To be completely honest, I'm at a loss to write one cohesive thought after Sunday's 30-17 loss to the Cardinals. I'm tired of writing about Jerod Mayo and the coaching on this team. I'm tired of writing about how good Drake Maye is, and how it seems like the Patriots have no idea what to do with that. I'm tired of writing about the bad personnel offseason from Eliot Wolf, and I'm truly tired of contemplating how far this defense has fallen in a year.
Each of their 11 losses are different, but they sure do feel the same at this point. It's like freaking a Groundhog Day of ineptitude and I want to wake the hell up. The silver lining is we only need to watch this version three more times - but with no assurances next year will be any different with (we think) more talent.
So, with that, I offer you 11 dizzying thoughts that are running through my mind in honor of the Patriots' 11 defeats to this point.
1. Mayo steps in it ... again.
I didn't overreact to Mayo saying his team played soft because he had told them that in the locker room, and he wasn't wrong (he was just late, as usual). And I'm not going to get into hyperbole about Mayo's "You said it, I didn't" beauty after this one. I'm sure he'll walk it back tomorrow, and it doesn't seem like much sticks to Mayo because he seems like a good guy and has been a good Patriot. I'm sure it will be water on the bridge after a couple of days.
But it is the kind of quote that you wonder if it's the lingering image/sound-byte from the Mayo era, whenever it ends. Unless, of course, he does indeed grow into the job and become a winner. But you have to admit, it was a fairly unprofessional comment from an NFL head coach. Either everything is your responsibility, or it isn't. Don't pass the buck like that. You're the head coach, it's your staff that you signed off on. Don't do the throwing people under the bus thing.
2. Either Alex Van Pelt uses all of Drake Maye, or he needs to be going.
Can you imagine where Josh Allen would be if Brian Daboll forbid him from using his running ability on designed runs and rollouts?
Lucky we don't have to, because THAT WOULD NEVER FREAKING HAPPEN. How this is going on with the Patriots, when they are now 3-11 boggles my mind.
Oh, and on this front ... I would love to see Van Pelt prioritize protecting the tackles in successive weeks for the first time this season by, I don't know, the end of the season. He does it, the offense looks good, he forgets and they stink, he remembers again, then forgets ... it's a vicious cycle.
3. I didn't mind Eliot Wolf's plan in free agency last year, he just executed like a Ben Brown snap from center.
I mean, it's almost fitting, right?
The Patriots didn't want to just throw bad money around and still have the issues a year later. I agree with that Moneyball/cost-effective approach, but they just whiffed horribly on all of their outside moves beyond Antonio Gibson and Austin Hooper.
4. But the re-signings regressing is a bad coaching sign.
Mike Onwenu.
Anfernee Jennings.
Joshua Uche.
Kendrick Bourne.
Hunter Henry.
Kyle Dugger.
Jabrill Peppers.
Christian Barmore.
Rhamondre Stevenson.
Jahlani Tavai.
Can you make the argument that any of them, besides maybe Henry, has not regressed this season?
Those guys were brought back to be the backbone of this team, the hold-the-fort guys while the young players and additions got up to speed.
And none of them were really that great against the Cardinals. It's Week 15. What are we doing?
6. Gibson is better for this offense than Stevenson right now (and has been for weeks).
Are the coaches going to acknowledge and play him more, or are they just going to try to justify Stevenson's contract extension?
7. Marvin Harrison Jr. is a cautionary tale for those of you enamored with Travis Hunter or any other top draft receiver.
Harrison was a can't-miss prospect, and will be eventually. But he was the fourth overall pick. Sunday was his seventh game this season with 3 catches or fewer. He has caught 47 of 92 targets. Christian Gonzalez made him look very ordinary on Sunday.
8. Man, Gonzalez was really good on Sunday.
Mayo should give him a gameball for keeping the score from being 30-3 at halftime.
9. How is it possible for a defense to have three at least good cornerbacks yet allow 10 of 15 third down conversions (66.7%) and 6 for 6 in the fourth quarter?
And the Cardinals didn't even play that well, and they didn't really use the inside run game as much as they should have.
10. Of course, we're talking about a team that also has a very talented rookie QB who is exceeding expectations, looks like he can go toe to toe with most veteran QBs, and Jacoby Brissett has more victories than him.
And the Patriots have played the 23rd-toughest offensive schedule to this point.
Drake Maye has completed 68.5% of his passes for 1,898 yards, 12 TDs against 9 INTs in basically eight starts. I would have run to the bank with those numbers.
Yet he's (really) 1-7.
These are the 2024 Patriots ... nothing makes any sense.
11. For the love of god, just let Maye cook.
He's the only reason to watch this team right now. Just let him cut it loose and live with the consequences, since there are none at 3-11. Put in a no-huddle package, let him run it to start a game. Give him an RPO package on another series. Let him have fun, so we can at least have a little fun.
Please, I'm begging you.