Week four of the "Mike's Musings" column. It will appear here every week during the season, and I will have my final say on the previous week's game. Rewatching the Pats/Jets was depressing, and I'm pretty certain I gained a few pounds trying to eat the pain away,
After watching the Patriots offensive line do its best imitation of a sieve in pass protection for a third straight week, I asked Jerod Mayo if this had gotten to the point where they needed to look outside the organization for help.
"No, I believe we can correct the problems internally," he said. "It comes down to details, and we were not sharp on our details as a unit. That's what the offensive line is. It's not just one person. It's a unit. Being able to see the picture out of the same set of goggles, we just didn't do that (last night)."
It's what Mayo has to say because finding help outside what's already in Foxborough is highly unlikely. As it is, the Patriots have had to lean on a practice squader, Michael Jordan (now on the 53, and their best lineman on Thursday night), and two waiver wire claims, Zach Thomas (23 snaps Thursday) and Demontray Jacobs (14) at MetLife against that defensive line. There's also been a little Caleb Jones buzz this last week (for the record, I'm not buying).
This group is so unsettled that its two anchors — David Andrews and Mike Onwenu — have been subpar in back-to-back weeks. If that's going to happen, along with all the other issues, this offense will never get out of the outhouse, regardless of who plays quarterback.
- One way to mitigate the piss poor pass blocking is to embrace the quick game. Jacoby Brissett's snap-to-throw time was 2.58 in Jersey, the first time he's been under 3 seconds on average in this three-game start of the season. The quarterback was 5-for-5 on designed quick hitters against the Jets and had similar success with it versus the Seahawks. You can't build an entire passing game around that, but until (if?) they solidify the offensive line, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt should lean into this approach a little more (say 8 to 10 times in San Francisco).
- The Patriots' number one wide receiver, at least in terms of snaps, has been K.J. Osborn. Oh sure, he's a willing blocker with positional versatility, but have you ever noticed him? He does the right thing most of the time, even if that doesn't lead to anything.
To me, Osborn's playing time directly reflects the continued struggles to get that position right. Perhaps Ja'Lynn Polk and DeMario Douglas are steps in the right direction, but I'm projecting with the rookie (5 recs, 31 yards, 1 TD). I mean, who knows with the consistent pressure on the quarterbacks? I can tell you he wasn't open very often against the Jets.
I counted just four completions Thursday, with the Pats pass catchers winning versus man-to-man (one each for Polk, Douglas, Hunter Henry, and Kayshon Boutte). The Jets cornerbacks are legit, but this has been a problem for the Pats since the summer, and I'm not sure about Kendrick Bourne's eventual return - what will he look like less than a year removed from a torn ACL? - cures what ails them.
- DeMarcus Covington has a tell, just like the guys before him (the Steve Belichick/Bill Belichick/Mayo combo platter). Once it gets to third down, or the opposition is on the edge of the red zone or in the red zone, the first-year defensive coordinator wants to dive deep into his bag, throwing out simulated pressure and exotic blitzes. Guess what? It's not working. Geno Smith knew it was coming and carved it up in week two, and Aaron Rodgers followed suit Thursday, going 7-of-9 with a pair of touchdowns against the blitz.
This is an example of the other guys being smart, too. The more tape that gets out there, the more these trends become apparent to everyone in the league. So, how will Covington evolve? He's a bright, young mind facing an early-season challenge. Whatever his next step is, it must most likely be scheme-based. The erosion of talent - you are missed, Christian Barmore - means the Pats don't have someone who commands a double-team on the interior or can (last year) consistently take advantage of being single-blocked. That means less to worry about for the offense, and it shows.
- Rhamondre Stevenson is the Pats' best offensive player, but he's put the ball on the ground three times in three games, losing his first Thursday. This is not acceptable. You can't bench him - that would be shooting yourself in the foot - but I'd put Stevenson on notice and give Antonio Gibson a few more carries. Additionally, Stevenson wasn't very decisive running the ball against the Jets. Perhaps it's related to the crappy plan devised by Van Pelt (Hey, let's throw the ball on 7 of the first 9 plays...), but the Pats paid him the big bucks, and he needs to be that guy for them. Period. End of story.