If one of the non-negotiables for the Patriots is setting the edge, what, pray tell, will this defensive staff and Jerod Mayo do about it? The Pats blew more edges than a bad barber for the third straight week in this four-week season. When you're facing a Kyle Shanahan West Coast offense, that's a recipe for more problems than this team can afford. In fact, keep the phrase "elite defense" out of your mouth (if you're still uttering that nonsense).
However, the Pats' defense isn't this team's biggest issue. That offensive line is making last year's look competent by comparison. Did you see the two snaps before the near-miraculous catch by Ja'Lynn Polk on fourth down in the fourth quarter? It was a two-score game, and there were over 11 minutes left on the clock when the Pats took over. Then it went to hell, as it often has this season.
On second down from their 39-yard line, left tackle Demontray Jacobs, who joined the team a month ago after being claimed off waivers, got pantsed by Nick Bosa, barely touching the defensive end. That forced Jacoby Brissett to step up in the pocket into more pressure, and the quarterback momentarily lost the ball before falling on it.
On the next play, left guard Sidy Sow didn't correctly read a game the 49ers were playing up front, creating a void for Bosa to run through. Brissett barely got the ball off while falling to the turf to avoid the sack. After the prayer to Polk down the sideline went unanswered, any hope of a comeback - a long shot to begin with - was dead and gone.
Jacobs is the team's 13th player to start a game at left tackle since the start of the 2020 season. He's the fourth player to start at that spot this year...in four games. Are you a large human? Just show up to Foxborough tomorrow morning. You might be next in line.
What chance does this passing game have if you can't give whoever the quarterback is more than a heartbeat to throw? Yes, this is worse than last year, even if, on paper, this year's group has more talent (how much more we can debate at another time).
In the first half, Brissett was getting rid of the ball on average in 2.46 seconds. Yet he was pressured on nearly 50% of his dropbacks, sacked four times, and hit so often that when he comes to the sidelines post-series and the trainers ask him what hurts, Brissett says, "Everything." (probably).
"Schematically, we gotta do a better of getting the ball out of our hand right now," said Mayo in the post-game press conference. The head coach has recently increased the public critique of offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, be it his play calls, play design, or overall approach. After declaring Van Pelt "head coach, offense" this summer, I don't believe it's unfair to point out that Mayo has had less and less of a problem separating himself from that side of the ball, even if he does occasionally end answers with an almost afterthought "and that starts with me."
It's probably a good time to remind you that Van Pelt was the 12th man they interviewed for the post and not their first choice (per reports, they offered former Pats assistant Nick Caley. He chose to stay in LA with the Rams despite not being the coordinator). Mayo/Van Pelt is an arranged marriage. The two men were brought together by first-year GM Eliot Wolf, who had to be relied on for many coaching hires because Mayo hadn't had time to build an extensive network yet. That relationship hasn't proven to be fruitful yet.
It took a team-record 63-yard field goal by Joey Slye to prevent a first-half shutout. When tight end Austin Hooper found the end zone early in the third quarter (after a special teams turnover), it was the Pats' first touchdown since the fourth quarter of the Seahawks game. That's 18 drives without a TD. You are not winning games in this league with that type of performance.
"Honestly, we're not good enough to play against ourselves and the defense," said Brissett after the game, pointing out the two first-half turnovers that led to 10 easy points for the 49ers. "I think we put ourselves in a terrible situation with, obviously, the turnovers and things like that. And honestly, just other plays in the drive that just beat us."
The noise to replace Brissett with rookie first-rounder Drake Maye is only getting louder and louder. You know where I stand on that. The Pats need to get that offensive line playing at a level that is better than whatever you want to categorize this performance before I go that route. However, the more Brissett gets beaten down, the more it seems inevitable.
"At this point, Jacoby is our starting quarterback," said Mayo, repeating something he's had to say nearly every week. "I haven't watched any film or anything like that. He's been a great leader. He just broke the huddle down after I talked to the guys (in the locker room). And, you know, we've got to watch the film. (We) have a long flight to go back, and watch the film. And we're always evaluating every single position."
Hardly a resounding yes, and I get it. It's not as if Brissett is playing well, but he's also not the biggest reason why this offense isn't working. Almost all of them are underperforming, including the guy who's supposed to be your most effective offensive weapon, Rhamondre Stevenson. He fumbled for a fourth straight game, giving San Francisco three easy points. Stevenson's got to be better. So do the receivers.
But Brissett is a human shield at this point, and as long as he keeps getting up, I keep rolling him out there.
"We knew we're gonna be bumps in the road," said Brissett. "We're gonna get knocked down, and be tired, and be hurt, and, I mean, that doesn't stop the climb. It just puts a little adversity in the climb. Told the guys, like, man, that's what we're built for in this room."
We're about to find out.