It wasn't supposed to go like this.
Any of it.
Heading into the Week 4 Tom-aggeddon matchup with the Bucs, the Patriots were supposed to have ironed out most of the kinks. The new receivers would be playing faster, the tight ends would be an emerging dynamic duo, the offensive line was going to be opening huge holes for a loaded backfield, and Mac Jones was supposed to be getting better each week.
Against the Bucs and Tom Brady, the Patriots were going to be 3-0 — 2-1 at worst — and ready to unleash their new-found chemistry and timing.
The reality is, the Patriots' offense is a bungling mess and no quick-fix solutions on how to right the ship.
The new receivers? Kendrick Bourne is making some plays, but Nelson Agholor hasn't found is role and appears to be getting frustrated.
The tight ends ... Hunter Henry has been ok but was last seen sprinting to a false start to ruin a 3rd and 1 play. Jonnu Smith had, on Sunday, one of the worst all-around Patriots offensive performances in recent memory and looked like he was a rookie.
The loaded backfield has seen one back traded, the presumed starter and playmaker basically benched for stretches because he can't pass protect, the rookie backup benched because the team can't trust him to hang on to the ball, the best player injured and likely out for the season, and was reliant on a special teams player who has lost at least a step.
The offensive line, who should be top 5 in the league, has been dominated in all three games — even against the Jets — and were made to look silly against the Saints.
And the rookie quarterback, thanks to mounting pressure allowed by his line, backs and tight ends (35, 35 and 40 percent), has taken a beating, been sped up and is not getting better.
To borrow from Frank Drebin ... "And where the hell were they?"
No, this isn't where anyone, including themselves, figured the Patriots would be. And they definitely don't want to be in this spot.
But there's still 14 games left — a lot of season — and a lot can happen. The defense started to show some signs against the Saints, but the Patriots aren't going anywhere soon unless the offense starts to function at least a little bit.
How are they going to do it? We'll get into the positional ratings, gamecharts and 3 up/3 down, but some guesses on how the Patriots will crawl out of the pit they bottomed out in against the Saints.
1. Get Trent Brown back into the lineup: No one is making excuses for this line and this offense, but losing Brown after one series this season was a huge blow. The Patriots went from having the best run-blocking duo on the right side to ... nothing. The Patriots haven't rushed one time around right end this season, and they are averaging just 1.40 yards rushing over the right tackle (31st in the league). To help Justin Herron and Yasir Durant (and, due to popular opinion, they have helped), the Patriots have spun the dial with techniques and some of them have affected the tight ends in the passing game. The Patriots need their rushing game back and solid five-man protections and they're not going to get that without Brown. There is confidence Brown will be back for the Bucs game.
2. Dial things back: The Patriots are literally having trouble putting one foot in front of the other (Smith). When that happens with a young and disjointed unit, the best thing to do is to back to the basic plays and see if you can improve the overall execution. It doesn't matter who you have and what plays you call if you can't execute them at a high level. That means dialing everything back and starting with what works and building from there. So far this season, it hasn't been much. But more controlled passes to start drives, mixed in with a power run game, and then spreading things out if the unit is looking good.
I mean, take the first few plays on Sunday:
And the first five plays to start the second half:
3. Give the backs their jobs back, and vary the running game: Ok, Rhamondre Stevenson, you're out of timeout. Damien Harris, you get to prove yourself in pass protection. Everyone receives a Get Out Of Ivan Fears' Jail Card (the veteran coach chooses most of the personnel during the game). The Patriots need some stability in the backfield, so let's start defining roles and sticking with them, through thick and thin. This is all you have. You put them on the roster, you need to play them. And give JJ Taylor a shot in the James White role. If Jones can be inserted into the lineup as a future bet and to get experience, why can't the young backs? While we're at it, starting putting the ball in Kendrick Bourne's hands on end arounds and other creative runs. Do some fun stuff with Taylor. Just a few each game to keep defenses honest and to slow down the linebackers.
4. Protect Jones at all cost: He can't keep taking hits like this. If you thought a motivated Bucs team coming to Gillette to have Brady's back was terrifying ... how about a blowout loss, Jones hurt and Brian Hoyer as your next starting quarterback?
More max protections. Fewer receivers — who actually know how to run them — in routes. Go back to baby steps, and then opening things up. The Patriots opened things up too quickly, the group wasn't ready as a whole, and Jones has paid a heavy physical price for that.
It's not too late for this group. Not by a long shot. But sometimes you have to take a few steps back to go forward.
Here are the positional ratings against the Saints:
OFFENSE
Quarterback (1.5 out of 5)
Despite all the grenades going on around him, Jones played reasonably well in the first half with five plus throws, two minus throws and one minus decision when he threw a quick checkdown against a three-man rush in the red zone. This is what happens when you allow too much pressure, and you're going against a defense that keeps changing pressure and coverage looks. Things were not good in the second half, as the Saints were able to pin their ears back a little bit: one plus throw, eight minus plays (four throws, four decisions). He's increasingly getting sped up, so his play is declining. The Patriots have to find a way to settle things down for Jones. ... Typical of this game: on the first pass of the game, Jones got greedy and overshot the receiver when a big play was set up underneath to Henry. On the second pass, Mike Onwenu allows a free rusher to smack Jones and he doesn't have time to hit the mismatch wheel to James White against a linebacker. ... Jones pulled a play out of his rear against pressure, somehow gets off a perfect 30-yard pass to Smith as Jones is getting belted, and Smith drops it. You can't make this stuff up.
Running backs (1 out of 5)
After Harris' first run where he broke a few tackles, it was all downhill, especially with shoddy pass protection. ... Shame Taylor's 17-yard run got called back due to two holds, but that should have showed the coaches something. ... Harris gave up a sack, rather easily, against a nickel back. That is going to be a rough film review.
Receivers (1 out of 5)
Kendrick Bourne was very good, Jakobi Meyers had a few moments, Hunter Henry had a nice catch, and the rest was not good at all, especially by Smith. ... Anyone seen Nelson Agholor? ... You know what I'd like to see? One of the new receivers or tight ends to run every single route with conviction. Get down the field, stick a foot in the ground, come straight down the line with speed, then show hands and catch the ball. Right now they look like a bunch of little leaguers chasing down a fly ball with their gloves extended for 10 yards.
Offensive line (0 out of 5)
Just an awful job all around, especially by the tackles and David Andrews, who got manhandled in this game: an almost 50 percent run-stuff percentage, and a 40 percent pressure rate — and the Saints didn't even blitz that much. A pressure rate above 35 percent is basically a death sentence for a pocket QB. The Patriots have allowed at least 35 percent in every game this season. It has to stop, somehow. ... Order of effectiveness: Mason, Onwenu, Wynn, Andrews, Herron. ... I mean, look at this cavalcade of blocking errors on the Jones INT to PJ Williams. Just a butt whipping:
Defensive line (3.5 out of 5)
Outside of the last drive, when they got pushed around, I thought the defensive line took a big step forward in this game and were much, much more consistent defending the run. ... Davon Godchaux definitely got the message, his two-gap technique was much better. ... Still, not a ton of great pressure and most of the sacks and hits came via coverage pressure. ... Matthew Judon had a couple of sacks, but it looked like he was at fault on the Alvin Kamara walk-in, untouched TD. ... Christian Barmore keeps getting better but he and Godchaux still had a few overaggressive mistakes. ... It's just not consistent yet. ... Lawrence Guy was better in this game.
Linebackers (2.5 out of 5)
Meh. Ja'Whaun Bentley had some moments because the big fellas did their job better, but Dont'a Hightower was invisible again (out of gap on last TD) and watched much of the second half. ... Jahlani Tavai, really? Was Harvey Langhi busy? This is only going to encourage people to want Jamie Collins back. That's all this defense needs, more members of the 2019 failed boogeymen, only two years older. Wonderful. ... I'd take draft pick Cameron McGrone coming off ACL before I added more ex-Patriots.
Secondary (1.5 out of 5)
It's not like the secondary got gashed but there were some untimely big plays and mistakes, including Adrian Phillips and Kyle Dugger ending up in the same spot on a third-down reception. Dugger also had the punt block, but at least he made a few plays (knockdown, 1.5 stuffs). ... Jonathan Jones had a TD allowed. ... Joejuan Williams gave too much cushion on a conversion.
THREE UP
1. Kendrick Bourne: Sensational touchdown, and he had two other big plays.
2. Ja'Whaun Bentley: Before he suffered an injury, the linebacker was finally able to impact some plays.
3. Davon Godchaux: If he starts improving on this, the Patriots might be able to stop the run.
THREE DOWN
1. Jonnu Smith: Has to be the worst offensive performance I've ever seen — Ryan Izzo had a few stinkers, but I think this tops it. He looked like something was completely off, like he was impaired by illness or a personal situation or something. That was not Jonnu Smith out there.
2. Justin Herron: 6.5 total quarterback pressures and a stuffed run.
3. Damien Harris: Got beat badly on a couple of pass protections. Can't happen.