It's been an interesting start to the New England Patriots 2023 campaign - lots of noise around the program that has not necessarily been there in years past. The Brady-Belichick dynasty has been over, and they have fallen into mediocrity since, but some loyal and rational fans still see the potential in this 53 man franchise. As I am a bit behind on my Patriots blogging, as I have been a bit busy defending the wall against some insufferable hate, here is a bit of a mish mosh of work I had written about game 1, and some more going into today's game 3 against the NYJs:
TB12 in the house, first game back with O'Brien calling the plays, Belichick looking youthful and vibrant on the sidelines as a now 70+ year old coach, rain and elements, but the Patriots make uncharacteristic mistakes down the stretch and can't overcome the costly two early turnovers.
Keyshon Boutte has a lot of potential - and the dude will get it right moving forward - but those two missed third and fourth downs with solid throws from Mac and no feet were killer.
These are games you have got to win - when you look back at the Patriots record over the last 25 years, you may see the consistent 12-4, 13-3 seasons and think they were simply dominant from start to finish as games would progress. There were of course some blowouts in there, but Patriot football is always about establishing the pace of play early, making the other team make the mistake, and putting pressure on the opponent to make some sort of miraculous effort into the fray at the end.
This is an outrageously competitive division, likely the best in the NFL (AFC West close second) and close games where you outplay your opponent at home need to be in the win column. In the last couple of years, that has not been the case - 2022 against Cincinnati and Baltimore come to mind.
Is Mac Jones 'the guy'? I think he's a really solid player, but he needs to change his mindset and play downhill from the JUMP. The psychology shifts as a quarterback when you get a bit behind the 8 ball - and some guys can feel more comfortable in that situation as opposed to when you're the one leading the charge. That's why sometimes it's easier to be the one chasing than being chased - and that's what made TB12 so good for so long was the capability to be comfortable in both of those situations. So Mac needs to work on the latter - put himself and the team in a position of authority, and maintain it - as opposed to playing the hero role after getting down a score or two. Rip it from the opening whistle!
Barmore and Keion White are damn good - O-line played really solid against a tough Philly pass rush (can't believe it's still Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox back there, credit to them for great careers). Kendrick Bourne is poised for a strong season. Glad to see Rhamondre Stevenson pick it up in the second half.
The biggest fear is the Patriots falling into the 'really tough team' category - that's not where the NEPs want to be, that's for the Jets and Bills of the world. When coaches start saying 'we hate playing in New England, they are always a tough opponent' that's when you know you're destined for 7 wins.
Three straight years losing on opening day is not great, and not what we're used to in New England. Congrats to the OTM hometown team Niners as well - I may have to do their write up as well since their writer is out on the golf course (never did it, can barely do the Patriots one, shameful really).
So that was week 1 - optimism, and some excitement for going toe to toe against the defending NFC champions and (in my opinion) outplaying them solidly for three quarters of the football game. After this, I made a bold prediction on OneTake Radio that I foresaw the Patriots winning the division at 12-5 after this performance.
Week 2 was a different story... the O-line was beat up and ugly from the start, the D-line not getting near the push, and the defensive backs struggled a bit more in turn, besides Christian Gonzalez who balled out completely, especially with that interception over Tyreek Hill when the Dolphins went for the knockout blow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgKn1FS11X8&ab_channel=NFL
Patriots did not control the pace at all, but even still had the chance to win down the stretch against a more than formidable Dolphins team - one could easily make the argument that New England has played two top 5 teams in their early season battles, and played them formidably. But there is that ghost of mediocrity creeping in... never want to be the 'tough team.'
After week 2, we decided to make a slight shift in mindset - we are now focused week to week as opposed to focusing on the big picture final record, though I still very much see 12-5 on the table with improved health at DB and O-line. Nobody other than the Jets in a few short hours, and Zach Wilson is a welcome opponent. Patriots are SLIGHT at their strongest position, defensive secondary, and Zach must be pumped that Jonathan Jones and Devin McCourty will not be on the field in the Meadowlands. If Patriots can manage to keep it within reason on the offensive-defensive line matchup, they should win this game by two touchdowns. And I hope Schooler makes another sick special teams play - nobody loves special teams more than Schooler, Belichick, and Matt Slater. Joe Cardona too.
Gotta win the ones you're supposed to win... Patriots 24 - Jets 10 - Mac Jones and Bill O'Brien get their first win together, TI is unhappy he loses another bet on New England, and all is right in the world. See you for kick-off in a few hours... it's about the program.
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