ARLINGTON, TEXAS -
The morning after…
This will be a regular feature, where I pick through some of the game that I didn't write on Sunday or briefly touched.
So, that happened.
The Cowboys did to the Patriots what they have done to so many teams during the glory years. They only welcomed them into their home to bully them in all three phases. Screw it. Make it four. Coaching, too. That might have been as lopsided as any elements in this blowout. It was a non-stop celebration in front of a national television audience, filled with explosive plays, defensive scores, and even a fake extra point. But instead of the Pats being the stars of such a show, it was the sons of Mike McCarthy laying the smackdown, the same sons that got whipped by the Arizona Cardinals the week prior. What in the name of John 'Hog' Hannah is going on here? How did something so right for so long go so wrong?
It begins with organizational arrogance. The Pats think they're smarter than everyone else on every front. But while the rest of the league has embraced the rule changes that have made playing defense so hard, and conversely, offense - passing offense in particular - easier, Bill Belichick's roster build has left his team devoid of any playmakers—nary a one. Think about how hard that is to accomplish. More college receivers are coming into the league and making an immediate impact than ever. But Pats fans are pining for more plays from a 6th round rookie out of Liberty, Demario Douglas. He could eventually provide that juice but don't pretend they had a real plan for 'Pop' to integrate into the offense immediately. Don't let them sell you that nonsense.
So, what does that say about the team's overall plan to improve a below-average unit from a year ago? I'll tell you what it says - it was poor, borne out of hubris. Belichick still operates like this is 2018, and they've won 3 out of 5 Super Bowls. If there was ever a 'that was them, this is now scenario,' this is it. The Pats haven't won a playoff game since their last Lombardi. And Belichick is a sub-.500 coach over that time. He's Jeff Freaking Fisher at this point. Too harsh? Look it up. Fisher was the very definition of a middler, both at the start and end of his coaching career. Bill meet Jeff. Jeff, Bill.
"I think we're a lot better team than we showed out there tonight, but that's what we showed, and that's what it was," Belichick said Sunday night. "We've got a lot of work to do."
Priority number one is to figure out what happened with the quarterback and how - if? - they can get him back to a competent level of play. After showing signs of improvement, Mac Jones inexplicably went haywire against the Cowboys. One lousy play became two, two became four, and before you knew it, Jones was having that uncomfortable talk with Fisher, er, Belichick, on the sideline, being told it was Zappe time.
"For me, just not good enough. It wasn't my day. You can't turn the ball over like that and beat good teams," Jones said postgame. "I think it will be a good test for me to try to stay focused on what I can control, and that's playing better. Hopefully, there's better days ahead. Just bury it, try to learn from it, and move on -- don't make it turn into another loss."
I don't know how we can trust that will happen. Jones came unglued in the face of pressure. Worse yet, he unraveled even when there weren't bodies flying at or around him. The third-year pro was seeing ghosts. His feet were jittery. His poise in the pocket disappeared. And then all his athletic flaws, revolving largely but not isolated to his lack of arm strength, led to a slew of curious decisions at best, horrible at worst. He was responsible for not one but two defensive touchdowns - the strip sack inside his 10-yard line where he was on the move to begin with because of edge pressure, but then somehow forgot that player was still in pursuit? Then the pick-six, a dreadful decision to throw from the right hash to the opposite side of the field - outside the numbers, no less. For a guy with a big brain, that was incredibly stupid.
"In general, I think he makes pretty good decisions," said Belichick Monday morning. "He sees things well, but obviously, as a team, we can't win turning the ball over three times in a game, two for touchdowns. We've got to do a better job of that. That's everybody's responsibility. The quarterback's part of it so is everybody else."
Jones isn't talented enough to win on talent alone. Hell, that goes for the entire offense. Until Belichick and Bill O'Brien figure out a way to get consistently good quarterback play, the sum of these parts aren't capable of elevating their QB, and as of right now, and through his first 2-plus seasons, Jones is proving he can't do that, either.
Russ Francis passes away
The Patriots announced former tight end Russ Francis passed away on Sunday, Oct. 1, at the age of 70.
“On behalf of the entire New England Patriots organization, we extend our sincerest sympathies to the family of Russ Francis, who tragically passed away yesterday,” said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. “Russ was a fan favorite throughout his playing career. He was a dynamic player on the field who had an even bigger personality off it. He knew no boundaries, pushed the limits and lived his life to the fullest. Our thoughts are with Russ’s family, friends, teammates and the many Patriots fans who mourn his loss.”
Francis played 13 NFL seasons with the New England Patriots (1975-80, 1987-88) and the San Francisco 49ers (1982-87) after originally joining New England as a first-round draft pick out of Oregon in the 1975 NFL Draft. He was a two-time All-Pro (1976, 1978), three-time Pro Bowl player (1977, 1978 and 1979), a member of the Patriots all-decade team (1970s) and a member of the Patriots 35th Anniversary Team.
He finished his career with 393 receptions for 5,262 yards and 40 touchdowns. When he retired after the 1988 season, among tight ends his 5,262 receiving yards ranked 11th, his 393 receptions ranked 12th and his 40 touchdown receptions were tied for 13th. At the time if his retirement, his Patriots career receiving totals ranked sixth in receptions (207), fifth in receiving yards (3,157) and fourth in touchdown receptions (28). His 28 touchdown receptions still rank 11th in franchise history.
Francis was traded by New England to San Francisco in 1982 for a draft pick that was used to select Pro Football Hall of Fame LB Andre Tippett. He was a key member of the 49ers 1984 Super Bowl victory over Miami. Francis returned to New England in 1987 and retired as a member of the Patriots following the 1988 season.
Bedard here: Man, I loved to watch Francis play, even as a Dolphins fan. One of the first great two-way TEs in the league. RIP