of the AFC field - the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, and apparently the Las Vegas Raiders - and it’s hard to picture this turning into a successful year.
The best-case path is simple enough: a small run once Brown returns, better health, and Maye finding his rhythm again. Even then, the ceiling looks more like 6-11 or 7-10.
At the moment, this doesn’t look like a team on the same page in any meaningful way. The Patriots are done, and there’s very little reason to think the picture changes this season.
In Other News...
Patriots Fans Just Got A Telling Caleb Lomu Update
The Patriots used a lopsided game against the Jacksonville Jaguars to get Caleb Lomu some extra work at right tackle, with head coach Mike Vrabel turning to the first-round pick after replacing Morgan Moses in the lineup. It was the kind of late-game decision that fit the moment, giving Lomu more live reps while the offense was already fighting from behind.
Vrabel made clear the move was about experience, not a depth-chart shakeup, saying Mosess starting job was not in danger. Still, it comes against a tricky backdrop for New Englands offensive line, which has already absorbed its share of hits with Mike Onwenu going on injured reserve and Greg Van Roten leaving the game with a thigh injury. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Fans Will Recognize Vrabels Mood After This Collapse
The loss to Jacksonville had the kind of sloppiness that tends to linger with a coaching staff, and Mike Vrabel did not sound like a man looking for comfort after it. Turnovers and penalties helped sink the Patriots in a game that got away from them, and the bigger concern was the way the problems piled up while the team seemed unable to steady itself.
Vrabels response after the collapse carried the edge Patriots fans have heard before when things start slipping. He made it clear he is worried about where the group stands right now and said the focus has to be on improving what the team is putting on the field, which puts the spotlight on leadership as much as execution entering the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Pass Rush Problem Just Got A Lot More Urgent
The Patriots pass rush was already a concern, and the picture has only gotten thinner as training camp has worn on. New England did not bring back KLavon Chaisson, and injuries have sidelined Harold Landry and DreMont Jones, leaving the defensive front with fewer proven ways to affect opposing quarterbacks.
Matthew Judon is now expected to land with the 49ers and reunite with defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, which takes another familiar name off the board for a Patriots defense that could have used the help. Judons recent production has not matched what he delivered in New England, but the bigger issue for the Patriots is simpler than that: they still need more answers up front, and they need them soon. [Read more 🡒]