CoachSpeak is back for round two with yours truly. We heard from the assistants here on Tuesday morning. As several of them were taking place simultaneously, I couldn't be everywhere all at once. So, I focused on a few, including Bill O'Brien. As always, they use words, and I am here to interpret them uniquely.
I asked O'Brien his reaction to Mac Jones putting the loss on himself and if that was accurate: "We all felt similar. Each within our own roles, we all have to do a better job; whether you're the offensive coordinator or, the quarterback, or the running back or, the right guard, left guard (etc.), doesn't matter. When you lose a football game - and I think that's one of the really good things about this football team, as we sit here today, this is a team that is very together, and we all realize that we're in it together. That the coaches are working hard to improve, the players are working really hard to improve, and like I said from day one, it's really a fun group to coach, and we all want to get on the track, and we're working very hard to do that and we're doing it together."
Giardi translation: O'Brien would be foolish to agree with Mac's assessment because it was wrong. The defeat doesn't hang on the quarterback and solely the quarterback; however, O'Brien and the Pats will need Jones to break through and win one of these close games. It's not for the fans (though that wouldn't hurt) but rather for himself to know that he can deliver at this level and to his teammates, who praised the third-year pro for battling but would love to know 'hey, we've done this before with Mac and we're going to do it again and again and again.' The psychology of this is essential, as is the confidence all parties will gain from having a winning moment like that. Yes, I know Jones put the ball right on Kayshon Boutte and 4th down, so again, it's not all on him, but until it happens, it has yet to happen. You dig (I do believe it will happen)?
O'Brien on Mac the decision maker: "Mac is a really good decision maker. Very smart, very prepared. He goes into every game. Every practice, every game - whether it was preseason or this first game - very prepared with the information that he has received, and he studies hard. He studies a lot on his own. He studies with us. He's very regimented about how he goes about his process, getting ready for each day, each week. So I think that always leads to improvement and good decision-making. I think Mac is a good decision-maker."
Giardi translation: We weren't lying about Mac's greatest strength, his brain. He processes well. He does a good job working through his progressions. He understands defenses and what the Pats are trying to do to them. I've not doubted that about this quarterback. But a couple of things that we've seen with him now in 32 starts over three years is that sometimes, the game does speed up on him, and he loses his calm in the pocket. That Darius Slay interception was a prime example. Mac didn't let the tight end clear the area, adding extra bodies and thereby increasing the odds that a tipped pass would end up in the wrong hands. The other thing that stands out is the arm strength. Throw the ball between the numbers, and there is no issue. I like what I've seen there since day one. But some of the stuff outside the numbers, or pushing it deep, shakes my confidence. He doesn't have that consistent velocity that either a) makes those plays work or b) keeps the ball out of harm's way. If it has yet to improve by now, I'm still determining how much better it will get.
Troy Brown on JuJu Smith-Schuster having a reduced role in week one: "Whatever packages we have in the game, those are the players we put out there on the field in certain packages, and those are guys that are going to run those plays. That's just the way it worked out in the game. There's no set rep count for everybody when we go into the game. It's just how the game plays out. I really don't know how many plays players have at certain points in the game. I really don't find that until later on that night or the next morning."
Ross Douglas, when I asked if they don't have confidence in JuJu to play outside (which was a big selling point when they signed him): "No, I wouldn't say that. Even in some of our two personnel receiver sets, JuJu was on the outside, so it's not like he wasn't playing or exclusively playing on the inside. He's a guy who's versatile, big, smart, and can do a lot of things in the run game as a blocker. He can do some things as a route runner, so we feel good with any of these guys."
Giardi translation: The dude isn't where he needs to be yet. Now, whether that's a conditioning issue or the knee or not fully grasping the offense, I can't say. I know the knee isn't 100% and may never be. But guys can play and thrive if they can get it to a certain level. Smith-Schuster says it's getting better every day. He won't confess what level it's at or where it started. Nor do I expect him to, at least not yet. But not having DeVante Parker Sunday should have been an additional opportunity to get the free agent signee on the field. Instead, Boutte got 55 snaps in Parker's spot, 12 more than JuJu received over the game's length. It's not ideal, no matter how you feel about Boutte and what he may or may not be. He should play a complementary role instead of being out there in virtually all the big moments, including the offense's final play. And Smith-Schuster should have been out there instead of watching from the bench if they felt as good about them as they should, considering the money invested and the player he replaced (reliable Jakobi Meyers)—something to keep watching as we go forward.
And speaking of that 4th down and 3, Douglas said JuJu could have done more to get open, acknowledging it wasn't perfect: "Yes, he did the right thing. Could have been better to where it could have been more advantageous to us on offense, absolutely. This is a thing we watched over. We had a good conversation about it. We know what we have to do moving forward."
Giardi translation: Not great, Bob. Not great.
Mike Pellegrino on the Miami Dolphins and its loaded wide receiver room: "I would say these guys bring a different element of speed. Dynamic players. These guys really get down the field, they stretch the field, they don't just run deep routes, they run short routes. Their route explosion is very good. These guys can plant at crazy angles and get in and out of their routes. They can roll it, they can hit it sharp. It's a very talented group."
Giardi translation: Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are bad, bad men. Hill had 11 catches for 215 yards and two scores, while Waddle had 78 yards on four catches. But they aren't just speed guys. Hill is the best receiver in the league. No one can stress a defense regardless of where he lines up like Hill. But he has vastly improved as a route runner and has long since lost those questionable hands.
Meanwhile, if you want to focus all your attention on Hill and double him, Waddle can also take over a game. He got you last year in week one, taking advantage of the coverage/safety, cheating slightly to Hill's side, and allowing Waddle to crease you down the middle of the field. AJ Brown and Devonta Smith were a big challenge on Sunday. This duo will be even more difficult for Pellegrino's corners, who will again be without Jack Jones (on IR with the hamstring).