Buckle up, Pats fans! It’s going to be one of those kinds of seasons.
What to make of these 1-2 Patriots? They’re up in some areas, down in others and overall a work-in-progress. What they aren’t yet, is a team that can win games with sloppy, undisciplined play. What they do have is a quarterback they can build on and around, and that’s a good thing. To get this train rolling, the front office needs at least one more solid draft to shore up depth at almost every position. Players will benefit the more time
they spend together, to build the kind of familiarity that fosters consistency and trust. Add on a refresher course in fundamentals to eliminate the penalties and improve ball security and they may just have a contender.
To the coaches’ credit, tackling was noticeably better in Week 3. To their detriment, the turnover issue cost them the game. Penalties and field awareness — including where the first-down marker is —also need attention.
Off the field, the rankings reflect this volatility. Most experts are slotting the Pats in the 20-27 range. They are no longer in the bottom five, thanks to that Week 2 win, Drake Maye, and defensive flashes. This week’s home matchup vs. the surging Panthers (who just shut out Atlanta 30-0) is important to steady the ship. A win could vault them into the teens; another slip, and the basement beckons. Mike Vrabel has preached resilience and it’s time to see if this roller coaster levels out. What’s your take: Maye for MVP or more misery?
GO PATS!!
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Around the AFC East:
Buffalo Bills (3-0) vs. New Orleans Saints (0-3)
New England Patriots (1-2) vs. Carolina Panthers (1-2)
New York Jets (0-3) at Miami Dolphins (0-3)
AFC Matchups:
Indianapolis Colts (3-0) at Los Angeles Rams (2-1)
Los Angeles Chargers (3-0) at New York Giants (0-3)
Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) at Denver Broncos (1-2)
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1) at San Francisco 49ers (3-0)
Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) vs. Minnesota Vikings (2-1)
Las Vegas Raiders (1-2) vs. Chicago Bears (1-2)
Baltimore Ravens (1-2) at Kansas City Chiefs (1-2)
Houston Texans (0-3) vs. Tennessee Titans (0-3)
Cleveland Browns (1-2) at Detroit Lions (2-1)
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20th – Pete Prisco (CBS Sports): They have a turnover issue right now which cost them the Steelers game. That has to be fixed or they won’t win many games. [+2]
21st – Conor Orr (SI): I think we’re conflating the idea of more TreVeyon Henderson touches versus better TreVeyon Henderson touches. Think first-year Jahmyr Gibbs, which is why Rhamondre Stevenson might not be done yet. [+2]
23rd – Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports): It’s not like Mike Vrabel and the staff didn’t know Rhamondre Stevenson was a fumbler. And his two fumbles cost them a chance to beat the Steelers. The Patriots outplayed Pittsburgh but had nothing to show for it. It will be interesting to see the trust level in Stevenson going forward. [+1]
23rd – Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News): The Patriots saw their full potential with Drake Maye at work with his arm, legs and leadership against the Dolphins. It helps Maye has settled on his best supporting offensive skill weapons. [+3]
24th – Diante Lee (The Ringer): If Drake Maye can just protect the ball, he might save the Patriots season. It shouldn’t be lost upon any Patriots fan that this team left a three-game stretch against the Raiders, Dolphins, and Steelers with a 1-2 record. That tells us a lot about how many holes there are on this roster and how slim the margins are for QB Drake Maye to win. That any of these games have been within a possession speaks to how much of the heavy lifting he’s had to do, but turning the ball over in losses is what people will remember. If he can clean up those bad plays, I’m certain the Patriots can start to turn it around. [-2]
25th – NFL Nation (ESPN): Biggest issue on defense: Lack of turnovers. Coach Mike Vrabel’s desired team identity is one that protects the ball and creates ball disruption. But the Patriots have had six turnovers on the season (including five on Sunday) and have forced only three (one in each game). Perhaps getting second-team All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez back from a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined for the past three games will help create more disruption. — Mike Reiss. [-1]
25th – Nate Davis (USA Today): Speaking of Brady, the last time the Pats committed 5 turnovers before Sunday was 2008 (also against Pittsburgh) − when the GOAT’s season was wiped out by a Week 1 ACL tear. [-1]
26th – Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk): If the Patriots were horses, they’d fumble Paul Revere. [-3]
26th – Ralph Vacchiano (FOX Sports): Drake Maye out-played Aaron Rodgers and might have beaten him too if it weren’t for a late 4th-quarter fumble. That highlighted the Pats’ biggest problem: their leaky O-line. [-1]
27th – Eric Edholm (NFL.com): You could make a case they could be a really ugly 3-0, but the Patriots were also one or two plays away from being 0-3 right now. Instead, they’re 1-2 with two home losses, and Sunday’s turnover party showed a shocking lack of discipline from a Mike Vrabel-coached team. They’re up to 27 penalties on the season, which also doesn’t reflect too kindly on the new coach. Rhamondre Stevenson’s two lost fumbles are an issue that could soon come to a head as far as the backfield rotation goes. And Drake Maye, for all his fine plays in Sunday’s game and so far this season, is making too many avoidable mistakes. In addition to his fumble and pick, Maye also had two bad passes that should have been intercepted. If the Patriots struggle at home next week against an energized Panthers team, it might be time to permanently adjust our expectations for this season. [-2]
AVG RANK: 24.0 [-0.5]
