This really has just been a disaster of a season. The Patriots just got dunked on by the Buffalo Bills after going 29-3 against them between 2001-2019 with Tom Brady under center. It was a blowout, it was a changing of the guard, but to say it was embarrassing would imply that the end result was surprising. It was not. In the infamous words of Trent Dilfer, the Patriots aren’t good anymore. It’s the first time the Patriots have been swept in a season by a divisional opponent in 20 years, they are dead last in the NFL in passing TDs with 8 (one of which came from WR Jakobi Meyers), and the team is uncharacteristically undisciplined, which was only exacerbated by that head scratching challenge flag Belichick threw on what was clearly a catch directlyin front of him and his son.
Someone clearly told Bill to throw the red flag though so Ernie must be going blind up in that fucking lighthouse.
There is a lot of grave dancing, which is to be expected after the run the Patriots just went on over the last 20 years. But for people to already be comparing the Patriots to the Jets is hyperbole of the highest order. Lets just let this marinate for a little more than 15 weeks before locking the Pats in the NFL basement with the likes of the Jets. I fully expect Bill is going to Execute Order 66 this offseason and just start taking people out left and right because you can tell this season has stung, which can only be worsened seeing Tom Brady’s march to the playoffs down in Tampa. The Pats will have some of, if not the most, cap room in the league this offseason and a Top 15 draft pick so there are some assets there to work with. Whether that means trading up to snag a top tier QB, trading down and rebuilding with even more picks, or hoping another QB shakes loose in free agency, there are plenty of routes back to respectability. I will settle for respectability and then we can discuss returning to championship contender status at a later date.
The best the Patriots can hope for right now is a 2012 Seahawks scenario where they overpay for a backup QB free agent and then hit on a QB with a pick later in the draft. Best case scenario is the Pats sign Marcus Mariota, then draft a QB in the 3rd Round, and Mariota never takes a snap for the team. Similar to how the Seahawks and Pete Carroll gave career backup Matt Flynn a monster 3-year deal before realizing a few weeks later that they had hit the jackpot with Russell Wilson. But stumbling onto another Hall of Fame QB with a late round draft pick isn’t exactlyy probable so I can’t say I am expecting that.
What about former Washington QB Dwayne Haskins? The fastest a 1st Round QB has been outright cut by a team in the last 20 years. Nope. Moving on.
The Patriots unfortunately do not have a lot of elite talent and just about all of their best players are on the wrong side of 30. All of their best offensive players under 30 are linemen and runningbacks, which is why the running game is the only thing thats looked impressive at times. Tight ends we’ll get to in a minute, but the receiving corps is nothing I would bet money on. N’Keal Harry is looking like a gigantic bust and Damiere Byrd and Jakobi Meyers are nice 3rd or 4th receivers, but they are not true No. 1 guys. Things aren’t much better on the defensive side of the ball with their best players under 30 including guys like JC Jackson (who got robbed of a Pro Bowl this year), Chase Winovich, Deatrich Wise, and the book is still out but early signs have looked good on Josh Uche and Kyle Dugger. You can debate anyone I may have left out, but there’s not a lot of young elite talent on the roster except for Jackson (who sneaky got torched last night).
Cam Newton is a great dude, a seemingly beloved teammate, and he has been a model Patriot, but unfortunately he just looks cooked. I don’t know if it’s his shoulder or what, but he just cannot deliver the ball. It’s not all his fault though as the weapons around him have been more like Dollar Store Super Soakers. Even when he does deliver a good pass, he has bum receivers dropping balls like Byrd letting a would be TD bounce off his face mask.
Or rookie (3rd Round pick) TE Devin Asiasi dropping a key first down and adding to his grand total of Zero receptions on the season. Fellow 3rd Round TE Dalton Keene has a measly Two receptions on the year too so Tight End, a historically important position for young/new/mobile QBs, has been BARREN in New England.
Newton can still takeoff for an electric TD run though, which he did Monday night for his 12th of the year. However even that came after what realistically should have been another sack as Newton’s pocket presence and awareness has seemed non-existent this season. But even with the 2nd Most Rushing TDs by a QB in a season (trailing only himself in 2011 with 14), passing for just 5 touchdowns over 14 games simply isn’t going to cut it. I wish it had worked out better, I was really excited to see Cam as a Patriot, but it just hasn’t materialized. It’s not for a lack of effort or attitude, which has been admirable, but even the ever positive Newton sounded dejected after last night’s effort (5/10 for 34 yards, 47.6 QBR).
On Monday he looked exhausted and sounded frustrated. He has been away from his children for months, and not even an admirable work ethic and a team-first attitude has produced much.
“It’s extremely frustrating knowing what you’re capable of but it’s just not showing when it counts the most,” Newton said. “… I’ve sacrificed so much this year and it hurts when you have the outing that you had tonight …
“I’m more or less venting,” he acknowledged.
Jarrett Stidham: Alright down 20+ points, time for me to get in there and start slinging it!
To be fair, Jarrett Stidham, who it looked like might not even see the field, was also terrible, completing 4 of 11 passes for 44 yards with a QBR of 3.7. Again, this team is devoid of elite talent at Wide Receiver (Julian Edelman is still out with a knee injury) and Tight End so it’s hard to evaluate anybody under center, but lets just say Stidham does not appear to be like a young Aaron Rodgers with his path to playing time merely blocked by a former MVP veteran QB.
To make matters even worse, the commentators were borderline depressing too. They will usually try to carry a game broadcast during a blowout, but they were talking about Newton and the Patriots like a “too old to be in the ring” heavyweight boxer that they were legitimately concerned for. And this was with 10 minutes left to go in the 4th quarter. Quite a lot of time to fill as the broadcasters pondered the precarious future of the Patriots.
So we’ll see what the Patriots do and whether they attack the offseason like they did after 2006 when they spent big in free agency and made splashy trades for studs like Randy Moss and Wes Welker, but even then that team had elite building blocks already in place.
All we know is this: Bill has the cap space, an unusually high draft pick, and all the motivation in the world to turn this thing around. Now let’s just hope this is a rebuild and not a tear down.
Patriots CB JC Jackson, who leads the NFL with 6 INTs and has started four games, was left off the Pro Bowl voting list. According to a league spokesman, the Patriots left him off the list. It’s up to the teams. Jackson is scheduled to be a restricted free agent this offseason.
This is the kind of small, petty stuff that won’t fly when the Patriots are going 9-7 without Tom Brady. It’s one thing for a player to suck it up and ignore chasing accolades when you’re going to the AFC Championship eight years in a row. But when that gravy train leaves town, intentionally hurting players’ chances of individual accolades just comes off as petty. If I’m JC Jackson I am BULLSHIT this morning. There is absolutely zero reason for the Patriots to do this other than wanting to keep “Pro Bowler” off of Jackson’s resume when it comes time to negotiate a new contract this offseason. It’s not like he was just the low man on the totem pole as a young player either, there are legitimately extra spots for the Patriots to add cornerbacks to the ballot.
In addition, the NFL spokesman said that teams are allowed to put more than two cornerbacks from their team on the Pro Bowl ballot. This is in recognition of the high amount of nickel defense many teams play.
This is the kind of move that could very easily have a player say “you know what to hell with this place I’m out” and I wouldn’t blame him.
Believe me I don’t want players that are only it for themselves and the personal achievements, but this is just a player getting recognized for his production. Jackson has been arguably your best player this season when you’ve needed him more than ever with Stephon Gilmore hurt.
It just seems penny wise pound foolish to not let Jackson get a little bit of shine. Especially when it’s a player YOU signed as an undrafted free agent and YOU developed who is showing flashes of becoming a stud cornerstone player at 25-years-old. That would be a huge win for Belichick’s recent draft record, which we’ve absolutely hammered here. Jackson has an INT in five straight games and leads the league with six picks. Yea, lets needlessly tweak that guy.
That was a win you can feel good about, Pats Nation.
While, sure, the now 6-5-1 Minnesota Vikings are “underperforming” a bit this year, they should still be considered one of the top teams in the league. Let’s not forget they were in the NFC Championship just last year and are still absolutely loaded on both sides of the ball. And don’t forget the fact that the Pats D was able to keep the league’s seventh-rated passing offense to 10 points and less than 300 yards of total offense.
Well done, fellas. Truly.
The dominant duo of Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen was held to a combined total of 10 receptions, with each receiver failing to crack even 50 yards (or, in Thielen’s case, 30). They also picked off two passes from Kirk Cousins, who barely surpassed the 200-yard mark through the air overall.
It was a rough day on the gridiron for No. 19 yesterday.
Dalvin Cook had a great (and extremely efficient) game on the ground, though, picking up 84 rushing yards on just nine carries. Were it not for the game script, which forced Cousins to throw 44 times, Cook could’ve done more damage. Granted, he did gain most of his yards off of a 32-yard and subsequent 18-yard run at the beginning of the game, but he still averaged 4.8 yards per tote over his other seven opportunities. That’s the best and healthiest he’s looked all year outside of a solid performance against Detroit in Week 9.
In a game where the Pats were expected to – and did indeed – struggle to run the ball, Tom Brady was solid but unremarkable. It was another 300-yard performance for the G.O.A.T., but he had just one score and also threw a pick. However, he was able to get the Pats down the field by spreading the ball around to almost everyone, ultimately allowing big James Develin to rumble in for two separate scores on the goal line. The Pats offense converted 50 percent of its third-down opportunities as well, allowing the team to move the ball even with the overall subpar rushing performance.
Oft forgotten and underappreciated – as most fullbacks are – Devs got some much-deserved shine yesterday at Gillette.
The Pats D, though, was the real story. Again, they were able to keep the three-headed monster of Cousins, Diggs, and Thielen at bay and barely allowed the Vikings to reach double-digits on the scoreboard. Trey Flowers also grabbed another sack, and so didn’t Adam Butler – whom I pointed out last week as a guy who’s been quietly skyrocketing up the depth chart and really establishing himself in the team’s hierarchy up front.
Again, it’s OK to allow yourself to be pretty happy about this one, especially considering – as I’ve mentioned numerous times over the past couple weeks – the schedule is a breeze the rest of the way outside of a huge showdown with Pittsburgh in two weeks.
Here’s a few more quick hits for ya after Sunday’s triumph in Foxborough:
Rookie corner J.C. Jackson continued to impress and is obviously no longer in a time share. He served as the team’s clear-cut No. 3 corner yesterday. Jonathan Jones, who did have one of the team’s two picks on the afternoon, played just three percent of the snaps, compared to 89 percent (!) for Jackson, who came up big on two almost successive plays at the end of the third quarter; with the team up 17-7, Jackson broke up two potential touchdown passes in or near the endzone, forcing the Vikings to kick. That would be the final time they scored in the game. I’ve been saying since the preseason to keep an eye on this kid!
Get to know this face, guys. He’s quickly becoming one of the team’s key pieces on D.
On the team’s very next offensive series after Jackson’s heroics, Brady tied Brett Favre for third place on the all-time passing touchdown list, AND he also tied Peyton Manning for most TD passes all-time when combing regular and postseason play. OH, AAAND just for kicks, he also surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in his career on a 5-yard scramble in the first. Every week it seems like he’s setting another record lately. Again: G…O…A…T!!!
Rex Burkhead touched the ball nine times in his return to action. In all, he was able to muster up 41 total yards, and he had two plays of over 10 yards, showing burst on both a 10-yard run and another 15-yard catch. Sony Michel (18 touches) and James White (13 touches) were still the lead backs, and should be moving forward, but Burkhead is obviously going to be a part of the plan again from here on out.
Josh Gordon hauled in just three passes but demonstrated how vital his big-play ability is for this offense. His 24-yard TD catch at the end of the third put the game away for good.
Yesterday’s victory guaranteed the Patriots their 19th straight winning season.
Up next for the Pats is a game with the Fins in Miami this Sunday. Be sure to check in with The 300s later on this week for the game preview!
First and foremost, the boys are finally back in action tonight!!! After what felt like an extremely long offseason, the first Patriots preseason game of the year kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium against Washington.
Even though the team is just getting things started, we are already three levels deep into “The 300s Previews the Patriots” series. After focusing on the offensive side of the ball in both Part 1 and Part 2, today we’re going to give you a look at the defense, specifically regarding exactly whom is going to replace Malcolm Butler.
It’s actually really sad how things ended with Butler, who signed a deal with the Titans this offseason, and I’ll be entirely honest in saying that I’m still not over Belichick’s decision to sit him for the Super Bowl. (Seriously, though, what in the HELL could the guy – a guy who played 98 EFFING PERCENT of the defensive snaps last season – have possibly done to not play in the biggest game of the year? Even worse, we’ll never know the actual reason, because Belichick is apparently taking that shit to the grave.)
I’ll still always love you, Malcolm. And while I’ve yet to get married or have a kid, I know this will always remain one of the very greatest moments of my entire life:
Anyway, it’s time to suck it up, and it’s time for someone else to step in and take Butler’s place opposite Stephon Gilmore in the team’s secondary this season. At least we know Gilmore is a stud; he was excellent in his first year with the team last season. But other than that, there are a couple solid veteran guys and a mishmosh of talented young players/rookies to choose from at corner.
For some reason, the team also worked out free-agent cornerback Bashaud Breeland on Tuesday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rappoport:
The #Patriots continue to check out top available free agents, working out FA CB Bashaud Breeland today, source said. Would be an intriguing addition.
According to the team’s current official depth chart (which means diddly squat this early in camp, but still), Eric Rowe is leading the way. The 25-year-old has had an inconsistent two years with the Pats after being acquired from the Eagles for a fourth-rounder after his rookie season in 2015. At times, he’s been really bad, and at other times he looks like he’s worthy of the pick the team gave up for him. If Rowe (6’1″, 205 pounds) wins out, he and Gilmore (6’1″, 201 pounds) will make for a pretty stout pairing that should be able to match up physically with most outside receivers. Rowe doesn’t have the speed that Gilmore possesses, but both are tailor-made to play on the boundary.
What many fans are rooting for instead, however, is that Jason McCourty – twin brother of Patriots safety Devin McCourty – will win the job and give the team a little dose of double trouble in the defensive backfield. The Pats acquired Jason McCourty this offseason from the Browns, and many assumed he would automatically win the starting job, especially considering the fact that the trade occurred just two days after Butler signed with Tennessee.
While brother Devin has been a Patriots mainstay since 2010 and is a two-time Pro Bowler (2010 and 2016), Jason hasn’t been quite as prolific. Still, he has been a starter for both Tennessee and Cleveland, respectively, for the past seven seasons and has 26 passes defensed over the past two years with the Browns.
Other than Rowe and McCourty, nobody else has much of shot at winning the open job at outside corner, but there are a few young guys vying to be team’s “third” corner. Here’s a quick look at some of the players gunning to be the team’s starter in the slot:
Jonathan Jones: After a season-ending ankle injury he suffered against the Titans in the playoffs last season, Jones returned to practice for the first time on Tuesday and is expected to be the frontrunner. He initially made the team as an undrafted rookie out of Auburn in 2016, and he continued his impressive ascension last year by playing on over 40 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. Overall, he finished with 44 tackles and eight pass breakups, and he is also one of the team’s top special teams guys.
Duke Dawson: The rookie out of Florida was selected by the Pats with the 24th pick in the second round of the draft this past May, and according to ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss, he has been playing alongside Gilmore and Rowe in three-cornerback sets this summer. This may be subject to change with Jonathan Jones back in the fold, but the the team wouldn’t have used such a high selection on the 5’10”, 198-pounder with 4.46 speed if they didn’t believe in him.
J.C. Jackson: Undrafted like Jones, Jackson is another rookie who’s impressed so far this offseason. While he’s been roasted at times by guys like Gronk and Chris Hogan, MassLive’s Andrew Callahan also points out that he’s made some pretty great plays as well, breaking up passes in 11-on-11 drills and picking off a two-point conversion attempt. Still, he’s pretty unlikely to beat anyone out for a starting spot just yet.
And oh by the way, Cyrus Jones is still on the team, too, (*vomit*) and it seems like the team is still going to give him a chance to prove himself in some capacity. (At least he can return punts?)
Regardless of exactly how the final depth chart looks, I can’t remember the last time the Pats had such solid depth in the secondary – and we haven’t mentioned the team’s safeties either. Even with the team set to face the likes of Deshaun Watson, Matthew Stafford, Andrew Luck, Marcus Mariota, Ben Roethlisberger, Kirk Cousins, and the other really good No. 12 who plays quarterback in Green Bay this season, I’m feeling pretty good.
So even though I’ll still miss you, Malcolm, I think we’re gonna be just fine.
The 300s 