I have these musings here after a film review that made me wonder how many times the Patriots coaching staff has said one thing and then, shortly thereafter, done something completely different.
This time, I'm trying to figure out how - on Thursday - Alex Van Pelt could say this about designed quarterback runs for Drake Maye:
"Really just focused on keeping him out of harm's way and getting through these last three games healthy, and that's really what it comes (down) to.
"It's about developing our quarterback. I think we all feel very confident in his abilities. At the same time, I'd hate to lose him and not let him finish out the season by using him in a way where if we didn't need to, we didn't have to. So, that's kind of my thought on that."
Then, just over 72 hours later, Van Pelt called multiple Maye running plays (they weren't even run-pass options).
“We all are trying to win a football game, players and coaches included,” Jerod Mayo said when asked Monday (we don't get to speak with Van Pelt until Thursday). “We’re always going to do what’s best for the team. That was what was best for the team yesterday and he used his legs and made a couple plays.“
So, let me get this straight: in his previous starts, including close (close-ish?) losses to the Titans, Rams, and Colts and even last week against the Cardinals (16-3, but Pats with ball inside the 5-yard line), the organization eschewed letting Maye put his wheels to good use. But in Buffalo, that same lousy team, now 3-11, decided to take the shackles off? Make it make sense.
HELP WANTED
Finding a pass rush may not be at the top of your Pats' wishlist, but aside from tackle(s) and a defense-altering wideout - I'd be okay nuking just about that entire room - finding a pass rush has to be right up there. They did little to impact Josh Allen on Sunday, and while some of that was part of the plan - they tried to build a cage around the Bills' star QB - he was rarely harried in the pocket. Yes, Allen was flummoxed at times because his receivers couldn't uncover versus man, but he didn't have any issues handling the rush.
A healthy Christian Barmore certainly would be a good place to start finding a pass rush. Still, he and the Pats are guarded with his medical information (not a complaint, just an observation), so it's difficult to gauge whether or not this setback - he was placed on IR last week - is a code red for Barmore's career, or just making sure the player gets the necessary time to recover from the blood clots that cost him the first 10 weeks of the season. His health is the only thing that truly matters, but if there are concerns about his availability going forward, GM Eliot Wolf will have to find better-than-average depth for the position.
Beyond that, the Pats haven't been able to generate much in the way of pressure coming off the edge this season. They rank dead last in quarterback hits. Part of this falls on Wolf's roster build. Yes, Matthew Judon has done next to nothing in Atlanta, but he had four sacks in 3.5 games for you the season prior. When they traded him, the hope was that Keion White could eat those snaps and provide equal production. White has been good, but his best work as a pass rusher comes when he slides inside and rushes over the guard. That leaves a gaping hole on the edge. Anfernee Jennings isn't a dynamic pass rusher. Josh Uche stunk and got traded. Deatrich Wise is better when over the guard as well, and even then, he hasn't had the same impact this year as in prior ones. Don't get me started on Yannick Ngakoue. He's a seat filler.
A preliminary glance at the free-agent list doesn't make me yell, "Get that guy." Still, there are some intriguing players: an aging Khalil Mack, Josh Sweat, Haason Reddick, the injured Malcolm Koonce, and Baron Browning are the best of the edge rushers. On the interior, I'm a massive fan of both Osa Odighizuwa (Cowboys) and Milton Williams (Eagles), and Levi Onwuzurike (Lions) has come into his own. Considering all the money Wolf has to play with, he'd be wise to get one from each list. Hell, get more than one because the Pats' ability to manufacture pressure without an elite rusher on that side of the ball may have gone the way of the dodo bird now that Bill Belichick coaches in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
UP AND DOWN
Is it possible to be both up and down in the same game? You bet your booty it is. Marte Mapu, come on down. The second-year safety was all over the field, doing both good and bad. Mapu punched the ball out of James Cook's hands for a forced fumble (Bills recovered), undercut a route, and nearly had an interception, and had a couple of effective pass rushes as a blitzer. But his decision to take his interception out of the end zone was boneheaded at best. Even worse, he realized it as he approached the goal line but couldn't put the brakes on fast enough, getting tackled in the field of play by Ty Johnson. Christian Elliss reacted perfectly, staring at Mapu briefly before congratulating him on the pick. It was like, 'I'm pissed at you, but I'm supposed to support you so..." Mapu also had all kinds of difficulty as a run defender when lined up in the box. He's just not strong enough to be consistently effective there. That said, Mapu was still better than what Jabril Peppers had given you since his brief return (he was out Sunday with a hamstring).
Thumbs up for Hunter Henry, who remains the most consistent offensive player the Pats have. It wasn't perfect. He had a few moments as a run blocker he'd like back, but the holding call on him down by the goal line was more about Maye meandering as a runner there than anything. And aside from that, Henry and Austin Hooper were getting it done at the point of attack on several occasions, springing both Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson. On Henry's touchdown catch, he may have gotten away with an offensive pass interference, but based on reputation, he escaped the flag. It was also a solid job of working back to the quarterback and presenting him your numbers, an important element on a scramble drill that too many of these receivers still haven't figured out.
Speaking of Hooper, I give a thumbs up to him as well. That catch he made in the fourth quarter took all kinds of cajones. He knew he was going to get smoked and still made it happen. You saw Maye's reaction afterward. He was distraught. He knew that it was a hospital ball. The veteran tight end was effective as a blocker and did a solid job utilizing his blockers on the tight end screen. Hooper's been a good fit, on the field and culture-wise. Consider bringing him back, especially if Jaheim Bell is more H-Back than anything.
Thumbs up to Kayshon Boutte. He had excellent concentration on the deep ball and solid awareness on the dig to get up after making a sliding catch as no defender touched him. He picked up a half-dozen yards extra with that heads-up play.
Thumbs down for Stevenson, and I do this, admitting I didn't put the lateral fumble on him. His earlier fumble in the third quarter opened the floodgates, and the Pats never fully recovered. He's now put the ball on the turf 7 times, the most by any non-QB in the league. It's too bad because he's run the ball better since the bye, and his finish on the 14-yard TD run was old-school Stevenson, snatching souls (poor Cam Lewis was a mere speedbump).
Thumbs up to Gibson. He had a couple of nice runs on toss plays, but this was more about his blitz pick-up work. He stoned several free rushers, including one of that gorgeous cross-body Maye-to-Boutte completion on a deep-in cut. Gibson's 225 or so pounds, and he needed all of that in those moments. He, too, fumbled but recovered his miscue.
Thumbs up to the corners on this team: Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, and Alex Austin. I'll even throw Isaiah Bolden in there. Without Stefon Diggs to worry about, they were in man-to-man coverage 65% of the time and did their best work of the season, blanketing the Bills solid but underwhelming receiving group. Expect a similar plan Saturday against the Chargers.
Thumbs down to Jennings. Not sure what is going on there, but that's the worst game I've ever graded for him as a starter. Blown edges and missed tackles. He was bad.
Thumbs down for Demontrey Jacobs. He was a turnstile. I felt bad for him. The lateral fumble was on him first and foremost, and he couldn't handle Von Miller or anyone else rushing from his side.
Finally, thumbs down for Brenden Schooler. Playing as part of the Longhorn package, he had bad eyes on the Cook touchdown catch, gazing into the backfield at Allen while Cook crossed his face and went into the flat.