Some stats for the Patriots' passing offense through Sunday's games with league rank:
Pass play percentage: 42.3% (28th)
Passing yards per game: 122.5 (29th)
Passing yards per play: 4.5 (28th)
Passing touchdowns: 1 (tied for 21st)
Expected points added per pass: -0.13 (18th)
QB pressure%: 44.3% (2nd)
Time to pressure against: 2.48 seconds (6th fastest)
Blitz percentage: 20% (23rd)
Pass-blocking efficiency: 77.0 (29th)
Playaction percentage: 18.2% (22nd)
Yards after contact over expected: -3 (26th)
Averaged separation on targets: 3.1 (28th)
Big-time throws: 0 (tied for 21st)
Turnover-worthy plays: 1 (tied for 4th)
So, yeah, it's not good. The question is, where does the blame lie?
Some people want to blame Alex Van Pelt. Some people think it falls on Jacoby Brissett and want to go with Drake Maye. Obviously the offensive line and the pressure they are allowing isn't helping. The receivers aren't exactly dangerous.
What does the film from the Seahawks game say? Let's go through each dropback via the coaches film (in written and video form) to get a better understanding:
FIRST HALF
(14:26) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass short right to 38-R.Stevenson pushed ob at NE 38 for 7 yards (17-J.Baker).
Only viable option.
(13:50) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett sacked at NE 29 for -9 yards (53-B.Mafe).
Brissett had Ja'Lynn Polk coming open in the middle field and didn't pull the trigger. I put the sack on Brissett.
Fault: Brissett.
(9:10) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass short middle to 85-H.Henry to SEA 43 for 8 yards (17-J.Baker).
Nothing wrong with the decsion.
(8:29) 7-J.Brissett pass short right to 85-H.Henry to SEA 31 for 12 yards (24-K.Wallace).
Playaction shot play where Polk is open, but the Seahawks blitzed, pressure was an issue, and Brissett does a great job of avoiding the sack and hitting Henry on the run.
Fault: Blocking.
(6:18) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass short left to 85-H.Henry to SEA 6 for 17 yards (20-J.Love 21-D.Witherspoon).
Brissett wanted to go to Polk on an out, but for some reason the rookie runs and out and go. I think he ran the wrong route.
Fault: Receiver.
(5:00) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass short middle to 1-J.Polk for 5 yards TOUCHDOWN.
The Seahawks safety busts a coverage and Brissett smokes one in there for the score. Nice play.
(2:12) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass short left to 81-A.Hooper to NE 31 for 5 yards (21-D.Witherspoon 0-T.Dodson).
They get 5 yards but I do think Douglas was the better read and could have had more yards.
(1:28) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass short right to 85-H.Henry to NE 41 for 10 yards (0-T.Dodson).
They get 10 yards so it's hard to really hard to quibble but Thornton and Douglas were slightly better options. Didn't love the placement of the throw.
(:33) (No Huddle Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass incomplete short right to 2-K.Osborn.
Osborn fades his route. That led to the incompletion.
Fault: Receiver
(:30) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass short middle to 85-H.Henry to SEA 47 for 9 yards (20-J.Love).
No issue against a blitz.
(13:47) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass short middle to 85-H.Henry to SEA 17 for 7 yards (20-J.Love).
No one else is open, so good decision.
(12:02) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass incomplete short right to 38-R.Stevenson (17-J.Baker).
Not sure if this is a designed pick or rub, but if Henry gets in the way just a little bit, this is a walk-in touchdown.
Fault: Receiver (if that was a pick play).
(11:56) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass short middle to 38-R.Stevenson to SEA 11 for 2 yards (90-Ja.Reed 48-T.Knight). Shovel pass
Layden Robinson doesn't execute his block.
Fault: Blocking.
(11:13) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass incomplete short right to 85-H.Henry [99-L.Williams].
Brissett is way too locked in to the right where the numbers weren't good. He had an opportunity to Hooper on the skinny post for the TD. Brissett responsible for the knockdown.
Fault: Brissett.
2-9-NE 31 (5:11) (Shotgun) J.Brissett pass incomplete short right to D.Douglas.
PENALTY on SEA-D.Witherspoon, Defensive Pass Interference, 10 yards, enforced at NE 31 - No Play.
They got exactly what they wanted and this was going to be a big play to Douglas, but Onwenu gives up quick pressure.
Fault: Blocking.
(4:34) (No Huddle) 7-J.Brissett pass incomplete short right to 1-J.Polk.
Playaction rollout to the right and Brissett has Polk open and misses him on the run. But it's not totally on him. Osborn gave a poor blocking effort that allowed the pressure and made this throw much tougher.
Fault: Brissett/blocking.
(3:48) (Shotgun) J.Brissett scrambles up the middle to SEA 16 for 1 yard (Ja.Reed; R.Jenkins). SEA-D.Hall was injured during the play. His return
PENALTY on SEA-D.Witherspoon, Illegal Contact, 5 yards, enforced at SEA 16
Patriots have two deep crossers with a chance but Lowe gives up pressure and doesn't let it develop.
Fault: Blocking.
(3:22) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass incomplete short right. Thrown away from outside the pocket
Robinson misses his block, but no one is open.
Fault: Blocking/receivers
(2:38) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass incomplete short right to 38-R.Stevenson.
No one is open, especially after Osborn runs a questionable route, not that Brissett was ever looking that way.
Fault: Receivers.
(:58) (No Huddle Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass incomplete short right to 85-H.Henry (20-J.Love).
Before halftime, there's an opportunity for a big play to Douglas but Onwenu allows pressure that forces Brissett into an early decision.
Fault: Blocking.
(:54) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass incomplete short right to 85-H.Henry.
Another opportunity to possibly inch closer to field goal range to Thornton or Polk, but Andrews and Lowe give up pressure and Brissett does well to avoid the sack.
Fault: Blocking.
SECOND HALF
(6:36) 7-J.Brissett pass incomplete short middle.
Playaction shot play and the Patriots get what they want with Thornton running an over clearout route, and Polk is coming open on the under ... but he inexplicably stops his route. Brissett should have just dumped it to Stevenson.
Fault: Receivers/Brissett.
(6:30) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass incomplete short middle [53-B.Mafe].
Lowe gets whipped by Mafe. No chance.
Fault: Blocking.
(6:25) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett sacked at NE 33 for -6 yards (99-L.Williams).
Nothing is open but Onwenu and Jordan give up a quick sack.
Fault: Blocking.
(2:00) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass short left to 4-A.Gibson pushed ob at SEA 35 for 7 yards (48-T.Knight).
Designed wheel/pick to Gibson on third down and Gibson makes a really nice catch.
(:08) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass short right to 85-H.Henry to SEA 11 for 11 yards (0-T.Dodson; 91-B.Murphy). NE 85-Henry 2nd career 100-yard game.
This was the play where Brissett is under pressure, gets it to Henry, who picks it off the turf. This was a designed upper red zone big play. Henry acts like he's blocking, and then sneaks out, hopefully uncovered. He is indeed completely uncovered and this should go for a touchdown. But it doesn't because Robinson doesn't take a great angle on his pull and provides no protection for Brissett. This should have been a touchdown.
Fault: Blocking.
(4:44) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett sacked at SEA 30 for -9 yards (sack split by 91-B.Murphy and 99-L.Williams).
The big play. Brissett wanted to throw the out to Douglas, and he's somewhat open but it's from the other hash, the corner is there and you have to be alert to a possible pick-six. Seems like Brissett made percentage evaluation based on his postgame comments.
"I was trying to get the ball out and I just didn't want to be careless with the ball," he said.
I don't blame him, but a big-time, game-winning play was possible. Of course, the protection was terrible.
Fault: Brissett/blocking.
(:55) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass incomplete short middle to 38-R.Stevenson [99-L.Williams].
Almost a repeat from the end of the first half where Douglas is open for a big play on the same route but Lowe gives up a knockdown.
Fault: Blocking.
(:49) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass short left to 1-J.Polk to NE 37 for 7 yards (27-T.Woolen).
Douglas is open for a possible big play. The Seahawks bring a blitz, Stevenson does a great job picking it up late but Brissett gets a little spooked and takes something to Polk (way to pose with a running clock). Brissett should have hung in and hit Douglas, who had YAC potential.
Fault: Blocking/Brissett.
(:29) (No Huddle Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass incomplete short left to 85-H.Henry [58-D.Hall].
Brissett gets hammered thanks to Onwenu.
Fault: Blocking.
OVERTIME
(9:19) (Shotgun) 7-J.Brissett pass short right to 2-K.Osborn to NE 39 for 7 yards (27-T.Woolen).
Thornton was coming open, but there's pressure from Robinson and Brissett makes a nice throw and a great catch by Osborn to get it to 3rd and 1.
Fault: Blocking.
FINAL TALLY
As you probably could have guessed, the lack of protection was most of the issue with the lack of production in the passing game. The receivers also weren't blameless, and it's not exactly a dangerous group. And, yes, Brissett had some plays he would want back, but it was solid overall.
On the subject of Alex Van Pelt, yeah, sometimes his scheme is a little bland. Sometimes he guesses wrong and calls for zone beaters when it's man and vice versa, but that's every playcaller in the league.
But by my count, Van Pelt dialed up at least 15 plays where the Patriots were going to have the potential for a big play, or at least a bigger play, and something broke down. And that has nothing to do with him.
I just think the Patriots, especially on the line, aren't good enough at this time to support a more explosive offense.
Here are the offensive positional ratings against the Seahawks:
OFFENSE
Quarterback (3 out of 5)
As discussed above, Brissett was solid for the most part. Two pressures (including one sack) I put on him in the first half. I didn't think the sack in the fourth quarter was an egregious error - that kick should still be made, or at least not blocked. Five plus throws in this game, with four coming against pressure (the Polk TD was the other). Two questionable decisions and he missed the rollout throw to Polk that he should have made despite more pressure.
There's nothing on film that suggests the team should be moving in the Drake Maye direction, especially with so much else going wrong on offense.
Running backs (5 out of 5)
Tremendous game by Stevenson and Gibson, with the latter doing much more with fewer opportunities. I will say, the run blocking was much better in this game with both backs being at least league-average before contact.
Yards before contact (1.38 league average)
Stevenson: 1.38 (22nd in NFL)
Gibson: 2.09 (12th)
Yards after contact (3.24 average)
Stevenson: 2.48 (32nd in NFL)
Gibson: 6.64 (2nd)
Stevenson has to quit fumbling. One of these days, it's not going to bounce right to a Patriot.
Nick Leverett had a good block on one of his two fullback reps.
Receivers (2.5 out of 5)
Not a whole lot of separation out of this group when they are against man coverage. Want to know why the passing game got progressively worse during the game (besides the blocking, which got worse as the game went on)? The Seahawks ditched zone and went with more man.
Documented a couple of the route issues with Osborn and Polk in the breakdown. ... Henry had the big production in this game, but it was mostly dink and dunk against zone and the nifty TE screen dialed up by Van Pelt. Henry had 5 catches for 82 yards against zone (all for first downs) and 3 for 27 against man. ... I'm not sure what Thornton adds to this offense. ... The Polk reverse wasn't a terrible idea, but the timing wasn't great with Henry's block and Polk could have cut it up for a few more yards but elected not to. ... Douglas' "plays" were the two drawn penalties.
Offensive line (1.5 out of 5)
The good: Counted 15 good run blocks — 4 Andrews; 3 Jordan, Robinson, Onwenu; 1 Lowe, Wallace.
The problem was, it was really inconsistent with a stuff percentage near 30%. And the pass blocking was again, largely, a trainwreck and it was surprising to see Onwenu lumped in with youngsters Robinson and Lowe. Not one of his better games. And Andrews actually had a rough game for him.
Lots to clean up, especially with conditioning. They gave up more pressure as the game went on.
TWO UP
Antonio Gibson: Had only 16 plays but produced plus plays on 7 of them, including two explosive plays. The guy is kind of whirling dervish.
Rhamondre Stevenson: Had two explosive plays, the touchdown and a really nice blitz pickup where he made a good adjustment at the last second to save Brissett.
TWO DOWN
Vederian Lowe: Tied for the team high with 4.5 pressures allowed. Got worse as the game went on, which is probably from conditioning from when he was injured before the season.
Layden Robinson: Surprised he had so many issues in this game, which included 4.5 pressures, a missed block on the shovel pass to Stevenson and five poor run blocks.