The Patriots have started off the 2021 season in ugly fashion.
They’ve lost two games at home, and are 1-2 through their first three games. The Patriots have a lengthy list of issues that have caused their slow start, and none of which is the team’s rookie quarterback.
Mac Jones hasn’t been perfect, and has certainly shown some rookie moments, but he has played good enough to get the Patriots some victories. He has not prevented them from winning games.
After three games, the Patriots’ inability to make stops on defense in the fourth quarter, and their offensive line have presented as the two biggest issues on the team. The run defense has also been under-whelming, and the run game hasn’t lived up to the expectations. Even simpler miscues like kicking the ball out of bounds on a kickoff has been an issue. The Patriots have prided themselves on their special teams unit for two decades, but to this point the unit has not been good. All of these issues have been bigger issues than the quarterback position.
When Mac Jones has gotten a clean pocket, he’s looked his best.
But, the issue is, that Jones has seemingly been on the run on the early part of this season. Once right tackle Trent Brown went down with a calf injury, the offensive line melted, and has failed to really recover. Jones has been hit 17 times this season. Only Ben Roethlisberger has been hit more than Jones this season. Jones was hit a whopping seven times in the first-half against the New Orleans Saints.
The 23 year old Jones has really taken a beating early on, and it’s not good for his physical health. Left tackle Isaiah Wynn hasn’t performed to expectations, and with right tackle being a mess, Jones hasn’t been able to really play consistently without having to run for his life. Look, Jones hasn’t been a real factor throwing the ball down the field, but when it comes to short, quick patterns he’s impressed.
Jones tossed 3 total interceptions against the Saints. But, an argument could be made that they were not all on Jones. The first interception was due to getting hit before he released the ball, the second was caused by a drop by Jonnu Smith. And the final interception occurred on the last drive of the game in garbage time.
He still has a long way to go, but there isn’t much he can do without the offensive line cooperating to some extent.
The offensive line hasn’t just been bad in the pass-game, but they have failed to really do much in the run game. Other than a few breakout runs, the run game has been held in check. Many anticipated that the run game would be a top-10 unit in the NFL, but they currently rank 24th in the NFL in rushing yards, and 20th in yards per carry. If the Patriots want to turn this thing around, getting Trent Brown back will go a long way.
The defense has also been a disappointment in some pivotal spots this season. Sure, they haven’t allowed a plethora of points, but they have have struggled to make a big stop, or have failed to get off the field on a crucial third-down. The Saints were 6-13 on third-down this past Sunday, and this ultimately prevented the Patriots from having an opportunity to get the ball back. The Patriots defense had an opportunity to get a stop in Week 1 and Week 3 this season late in the fourth quarter. But, both resulted in the game virtually ending. Who knows how these games would have ended if the defense got a stop?
The Patriots have a daunting task in front of them as Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs come to town in one of the most anticipated regular season games in NFL history. It’s certainly a big spot for Mac Jones, but to this point he has not been the reason why the Patriots are losing games.
It’s easy to blame the quarterback, but the Patriots sit 1-2 because the team has ultimately let Mac Jones down.