The morning after…
This will be a regular feature, where I pick through some of the game I didn't write on Sunday or briefly touched.
Mac Jones threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. Based on last season's car crash of a trainwreck, that should be cause for celebration. And indeed, there were pockets of the game where the third-year QB looked like a player you can win with. But there were other periods where he was wild with the football, and it proved costly.
The first example is the most obvious, the pick-6. I'll preface by saying that I did not love the idea of the quick passing game in the bad weather. Those plays require throws to be on top of receivers, often before they even turn their head. That happened on the interception. However, the ball was high and wide. Kendrick Bourne should have caught it because he had both hands on the ball. That's what he gets paid to do. But that throw had heat and was inaccurate and gift-wrapped a touchdown for Darius Slay and the Eagles.
The next series was a one-play debacle, the Ezekiel Elliott fumble that led to another score. It was 16-0 against the reigning NFC Champs. Time to answer? Nope. On 2nd and long, either Mac or JuJu Smith-Schuster - or both - misread a return route, and James Bradberry nearly had his own pick 6. The throw was late and to the wrong shoulder.
Jump ahead to the 4th quarter. Down 22-14, the Pats faced a 4th and 3 from the Philly 17. It appeared that Bourne was open on a crossing route, but Mac a) didn't see him and b) the pocket broke down quickly, leading to a fruitless trip into the red zone when you could ill-afford it.
Finally, at 25-20, Jones floated a ball to the left flat that Avonte Maddox could have intercepted. I've heard some commentary on this throw. It just sailed on him, which turned out to be the difference between a turnover and not. But I was not too fond of the read or the throw.
I could add what turned out to be Mac's final throw of the day, the out to Kayshon Boutte. The rookie wasn't the first read, so Jones came to him late. But he did drive the throw, and Boutte's awareness was lacking. That leads me to my next point…
- If DeVante Parker played, the Pats probably win the game. Say what you will about the veteran wideout - god knows I have, much to his chagrin - but he could have/would have made a difference yesterday. Boutte - Parker's one-for-one replacement - was targeted in two significant moments: on the third down of the opening drive of the third quarter and then the aforementioned final play. Mac perfectly placed a ball to the back shoulder on the former, and should have been a first down. But the LSU product didn't get his second foot in bounds, and trust me, he should have.
The latter came against a second-year cornerback, Jackson Jobe, who was playing because starter Bradberry had gotten hurt earlier in the drive. Boutte's failure to drag the second foot showed no field or situational awareness. For all of my complaints about Parker, I believe he would have caught that football and gotten both dogs inbounds. Then the drive continues, and who knows how this finishes up. Instead, the Pats are 0-1.
Then again, this is what you get with Parker. Only once in his 8-year career has Parker played every game. That was in 2019, his only 1,000-yard season. Since then, Parker has played 14, 10, and, in his first campaign, it's the Pats, 13 games. Here we are, one game into the season, and Parker was already unavailable. You get what you pay for.
- Sticking with the wide receivers, does anyone buy Bill Belichick's explanation about why the last drive had Boutte, fellow rookie Demario Douglas, and Bourne as the three receivers? At the same time, big free agent signee Smith-Schuster stood on the sideline.
"Yeah, again we had different groups, different rotations, so we're good with whoever is in there," Belichick said postgame.
Let me ask you this: If Jakobi Meyers (who was immense for the Raiders yesterday) was on the roster, would he have been on the field? 100%. But the Pats signed a player with a knee issue (I reported on this at the time, long before the "knee could explode at any moment" was uttered) and then kept him sidelines all spring and managed him in training camp and, perhaps (?) the game yesterday. Not great, Bob.
- We've been highlighting the Devin McCourty replacement roulette all summer. We had our first answer. Jabril Peppers. He played 58 snaps alongside Kyle Dugger (66). And, at least for one week, Peppers had no real issues in coverage, which has long been his weak spot since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2017.
Peppers showed terrific range early in the third quarter, coming from centerfield to the far sideline to record a pass breakup on a go route to Devonta Smith. Smith had a step on corner Jon Jones, who was playing press man. Peppers ranged to his right and got both hands on the ball before the collision with both Smith and Jones jarred the ball loose.
Peppers also damn near helped the Pats steal the game, forcing that late 4th quarter fumble by Hurts.
"I wanted to get him more airborne and put him on his back, but he squats a lot," said Peppers postgame. "It was still a pretty good pop. Didn't realize the ball didn't come out til after."
That's the kind of presence Peppers provides. As Matthew Judon noted, "Jabril walk the weight room and locker room, shadow boxing. We know he's a physical guy."
If that physical player can be as improved in coverage as he was Sunday, the Pats will have fewer growing pains at that spot than I feared.
Meanwhile, fellow safeties Adrian Phillips (17) and Jalen Mills (9) saw themselves assuming reduced roles. Based on game plans, I'm sure that could change on a week-to-week basis, but we have our first bit of evidence, and it was positive.
