For One Week, The Pats Were Not A Complete Disgrace As They Won 17-14 In Pittsburgh

 

    Let's be real here, barring anything insane, the Patriots (1-1 overall, 1-1 road) are not going to win the Super Bowl this season. With that said, coming off an utterly depressing 20-7 loss in last weekend's season-opener at Miami (2-0), today's 17-14 victory at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh (1-1) was a huge step forward by a team that has been in crisis mode since this bizarre summer began. Even if you didn't see the game, you can probably guess just by looking at the final score that it was not a work of art by any means but if the Pats are going to win more than a couple games this season, odds are that they will have to look like this since their offense is a work in progress to say the least.

    New England quarterback Mac Jones (21-for-35, 252 yards, TD, INT) had another shaky outing but he was better than Steelers stiff I mean quarterback Mitch Trubisky (21-of-33, 168 yards, TD, INT) so there is that. The Pats defense carried the day while the Steelers-who were missing All-Pro linebacker and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt-could not stop New England's final drive of the contest and the visitors were able to successfully run out the clock. Ironically one of the biggest plays came from former Patriots great Gunner Olszewski who muffed a punt allowing new Pats special teams hero Brenden Schooler to pounce on it. That led to incredible field position for New England which ended with a two-yard touchdown run by running back Damien Harris (71 yards rushing, 16 yards receiving). Kicker Nick Folk's extra point made it 17-6 Pats late in the third quarter. 

    Those turned out to be the final points for the Patriots as they held on despite an eight-yard touchdown catch by Pittsburgh's tight end (and MA native) Pat Freiermuth to open the fourth quarter. The Steelers cut it to a three-point game as wide receiver Diontae Johnson (6 catches, 57 yards) made a spectacular diving catch for the two-point conversion trimming New England's lead to 17-14. Pittsburgh drafts and develops wideouts as well as any franchise in the NFL but today, the Patriots outproduced them thanks to Nelson Agholor's (6 catches, 110 yards) best performance for the club along with Jakobi Meyers' (9 catches, 95 catches) usual reliability.

    Folk's 28-yard field goal were the only points in the first quarter and Steelers kicker Chris Boswell's 36-yard field goal answered that midway through the second quarter. Each quarterback made a major mistake as for the second week in a row, Jones forced a deep ball to wide receiver DeVante Parker (who has one catch in two games) that was deflected and intercepted by Jones' former Alabama teammate Minkah Fitzpatrick. Trubisky threw a pass over the middle that was deflected by linebacker Mack Wilson and picked off by cornerback Jalen Mills. Agholor turned in a highlight reel 44-yard catch and run for a huge touchdown with 22 seconds left in the first half. He was not open by any means but he was able to snatch the ball away from the defender then outrun him to the end zone. Where the hell did that come from? Folk's extra point gave New England a 10-3 lead at halftime. 

    Folk actually missed a 52-yard field goal attempt on New England's opening drive of the third quarter and Boswell hit a kick of the same exact distance to cut it to 10-6 Patriots. New England has the furthest thing from an explosive offense at the moment so they are going to have to play these grind it out, keep the clock running type of games to survive. The good news is that they are over quickly in like three hours or less which is fast by NFL standards in 2022. The Pats defense had three sacks, by defensive tackle Christian Barmore, linebacker Matthew Judon and some linebacker named Jahlani Tavai who had I had never of before this afternoon. 

    You never want to read too much into early season results in the NFL because they are always wacky but at least the Patriots' loss in Miami didn't look so bad as the Dolphins rallied for an incredible 42-38 win in Baltimore (1-1) at the same time as the Patriots-Steelers tractor pull. Seeing Cincinnati (0-2) lose 20-17 to Cooper Rush and the Cowboys also proved that maybe Pittsburgh's Week 1 overtime triumph against the defending AFC Champions was not as impressive as we were led to believe. Still, the Ravens are going to be fired up and rightfully pissed off after they blew a 21-point lead and were outscored 28-3 in the fourth quarter on their home field. That means that New England's home opener against Baltimore on Sunday (1, Fox) at Gillette Stadium will be a tough task but hey, at least there is a little joy around this team after so much deserved negativity for the past few months.

One Of The More Underrated Patriots During Their Second Dynasty-RB James White-Quietly Retires

 

    There is a reason that the NFL is sarcastically said to mean Not For Long instead of National Football League. Unless your name is Tom Brady or you are a kicker or punter, your career even if you are very good will probably be over before you know it. We were reminded of that ever-present theme this morning as Patriots running back James White retired after three Super Bowl titles and eight seasons in the league-all here with New England. During both of their dynasties, the Pats have been blessed to have some brilliant pass-catching running backs like Kevin Faulk, Shane Vereen, Danny Woodhead and White. Of those guys, Faulk (who is rightfully a Patriots Hall of Famer) seems to get most of the attention. I believe that White also deserves to get plenty of love too since he had some excellent seasons with Brady as well. 

    There is no greatest comeback in NFL history-when New England famously rallied from a 28-3 halftime deficit against Atlanta in Super Bowl 51-without White who probably should have been named the Super Bowl MVP instead of Brady. He scored 20 points all by himself (3 TDs and a 2-point conversion) in the second half and overtime combined including the winning touchdown run to memorably clinch it in the extra session. White was neither big (5-foot-10, 205 pounds) nor exceptionally fast, hence why he lasted until the fourth round of the NFL Draft in 2014 when the Patriots snatched him at pick #130. Still, who could have imagined what the running back from the University of Wisconsin would turn into performing in the perfect system for his unique set of skills? 

    After playing together for years, he and Brady seemed to have an innate ability to connect for just enough yardage when New England really needed it on third down. The shelf life of the average NFL running back is quite short but James managed to put together six solid seasons (14+ games) in a row after appearing in only three games in his rookie season. A brutal hip injury last season limited him to only three games and it ultimately spelled the end of his wonderful run with the Patriots. For his career, he finished with 381 catches for 3278 receiving yards and 25 receiving TDs along with 1278 rushing yards and 11 rushing TDs in the regular season (95 games). In 12 playoff games, he had 59 catches for 506 receiving yards and three receiving TDs along with 146 rushing yards and five rushing TDs. 

    More than anything, he should also be remembered as a team leader (he was named an offensive captain multiple times) who also persevered through an unspeakable tragedy early in the 2020 season when his father was killed in a car accident and his mother was left in critical condition. New England has some quality young running backs right now in Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson but who knows if they'll ever be as clutch or tough as White proved to be? Looking over his stats, my favorite one is that he only fumbled four times in his entire Patriots career in 795 touches! Thanks for all the awesome memories James and enjoy retirement with your wife and kids. 

Patriots Lose Another Head-Scratcher In Miami 33-24, Now Onto Buffalo For Rd. 3 In The Playoffs

 

    Thank God that the Patriots (10-7 overall, 6-2 away) have a chance to redeem themselves next Saturday night (8:15, CBS) in the playoffs when they visit the Bills (11-6 overall, 6-3 home) in the Super Wild Card round, because if tonight's 33-24 loss at Miami's (9-8 overall, 6-3 home) Hard Rock Stadium was the final memory of the 2021-22 season, that would have made for a truly yucky offseason. At this point, I think that we're all (Pats head coach Bill Belichick included) out of possible explanations for why New England has struggled so much in Miami in recent years. Since 2013, today's loss dropped them to a mind-numbing 2-7 in Miami. If you believe that momentum going into the postseason is important, then you probably don't trust the Patriots who have lost three out of their last four games but still managed to reach the tournament (for the first time) in their second year without Tom Brady. 

    This one had the familiar trappings of New England's recent losses to Indianapolis (9-8) and the Bills as the Pats were down 14-0 less than ten minutes into the game and they were never able to fully recover. We all know what makes this edition of the Patriots successful: they have to own the lead and then they can dictate things (ie. run the ball often and play defense). When they have to rally against a quality opponent, they can't really do it at least not yet with a rookie quarterback-Mac Jones (20-of-30 for 261 yards, TD, INT)-who has very few dangerous weapons at his disposal outside of tight end Hunter Henry (5 catches, 86 yards) and maybe a converted wide receiver-Jakobi Meyers (4 catches, 70 yards)-who was a QB in college. Mac did himself no favors in New England's second loss to Miami this season (bookending the year) as he threw a brutal pick-six on the Patriots' third play of the game. 

    The Dolphins went right down the field on their opening drive (13 plays, 77 yards, 7:26) and their former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (15-of-22 for 109 yards, TD, 38 yards rushing) tossed a seven-yard touchdown to their old Crimson Tide teammate and rookie wide receiver sensation Jaylen Waddle. Kicker Jason Sanders added the point after and it was 14-0 in the blink of an eye as cornerback Xavien Howard returned Jones' terrible decision 37 yards for another score. Sanders' second PAT made it 14-0 Dolphins. He added a 30-yard field goal early in the second quarter and Miami led 17-0. Running back Brandon Bolden (46 yards rushing, 20 yards receiving) was the unexpected spark that got New England going although it's truthfully never a good sign in an important contest when he's easily one of their best players.

    Bolden ran for a 15-yard touchdown and kicker Nick Folk added the point after but New England still trailed by 10 points (17-7) at halftime. Folk's 43-yard field goal midway through the third quarter briefly cut it to a one-score game but the Patriots' overrated defense couldn't stop journeyman running back Duke Johnson (25 carries, 117 yards) who punched in a one-yard touchdown run later in the third quarter. Sanders kicked the extra point and he blasted a 49-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to basically put it out of reach at 27-10. Bolden added an 18-yard catch-and-run for another TD while running back Damien Harris notched a one-yard touchdown run and Folk hit both PATs but time ran out on the Pats and the Dolphins scored a meaningless touchdown on the goofy final play of the game.

    Jones (who also had a sloppy fumble off of a dropped snap that was all his fault) and Co. have no choice but to hopefully move on quickly since that all-important meeting with the now back-to-back AFC East champs will be here before they know it. Down to the final game of the regular season in the NFL-Raiders vs. Chargers (9-8) on Sunday Night Football-the Pats were either going to Cincinnati (10-7) or Buffalo depending on the result. The Bengals are very explosive but inexperienced so who knew what to expect against them. With Vegas' (10-7) absolutely bonkers 35-32 OT victory against LA, the Patriots and Bills are set to meet for the third time in the last six weeks which is also insane. 

    New England memorably won Round 1 in that hurricane tinged Monday Night game in Orchard Park, NY 14-10 but three weeks later, Josh Allen and his crew came to Gillette and looked like the superior team 33-21. For the Pats to pull off this upset, they'll need another weather related game which is a good bet for mid-January in Buffalo. Another thing working in their favor is that all the pressure will be on the Bills, nobody will expect Jones and the Patriots to get this one. Both clubs are extremely familiar with each other and that should make for another entertaining chapter in this finally growing rivalry.  

The Patriots Steamrolled The Hapless Jaguars 50-10 & Clinched A Playoff Spot In The Process

 

    While I take little joy in beating up on one of the worst franchises in American sports, the Patriots (10-6 overall, 4-5 home) desperately needed a win after two tough losses in a row against the Colts (9-7) and Bills (10-6) in the last few weeks. Enter the lambs known as the Jaguars (2-14 overall, 0-8 away) who came to Gillette Stadium this afternoon and got crushed 50-10 by the Pats. With the win, New England clinched a playoff spot and kept alive their faint hopes for a division title. This is the first regular season with 17 games and the Patriots will end the campaign next Sunday afternoon (4:25, CBS) in Miami (8-8) against the Dolphins who were elminated from playoff contention today following a 34-3 drubbing by the Titans (11-5)-who are back on top of the AFC. Buffalo hosts the Jets (4-12) which means it is unlikely that New York will pull off the upset, then again the Jags beat the Bills earlier this season so I guess we can't take almost anything for granted these days in the NFL.

    Seeing No. 1 overall pick rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence (17-of-27 for 193 yards, TD, 3 INTs) look like a puddle was a powerful reminder how much it is all about fit and the situation that you are in when it comes to the NFL. How much better would Lawrence be with the Pats? We'll never know but for now, we feel happy that we have rookie quarterback Mac Jones (22-of-30 for 227 yards, 3 TDs) on our side. New England also has perhaps the best 1-2 combination of running backs in the NFL as rookie Rhamondre Stevenson (19 carries, 107 yards, 2 TDs) and Damien Harris (2 TDs) combined for four touchdowns. This being the Pats, of course we also have to talk about an undrafted rookie wide receiver-Kristian Wilkerson-who made his NFL debut and caught not one but two touchdowns while fellow receiver N'Keal "Bust" Harry was a healthy scratch. 

    New England's top two wide receivers Kendrick Bourne (5 catches, 76 yards) and Jakobi Meyers (8 catches, 73 yards, TD) also had nice performances while cornerbacks Myles Bryant and J.C. Jackson along with safety Kyle Dugger each recorded an interception. Like a homecoming game in college football, this one was never remotely competitive. The Patriots were up 7-3 after the first quarter but that became 28-3 at halftime following three touchdowns by the home team in the second quarter. The Pats tacked on 13 more points in the third quarter and they cruised in the last frame by adding nine more points before Jacksonville scored the most garbage time of touchdowns-a 28-yard catch-and-run by running back Dare Ogunbowale-that along with Matthew Wright's PAT cut New England's lead down to 50-10. 

    After three rushing touchdowns last week, Harris fittingly notched the first score in this lopsided contest: a two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and kicker Nick Folk added a point after to make it 7-0. The Jags settled for a 29-yard field goal by Wright later in the first quarter. It only took until the second quarter for Jacksonville to look like they didn't want to be there anymore in the cold rain and fog of Foxborough in January. In a little under 11 minutes of game time, New England scored three touchdowns to effectively put it out of reach before halftime. Harris notched a seven-yard touchdown run, Wilkerson caught a six-yard touchdown (his 1st as a pro) and Meyers grabbed a four-yard touchdown with Folk adding three point afters for that 28-3 lead.

    In the third quarter, Wilkerson was left wide open and he caught a 20-yard touchdown (Folk's extra point was blocked) before Stevenson punched in a one-yard touchdown run (Folk's point after was good) after Dugger returned his interception to the Jacksonville one-yard line. In the fourth quarter, Folk hit a 43-yard field goal and Stevenson recorded a six-yard touchdown run (the two-point run conversion failed). The Alabama duo of rookie defensive lineman Christian Barmore and linebacker Dont'a Hightower both took down Lawrence for a sack apiece. This was your classic get right game for the Patriots and all you can hope is that like earlier in the season after they destroyed the Jets (4-12), New England can use this result as a springboard to bigger and better things. They shouldn't need any extra motivation against Miami who beat them in Week 1 at Gillette.  

With The Regular Season Winding Down, The Pats Are Fading Away After A 33-21 Loss To The Bills

 

    The ups and downs of this season for the Patriots (9-6 overall, 3-5 home) have been nothing short of insane: they started a hapless 2-4 then reeled off seven straight wins before losing last week at Indy (9-6) and then falling 33-21 to Buffalo (9-6 overall, 5-3 away) in a huge divisional showdown this afternoon at Gillette Stadium. With a chance to put the Colts loss behind them not to mention to sweep the season series with the Bills, the Pats did a face plant in a major way. Unlike New England's fluky 14-10 wind-and-weather aided win in Buffalo three weeks ago, this felt like a more true representation of these teams at the moment. Bills quarterback Josh Allen (30-of-47 for 314 yards, 3 TDs; 64 yards rushing) was unstoppable and Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones (14-of-32 for 145 yards, 2 INTs) was predictably no match for him. With two games left now in the regular season, Buffalo has the inside track to another AFC East crown. A few weeks ago, the Pats seemed to have a legitimate shot at the No. 1 seed in the AFC, now they will have to scramble to hang on to a playoff spot. 

    To say that New England's overrated defense could not get off the field was not a bland statement but rather a depressing fact. This was the first time in Pats head coach Bill Belichick's exceptionally long and successful career that the opposing team never had to punt against him. Buffalo simply wore down the Patriots as they racked up eight more first downs (28-20), they possessed the ball for more than 10 minutes longer than the home team (35:09-24:51) and their defense forced two turnovers (2 INTs by safety Micah Hyde) while the Bills never coughed it up. With wide receivers Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis both out due to Covid-19 protocols, you figured that the Patriots could focus on Stefon Diggs (7 catches, 85 yards, TD) and nobody else would be able to do much against them. Wrong. Wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie set a career-high in catches (game-high 11) and yards (game-high 125) as Belichick watched undrafted second-year cornerback Myles Bryant repeatedly get burned by McKenzie. 

    After a terrible start doomed them against Indianapolis, you knew that the Patriots would play much better to start this game. Except that never really happened. Running back Damien Harris (18 carries, 103 yards, 3 TDs) was fantastic for New England but the same could not be said about any of his teammates on this day. Buffalo had the lone score of the first quarter: a three-yard touchdown pass from Allen to McKenzie and kicker Tyler Bass added the point after for a 7-0 lead. Harris responded with a 16-yard touchdown run (and Nick Folk PAT) to tie it up at seven early in the second quarter. Buffalo's issues in the red zone meant that Bass had to kick a 25-yard field goal for a 10-7 advantage. Allen zipped a sweet 12-yard touchdown pass to Diggs with 1:45 left in the first half. Bass' point after made it 17-7 in favor of the Bills at halftime. 

    Once again New England's defense held strong in the red zone and Bass had to salvage things with a 34-yard field goal which gave Buffalo a 20-7 lead early in the third quarter. Harris answered with a one-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter that coupled with Folk's kick trimmed Buffalo's lead to 20-14. The Bills closed strong in the fourth quarter thanks to a two-yard touchdown run by running back Devin Singletary but they failed on the two-point conversion attempt to leave it at 26-14. Harris' last touchdown run (of the 8-yard variety) and Folk's final PAT brought the Patriots within five points but Allen and Co. proceeded to march down the field methodically and clinch the victory with a two-yard shuffle pass from Allen to tight end Dawson Knox. That backbreaking play coupled with Bass' point after sent most of Gillette streaming for the exits (and the endless traffic in the parking lots and on Route 1, good times!). 

    The only positive news that I can think of for the Pats is that they have the good fortune to host the Jaguars (2-13 overall, 0-7 road) next Sunday afternoon (1, CBS)-their first contest in 2022. That is about as close to a guaranteed win as you will find in the NFL which is otherwise impossible to predict from week-to-week. New England will definitely have an eye on Monday Night Football tomorrow (8:15, ESPN) as Miami (7-7) visits New Orleans (7-7). Other than the Chiefs, the Dolphins are the second-hottest club in the league as they have surprisingly won six straight games. A triumph for the Saints would go a long way to bolstering the Bills and Patriots' playoff hopes. Most importantly, Jones has to get some of his confidence back because he's been a mess in these consecutive losses. I was never under any illusion that he will be a superstar but I think that Jones could be a very solid game manager type (I know, everybody hates that phrase) in the NFL for years to come. This is also not all on him either since almost all of the other Patriots have struggled recently too. 

Injury-Ravaged Titans Hung With The Pats Then New England Rolled To Their Sixth Straight Win

 

    Is there anybody left that actually doubts the Patriots (8-4 overall, 3-4 home) this season after they dropped the top-seeded Titans (8-4 overall, 4-2 away) 36-13 this afternoon at Gillette Stadium? New England's sixth victory in a row comes with a rather large asterisk since Tennessee was missing its top three offensive players (running back Derrick Henry along with wide receivers Julio Jones and A.J. Brown) but that hardly matters at the moment when you consider that the Pats were 2-4 earlier in this campaign. Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones (23-of-32 for career-high 310 yards, 2 TDs) was really good and New England's defense pitched a shutout in the second half after head coach Mike Vrabel's Titans were quite frisky in the first half and only trailed by three points (16-13) at halftime.

    New England's red zone issues are still a thing since kicker Nick Folk attempted a whopping six field goals (and thankfully made five of them) but other than that, it is hard to find anything else to legitimately complain about. 

    Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (5 catches, 61 yards) has surprisingly morphed into the best offensive playmaker on the Pats and he added two more touchdowns. Jones hit him with a four-yard fade pass in the corner of the end zone which coupled with Folk's PAT were the only points of the first quarter. Tennessee's quarterback Ryan Tannehill (11-of-21 for 93 yards, TD, INT; 24 yards rushing) has become a solid player with the Titans but it's hard to blame him for his struggles today with such a lack of weapons. Tannehill threw a one-yard touchdown pass to receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine early in the second quarter but Tennessee's kicker Randy Bullock missed the point after. It was a chilly day in Foxborough so they kept Folk busy with three field goals in the second quarter (from 22, 37 and 44 yards). New England's run defense was terrible to start the year, however they had really tightened things up lately, that is until journeyman Dontrell Hillard (12 carries, 131 yards) scampered 68 yards for a score with 37 seconds left in the half. Bullock made that extra point (but he later clanked a field goal attempt), regardless the Pats had to be frustrated going into the break.

    After losing to Vrabel in their first two career meetings as coaches, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick got to exact a little revenge as his club methodically worked over the Titans. Folk had to settle for another short kick (28 yards) early in the third quarter but Bourne submitted the highlight of the day for the home team as he took a seemingly innocent pass from Jones and weaved 41 yards for the backbreaking score. Folk's extra point gave New England double the points of Tennessee (26-13) and with such a limited offense, you knew that spelled trouble for the visitors. Folk's only miss was a 53-yard field goal attempt late in the first half but he atoned for that by crushing a 52-yard kick in the fourth quarter. He is once again having a fantastic Pro Bowl caliber season and the only thing that makes you worry about him is the thought of having to attempt a long kick like that in a close playoff game. Running back Damien Harris notched a 14-yard touchdown run in pseudo garbage time and with Folk's PAT, the rout was finally on at 36-13 late in the fourth quarter. 

    New England's defense recovered three fumbles (by cornerback Jalen Mills, some linebacker named Jahlani Tevani and safety Kyle Dugger), sacked Tannehill twice (by linebackers Ja'Whaun Bentley and Matthew Judon) and cornerback J.C. Jackson recorded yet another interception while wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (5 catches, 98 yards) nearly had 100 receiving yards. With the win, the Patriots maintained their spot in first place in the AFC East. Their biggest game of the season-at least so far-comes next Monday night (8:15, ESPN) in Orchard Park, NY as they meet the Bills (7-4 overall, 3-2 home) for the first time in 2021. The Patriots and Buffalo play twice in the next four weeks (including a bye for the Pats) so those two matchups should go a long way in deciding who wins the division and also vies for that lone home bye given to the AFC's No. 1 seed. With so few certainties in the NFL this season, the Patriots have suddenly morphed into one of the only teams that you can rationally trust to play well and usually find a way to win. 

You Can Take Sam Darnold Off The Jets But You Cannot Take The Stench Of The Jets Out Of Him

 

    All around the NFL today, weird things happened in Week 9. Tons of upsets occured but not at Bank of America Stadium this afternoon in Charlotte, NC as the Patriots (5-4 overall, 4-0 road) dominated the Panthers (4-5 overall, 2-3 home) 24-6 to win their third straight game for the first time in two years. After it looked for most of the week like backup quarterback P.J. Walker would get the start at quarterback for Carolina, head coach Matt Rhule decided to go with former Jets bust Sam Darnold (16-of-33 for 0 TDs, 3 INTs) and boy oh boy it did not turn out well. In fact, it was a good reminder that Pats head coach Bill Belichick vs. Darnold is one of the locks of the century in the league as New England improved to 4-0 against him while Sam has managed just one touchdown and nine interceptions combined in those four losses.

    This was like a very early Tom Brady game with the Patriots (hear me out) in the sense that our favorite rookie quarterback Mac Jones (12-of-18 for 139 yards, TD, INT) could not have done much less to get the win. Instead, New England relied on a stiff defense and a solid running game that combined for 151 yards. Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey (54 yards receiving, 52 yards rushing) returned for the first time since Week 3 but he did most of his damage in garbage time when the game had long since been decided. Pats rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson (62 yards rushing, 44 yards receiving) was having his best performance as a pro before he left with a possible concussion. Another New England running back-Damien Harris-also departed with a head injury in the fourth quarter which meant that good old Brandon Bolden (54 yards rushing, 27 yards receiving) was left to grind the win away. 

    This was far from the most exciting football game that I have ever seen since it was 0-0 after the first quarter and neither team scored in the fourth quarter either. Carolina's kicker Zane Gonzalez hit a pair of field goals in the second quarter (from 39 yards and 49 yards) but those were sandwiched around a three-yard touchdown run by Harris and a five-yard touchdown pass from Jones to tight end Hunter Henry (his 5th game in a row with a TD catch) along with a pair of point afters by kicker Nick Folk. New England led 14-6 at halftime and that became 21-6 midway through the third quarter as Darnold made a horrific mistake by throwing a pick-six (that went 88 yards!), the first of Jackson's career. The free-agent-to-be earned some more money thanks entirely to Darnold who forced another pass into the end zone where Jackson was able to snag it. Linebacker Jamie Collins also made a spectacular interception by jumping up at the line of scrimmage right as Darnold tried to fire the ball over the middle and linebacker Matthew Judon added yet another sack to his impressive total. Folk's 37-yard field goal late in the third quarter turned out to be the last points of the contest. 

    The Patriots will host the Browns (5-4) next Sunday afternoon (1, CBS) at Gillette Stadium where New England has surprisingly struggled in 2021 by going 1-4. Cleveland embarrassed the Bengals (5-4) 41-16 today in Cincinnati. Former Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. goes on waivers tomorrow and if he goes unclaimed, he would be a free agent on Tuesday. I mention that because I would not be shocked to see Belichick take a chance on him for the rest of the season. The Pats are far from a great team and they still have many needs but you wonder what adding such a volatile personality would do to the mix. Still, their receiver group is pretty weak and guys with Beckham's talent (assuming that he's not completely washed up at this juncture of his career) are hard to come by particularly when Bill cannot draft them to save his life. I mention all of this because it should be a competitive game to begin with and adding Odell to the situation would make it even more fascinating. We shall see what happens over the next few days but thankfully, the Patriots should be a playoff team this season and who knows, maybe they could even push the Bills (5-3) for the AFC East title after Buffalo somehow fell 9-6 at Jacksonville (2-6) today. New England still has both meetings with the Bills left to play. 

The Patriots Finally Beat A Legitimate Team In 2021, Knocking Off The Chargers 27-24 In LA

 

    I'm sorry, but beating the tanking Texans (1-7) or mostly hapless Jets (2-5) means nothing to me in 2021, hence why I didn't bother to write about last week's useless 54-13 pasting of those Jets. That is also why it was very refreshing to see the Patriots (4-4 overall, 3-0 road) go to Los Angeles this afternoon and beat the Chargers (4-3 overall, 2-2 home) 27-24 at SoFi Stadium. LA is not going to win the Super Bowl this season (and frankly neither are the Patriots) but they look and feel like a playoff team which certainly can't be said for Houston or New York. This is the first time in quite a strange season that the Pats have won consecutive games. 

    New England head coach Bill Belichick improved to 4-0 against rookie head coaches this season (coincidence?) while safety Adrian Phillips-a former Charger-was the star of the game with a pair of interceptions including the first pick-six of his NFL career. The victory was not a fluke for the visitors who had plenty of Masshole transplants in attendance cheering them on in their finest Halloween costumes. In fact, that close final score is quite misleading since something named Joshua Palmer caught a garbage time touchdown for the Chargers with 40 seconds left in regulation. Another former Charger great tight end Hunter Henry snared the ensuing onside kick to seal the win and guarantee a fun plane ride home for the Patriots.

    Somewhat surprisingly given the result, this contest did not feature a stellar performance by Pats rookie quarterback Mac Jones who barely completed over half of his passes (18-of-35 for 218 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs) but unlike LA's second-year stud Justin Herbert (18-of-35 for 223 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs), he had zero turnovers. From the look of their opening drive, it appeared that the Chargers were going to drop 40+ points on New England as they easily went down the field (10 plays, 75 yards, 4:28) capped off by a rugby scrum style five-yard touchdown run by their dynamic running back Austin Ekeler (64 yards rushing, 60 yards receiving). LA's new kicker Dustin Hopkins tacked on the PAT for an early 7-0 lead. The Patriots responded though with an eerily similar drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:28 but they finished it with a one-yard run by running back Damien Harris (23 carries, 80 yards). Nick Folk added the point after to tie it at seven. 

    Longtime Chargers receiver Keenan Allen (6 catches, 77 yards) caught a five-yard touchdown from Herbert early in the second quarter that coupled with another kick by Hopkins made it 14-7 in favor of the home team. The red zone is still a major issue for Jones and the Pats who had to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Folk and their dependable kicker hit a 48-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in the first half to cut LA's advantage to just one point (14-13). The defenses started to take over in the third quarter as Folk hit a 48-yard field goal for New England's first lead at 16-14 but Hopkins answered with a 48-yard kick of his own to help Los Angeles regain the lead. 

    Phillips' earlier interception was from a tipped ball but the fourth quarter pick-six that went for 26 yards was a complete gift from Herbert. The pass was intended for tight end Jared Cook who had not even turned around when the ball went whistling by him and Phillips was alert enough to dive for it then get up and run it to the end zone when he was never touched while on the ground. Belichick elected to go for two and Jones found wide receiver Jakobi Meyers for the two-point conversion. New England showed great poise on the game-clinching drive as they kept picking up first downs but also smartly stayed inbounds to keep the clock running. Folk's 30-yard field goal with 2:19 left gave them a 10-point lead (27-17). 

    New England's defense had three sacks, led of course by their excellent linebacker Matthew Judon (4 tackles, 1 assist, 1.5 sacks, 1 tackle for loss). Defensive lineman Lawrence Guy had a sack as well while rookie defensive lineman Christian Barmore was credited with half a sack of Herbert. The Dolphins (1-7) have lost seven games in a row since beating the Pats in the season opener so the AFC East race is already down to only the Bills (5-2) and New England. Buffalo is still a heavy favorite to win the division and I'd be really surprised to see the Patriots upset them in either meeting but at least there is some hope that they could qualify for the playoffs in the not that great AFC. The Pats will look to keep their perfect road record intact next Sunday afternoon (1, CBS) as they visit Stephon Gilmore (who had an interception today in his Panthers debut!) and Carolina (4-4) at Bank Of America Stadium. Former Jets great Sam Darnold went into concussion protocol and had to leave today's 19-13 win over the Falcons (3-4) so his status will be something to keep an eye on this week. FYI his backup is something named PJ Walker who no joke is a proud XFL alum.

The Pats Came Close Again But Couldn't Beat A Good Team As They Fell 35-29 In OT Vs. Dallas

 

    The Patriots (2-4 overall, 0-4 home) had another great opportunity to beat one of the better teams in the NFL this evening at Gillette Stadium but just like the Bucs (5-1) game two weeks ago, they came up short as they lost 35-29 in overtime to the Cowboys (5-1 overall, 2-1 away). In many ways, it would have been a miracle if Pats head coach Bill Belichick and his team had found a way to pull this one out since Dallas is clearly a more talented and much deeper team. The Cowboys recorded nearly twice as many first downs (32-17), they totalled over 200 more yards (567-335), held the ball for over 12 more minutes than the home team (39:17-26:51) and ran a whopping 32 more plays (82-50). So why the hell wasn't this an easy blowout win for America's Team? That was mostly because they were called for an absurd amount of penalties (12 for 115 yards) and they had two backbreaking turnovers in the red zone. 

    Much like the Tampa showdown, I don't think many logical people believed this would be all that competitive so kudos to the Patriots for almost pulling this off. Still, how many times can we pat them on the head for a close loss? This was already the third time this season that they have lost by one score.  That gets old really fast, especially when you have a chance to win in overtime only to stall on your lone drive and have Dallas' star quarterback Dak Prescott (36-of-51 for 445 yards, 3 TDs, INT) hit his speedy receiver CeeDee Lamb (9 catches, 149 yards, 2 TDs) with a walk-off 35-yard touchdown pass. 

    The end of the fourth quarter was insane as the Cowboys looked to have it sealed when their outstanding young cornerback Trevon Diggs (brother of Bills WR Stefon) picked off Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones (15-of-21 for 229 yards, 2 TDs, INT) and ran the pick-6 back 42 yards to put Dallas ahead 26-21 (they failed on the 2-point conversion) with 2:27 left in regulation. However, on the next play Jones hit New England receiver Kendrick Bourne for a 75-yard touchdown catch-and-run. The Pats got the two-point conversion as well with Jones finding wideout Jakobi Meyers on the goal-line. The issue at that point was that there was too much time remaining and the Patriots' defense was completely gassed. Cowboys kicker Greg Zuerlein had missed an early field goal but he was nails on a 49-yard attempt with 20 seconds left to go that tied it at 29. 

    This is the first time since 1993 (aka Bill Parcells' first year in charge here) that the Patriots have started 0-4 at home. In the past (mostly because they had Tom Brady), this would have been a game that they would have stolen. They scored first and led 14-7 after the first quarter and 14-10 at halftime. New England running back Damien Harris (18 carries, 101 yards) held onto the ball this week and he had a four-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 with kicker Nick Folk's extra point. Prescott and the Cowboys answered as he found tight end Blake Jarwin with a one-yard touchdown pass on a simple play action fake. Zuerlein's point after tied it at seven but New England went ahead 14-7 on the following drive: tight end Hunter Henry caught a touchdown for the third week in a row, this time from 20 yards out and Folk's PAT made it 14-7 in favor of the good guys. The only points in the second quarter was a 30-yard field goal by Zuerlein. Prescott fumbled on the goal-line when he dove on a quarterback sneak but Pats linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley knocked the ball free and fellow linebacker Kyle Van Noy recovered it. Earlier in the frame, safety Kyle Dugger grabbed his first career interception after cornerback Justin Bethel deflected the pass intended for Dallas receiver Cedrick Wilson in the end zone. 

    Dallas took their first lead in the third quarter when Dak found Lamb for a pretty one-yard fade to the corner. Zuerlein's point after gave the Cowboys a 17-14 advantage which they took into the fourth quarter. Zuerlein's 45-yard field goal put the Cowboys up 20-14 early in the final stanza but Patriots rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson rumbled in for a one-yard touchdown run that staked his club to a 21-20 lead thanks to Folk's PAT. Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory sacked Jones twice and nearly killed him both times since he basically got to him untouched. New England's offensive line continues to be a nightmare.  

    The Patriots should finally get that first home win of 2021 next Sunday afternoon (1, CBS) as they host the Jets (1-4) who they beat 25-6 at MetLife Stadium in Week 2. Honestly though, will that prove anything? So far, the Jets and Texans (1-5) are the only teams they have managed to beat this season. That Week 1 loss to the Dolphins (1-5) looks terrible at this point along with their no-show against the Saints (3-2). The bottom line is that this looks like a non-playoff team for the second season in a row. That does not sound like much but remembering how spoiled we were for 20 years makes this particularly painful. The Patriots were the model franchise in sports for most of those two decades and now they appear to be a rudderless franchise filled with so many aging veterans, bad draft picks and a stubborn old head coach who is obviously nowhere near the same guy without the best quarterback in NFL history on his side.

Down 22-9 In The Third Quarter, The Pats Rallied For A Yucky 25-22 Win Vs. The Tanking Texans

 

    This afternoon in Houston at NRG Stadium was one of those rare occasions in the NFL when a win felt much more like a loss. Sure, we are happy that the Patriots (2-3 overall, 2-0 away) found a way to beat the lowly Texans (1-4 overall, 1-2 home) 25-22 but when you dig a little deeper, you see the myriad issues facing New England in 2021. With all the mistakes that they made (fumbling on the goal-line, throwing an interception, missing a PAT and giving up multiple big plays to a dreadful offense), the Pats were lucky that they were playing Houston and not a half decent team. Other than say the Lions (0-5), Jaguars (0-5), Jets (1-4) or Giants (1-4), it's doubtful that New England would have beat anyone else on this day. 

    In a battle of rookie quarterbacks, the unheralded Davis Mills (21-of-29, 312 yards, 3 TDs) of the Texans outperformed Mac Jones (23-of-30, 231 yards, TD, INT) of the Patriots. However, like last week when Jones shockingly outplayed Tom Brady but still lost, Mills' stellar play wasn't enough to push his team to a victory. Right from the start, Houston punched New England in the mouth Tyson Fury style on Deontay Wilder. On the opening drive of the game, the Texans had the ball for 10:06 and went 79 yards in 18 plays ending with a 11-yard touchdown pass from Mills to some Canadian tight end named Antony Auclair. The only good part of that miserable situation was when Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn missed the PAT giving the home team a 6-0 lead. 

    The Pats answered right back on their first drive (10 plays and 60 yards in 5:37) with running back Damien Harris slamming in a one-yard touchdown run. Unfortunately, he later fumbled in a similar spot. It was a rough day for kickers all around the NFL today and that extended to Pats kicker Nick Folk who also missed his first PAT. Yuck. Houston only needed three plays on their ensuing drive to retake the lead. Mills threw a long pass to journeyman wide receiver Chris Moore (5 catches, 109 yards) that eluded New England's de-facto No. 1 cornerback J.C. Jackson and went for a 67-yard touchdown pass. Somewhere in Carolina, Stephon Gilmore must have been chuckling. Once again, Fairbairn couldn't get the job done as he scuffed another PAT leaving the score at 12-6. He bounced back late in the first half with a 33-yard field goal then Folk hit a 52-yard field goal with two seconds left in the second quarter that cut it to 15-9 in favor of Houston.

    Patriots fans hoping for a quick turnaround in the third quarter must have been pissed to see them fall even futher behind as Texans cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr. picked off Jones on the second play of the frame and that was soon followed up by a 37-yard flea flicker from Mills to another scrub wide receiver Chris Conley for a touchdown and a 22-9 advantage after Fairbairn finally hit a point after. For some stupid reason, the Texans tried to fool the Patriots by pretending like they were going to run a fake punt at the end of their next drive but instead their punt was blocked. Folk added a pair of field goals (from 52 and 32) to trim Houston's lead to 22-15 after three quarters. The Pats finally woke up in the fourth quarter as they tied it on a pretty 13-yard touchdown pass from Jones to tight end Hunter Henry. New England's defense did not allow another point: Matt Judon (4 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 QB hits, fumble recovery) continued to play like a Pro Bowler and his fellow linebacker Jamie Collins made a timely sack of Mills in crunch time in the start of his third stint in Foxborough.

    Jones and the offense took basically all the time off of the clock with one last drive (15 plays, 84 yards in 7:00) and Folk finished the job by nailing a chip shot 21-yard field goal with 15 seconds left in regulation. By virtue of New York's (1-4) 27-20 loss to Atlanta (2-3) this morning in London and Miami (1-4) getting blown out 45-17 by Brady and the Bucs (4-1), the Patriots snuck into second-place in the AFC East not that it means anything this season with the Bills (4-1) sure to run away with it-tonight they rolled 38-20 in Kansas City (2-3). New England will be tested once again next Sunday (4:25, CBS) as they host one of the better teams in the league-the Cowboys (4-1)-who destroyed the Giants (1-4) 44-20 earlier today. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott is playing like an MVP candidate and his team has won four games in a row after dropping the season opener at Tampa. If Mills gave the Pats defense so much trouble, what will Prescott be able to do to them? Our only hope for the Patriots to avoid starting 0-4 (!) at Gillette Stadium this season is that they show up (like they did vs. Tampa Bay) in a much more sexy matchup.

Zach Wilson (4 INTs) Implodes As The Patriots Roll To A 25-6 Victory Against The Hapless Jets

 

    There are few certainties in life anymore except the fact that the Jets (0-2) will be a doormat for the rest of eternity. The Patriots (1-1) were the lucky team that got to face New York this afternoon at MetLife Stadium. After a decent debut last week in a 19-14 loss at the Panthers (2-0), Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson-the No. 2 pick in the draft-was a complete disaster as he threw interceptions on his first two pass attempts and ended up with four interceptions for the game as New England cruised to an easy 25-6 win. 

    It was not pretty but Pats rookie quarterback Mac Jones (22-of-30 for 186 yards) didn't turn the ball over. The Patriots' defense added four sacks of Wilson while running back James White ran for a seven-yard touchdown and running back Damien Harris had the play of the game with a 26-yard TD run early in the third quarter (that made it 19-3 Pats) where he carried a host of Jets into the end zone before receiving a final push over the goal line by Jones and his offensive linemen. Pats kicker Nick Folk missed a PAT but nobody will remember that since he hit four field goals (46, 49, 32, 26). 

    If you are looking for troubling trends two games into the season with the Patriots, their offensive line is a bit of a mess (Jones got sacked three times) with right tackle Trent Brown out with a calf injury, their run defense stinks (they allowed 152 yards to New York) and their red zone offense leaves something to be desired. Still, Buffalo (1-1) destroyed Miami (1-1) 35-0 this afternoon meaning that three AFC East teams are all 1-1 while the Jets fittingly are alone in the basement. The Bills figure to pull away from the Dolphins and Patriots at some point later this season while New York will probably be one of the worst teams in the NFL yet again. 

    It was a good day to have New England's defense in fantasy football as cornerback J.C. Jackson had a pair of interceptions while safeties Devin McCourty and Adrian Phillips also added picks and linebacker Josh Uche sacked Wilson twice. It was one of those situations where you could wonder if the Pats defense was that stout or if they simply took advantage of some awful mistakes by Wilson? This was never really that competitive as the visitors led 10-0 after the first quarter and 13-3 at halftime then 22-3 after three quarters. Time will tell who has the better NFL career-Jones or Wilson-but it is ironic that Jones' first NFL victory came at the expense of another highly-touted rookie in his draft class. 

    Next Sunday afternoon (1, FOX), the Pats return to Gillette Stadium where they will try to get their first home win of 2021 against the Saints (1-1). After embarassing the Packers 38-3 in Week 1 behind five touchdown passes from mercurial quarterback Jameis Winston, New Orleans came crashing back to Earth this afternoon with a 26-7 loss at Carolina. The Saints still have a bunch of great players and head coach Sean Payton is regarded as one of the best in the league so the Pats should have their hands full trying to get another win.

The Patriots Fumbled Away Their Season Opener Against The Dolphins But Mac Jones Looked Good

 

    Replacing the greatest quarterback of all-time (Tom Brady) is impossible but Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones proved today in his NFL debut that he beat out Cam Newton this summer for a reason and he gives New England plenty of hope for the future. We should be talking about a victory by the Pats but unfortunately, running back Damien Harris (100 yards rushing, 17 yards receiving) lost a fumble deep in Miami territory that was recovered by Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard and that allowed the visitors to walk out of Gillette Stadium with a 17-16 win. For his part, Jones (29 of 39 for 281 yards, 1 TD) outplayed his former Alabama teammate Tua Tagovailoa (16 of 27 for 202 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; rushing TD) but the Patriots repeatedly beat themselves by losing a pair of fumbles (rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson had the other following a 2-yard catch) and piling up three more penalties than Miami (8-5) for way more yardage (84-28). 

    By almost any other measure, you would have thought that the Pats had won this game: they accumulated 134 more total yards (393-259), they had eight more first downs (24-16) and they possessed the ball for over 13 minutes more than the Dolphins (36:43-23:17). With their best player-cornerback Stephon Gilmore-still sidelined with a quad injury leftover from last season (plus he's not thrilled with his contract situation)-New England's defense lacked playmakers. Granted, linebackers Kyle Van Noy (2 tackles, assist) and Josh Uche each notched sacks and cornerback Jonathan Jones made a timely interception of Tagovailoa (after linebacker Matt Judon destroyed Tua) that should have led to a game-winning drive for the home team. 

    Neither offense ever really looked too dangerous but Tua ran for a three-yard touchdown with 5:29 left in the first quarter to give Miami a 7-0 lead following Jason Sanders' PAT. New England's offense started to come alive a bit in the second quarter as they settled for a 27-yard field goal by Nick Folk with 10:17 left in the frame (after Jones rushed a third down throw to Jakobi Meyers) and then Mac found wide receiver Nelson Agholor (5 catches, 72 yards) with a seven-yard touchdown pass on a quick slant for his first career NFL touchdown. Folk's PAT gave the Pats a 10-7 lead but Sanders hit a 48-yard field goal as the first half expired to knot things up at 10. 

    Another rookie Alabama product made a big play as Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle caught a 3-yard touchdown from Tagovailoa as Miami marched down the field (9 plays, 75 yards, 4:09) to start the second half and grabbed a 17-10 advantage. The Patriots' offense could only manage a pair of Folk field goals (from 42 yards in the third quarter and 33 yards in the fourth quarter) the rest of the way. New England's defense tightened up in the second half as they did not allow another point following the Waddle score but it still wasn't enough to come out on top. Jones was never sacked and he had zero turnovers which helped him finish with an impressive quarterback rating of 102.6. He just turned 23 years old last week but he looks poised beyond his years in terms of calmness in the pocket and knowing where to put the ball to safely get it to his teammates in good spots. 

    The schedule should help Jones and his team out next week as they travel to MetLife Stadium next Sunday afternoon (1, CBS) to face another rookie quarterback Zach Wilson and the Jets (0-1). New York fell 19-14 in their opener at Carolina against their former quarterback Sam Darnold. Wilson was pretty good in his NFL debut as well, going 20-of-37 for 258 yards, 2 TDs (both to Corey Davis) and 1 INT. Still, the Jets figure to be one of the worst teams in the NFL so if the Pats have any desire to get return to the postseason after missing it last year, they need to beat New York twice in 2021 since none of the other AFC East matchups will be more than a toss-up. Anything can happen week to week in the NFL but the Jets are as close to a sure thing as you'll find in terms of a cupcake opponent. 1-1 would look a hell of a lot better than 0-2 for New England so we will have to see what Week 2 brings for Mac Jones and Co.

And That's What We Get For Putting Any Faith In This Hopelessly Flawed Patriots Team In 2020

 

    Listen, we all knew that the Patriots (4-6 overall, 1-4 away) were not going to win the Super Bowl this season. However, at least in the last few weeks they had given us not only a reason to tune into their games but also a brief moment to consider that perhaps they could be a playoff team in 2020 with an improbable late-season run. That all came to a crashing halt today in Houston (3-7 overall, 2-3 home) as they lost to a terrible Texans club 27-20 at NRG Stadium. Before today, the only other team that Houston had beaten this season was its wretched AFC South rival Jacksonville (1-9) as they already swept that dog poop season series. The Pats already had little margin for error but now realistically, they probably would have to at the very least go 5-1 to even have a chance to be a Wild Card team but more likely 6-0 to finish 10-6. Sigh. 

    Since they have what has to be one of the least explosive offenses in the NFL, the Patriots can't afford to fall behind by too many points since it takes way too much time and effort to scratch out anything from many of their drives. After scoring first and being tied at seven after the first quarter, the Texans outscored them 14-3 in the second quarter to take a 21-10 halftime lead. New England actually outplayed Houston in the second half-outscoring them 10-6-but much like previous losses this season at Seattle, vs. Denver and at Buffalo, the Pats had a shot to tie it late but they couldn't convert on 4th-and-4 from the Houston 24-yard line which for all intents and purposes sealed their fate. 

    Despite their clunky first half performance, this loss shouldn't be pinned solely on Cam Newton (26-of-40 for 365 yards and 1 TD) or New England's 1950s style offense. Wide receiver Damiere Byrd (6 catches for a season-high 132 yards, 1 TD on 7 targets) had his best game as a Patriot and running back Damien Harris scored another touchdown while James White (64 yards receiving, 19 yards rushing) stepped up after Rex Burkhead suffered what looked to be a torn ACL in his left knee on a rushing attempt. Two field goals by kicker Nick Folk accounted for the other six points by the Patriots. 

    Nope, this latest setback falls on New England's invisible defense that allowed Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (28-of-37 for 344 yards, 2 TDs; 36 yards rushing, 1 TD) to dominate them. The Pats secondary is supposed to be elite (especially with Stephon Gilmore finally back after a month away due to his shady knee injury) but they couldn't contain the likes of former Patriot Brandin Cooks (4 catches for 85 yards on 5 targets), tight end Jordan Akins (5 catches, 83 yards on 6 targets) set a career-high in yardage while wide receiver Will Fuller (6 catches for 80 yards on 8 targets) continually beat the Patriots on intermediate routes. The Pats defense might as well have not made the trip to Texas since they didn't record a sack let alone a turnover. Houston had two sacks and J.J. Watt came back from the dead to deflect four passes which seems like an absurdly high total for his ghost in 2020. 

    The game started off very well for the Patriots as they forced a Texans punt on their first possession then New England put together their best drive of the afternoon: 10 plays, 84 yards in 5:32 that ended with a toss to Harris that he ran in the end zone from nine yards out. Houston responded on their next drive as they tied it on Watson's three-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb. Folk's 45-yard field goal early in the second quarter briefly gave the Pats another slim lead (10-7) but once again, the Texans answered right back with a four-yard touchdown run by Watson that ended with him running over Pats safety and captain Devin McCourty as he powered his way into the end zone. That play was a good summary of this mostly forgettable campaign by the Pats. For good measure, Houston tacked on a back-breaking touchdown with 10 seconds left in the first half when Watson found Keke Coutee with a six-yard pass.

    They might stink but I wouldn't say that this team has tuned out head coach Bill Belichick since they have usually come out motivated to start the second half this season. Cam had one of his best plays as a Patriot-a 42-yard dime to Byrd for a gorgeous over-the-shoulder grab that cut it to 21-17 Texans early in the third quarter. The Pats defense at least held Houston to a 36-yard field goal by Ka'imi Fairbairn to put the home team back up by seven points (24-17). The Pats had a chance to tie it midway through the fourth quarter but their drive stalled out on the edge of the red zone. Folk's 36-yard field goal turned out to be their final points while Fairbairn's 46-yard field goal on the following drive gave the Texans some more breathing room. 

    Thanksgiving is not going to be the same for any of us this week and when we next see the Patriots in action on Sunday afternoon (1, FOX) they will be hosting the Cardinals (6-4 overall, 3-2 away) at Gillette Stadium. Everybody knows that with Kyler Murray under center-one of the great young QBs in the league-that Arizona is a better team than New England. They are also in the middle of a tight playoff race in the NFC West-the best division in football-so they won't be lacking for motivation. Just because nothing makes sense in this awful year, something goofy will happen like a weather game (such as the rainstorm last Sunday night against Baltimore) and the West Coast team that plays indoors will have a tough time with the early gametime for their bodies. However, even if the Pats somehow find a way to knock off the Cardinals, today served as a harsh reminder not to let them fool us into thinking they are anything notable based off of one solid victory.

In A Monsoon At Gillette Stadium, Pats Pick Up Their Best Win Of the Season, 23-17 vs. Ravens

 

    Starting this season with a woeful record of 2-5, the Patriots (4-5 overall, 3-2 home) put themselves in a major hole to even dream about a shot at the playoffs. However, on a short week after barely getting by the winless Jets (0-9) on Monday, the Pats won back-to-back games for the first time in 2020 as they held off the overrated Ravens (6-3 overall, 4-1 away) 23-17 tonight at rain-soaked Gillette Stadium. So much for tanking since a victory like this shows what they are capable of doing when they play classic complimentary football against one of the better teams in the AFC. It was not a fluke either because they held Baltimore's superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson (24-of-34 for 249 yards, 2 TDs, INT; 55 yards rushing) somewhat in check while New England's new top running back Damien Harris ran for a career-high 121 yards (his 3rd 100-yard game of the season) on just 22 carries. 

    Pats quarterback Cam Newton (13-of-17 for 118 yards, TD; 21 yards rushing, TD) couldn't match the numbers that Jackson put up but he didn't need to with so many of his teammates stepping up to help him and most importantly, he had zero turnovers. Pats wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (5 catches for 59 yards on 7 targets; 24-yard touchdown pass!) continues to make plays while running back Rex Burkhead (66 total yards) caught a pair of touchdowns and cornerback J.C. Jackson set a franchise record with an interception in his fifth straight game and he also leads the NFL in picks this season with six. Besides some terrible snaps by Ravens center Matt Skura that caused three fumbles (!!) the terrible weather didn't affect the outcome as much as you would expect. Rain or no rain, throwing the ball still isn't Jackson's main strength and New England's defense at least contained his explosive play capability for the most part.  

    In a lot of ways, these teams want to do similar things offensively: control the clock and methodically march down the field before scoring. For that reason, neither is really built to play from behind so while Baltimore was up 7-0 in the second quarter then 10-7, New England took a 13-10 halftime lead and never looked back as they did just enough to hang on. Oddly enough, the first quarter and the fourth quarter were both scoreless so all the points came from the middle frames. The Ravens looked like undisciplined front-runners as they clearly let their frustrations get to them to the tune of eight penalties for 64 yards. The Patriots notched six more first downs (25-19) and surprisingly against one of the NFL's top rushing attacks, New England outgained them 173-115 on the ground. 

    Getting the ball to Harris was key from the start for the home team and he actually took hand-offs on the first five offensive plays. On the first play of the second quarter, Willie Snead (5 catches for 64 yards on 7 targets) took a flip from Jackson-officially credited as a pass-and got to the corner of the end zone first. The NFL's best kicker Justin Tucker added the PAT for a 7-0 Ravens lead. To call that drive impressive for Baltimore was an understatement as they went almost the entire field (94 yards in 13 plays) which took up over half a quarter (8:04). The Patriots answered with a strong drive of their own: 75 yards in seven plays that took 3:08. Burkhead caught a screen pass from Newton and rumbled in from seven yards out. Nick Folk's PAT tied it up at seven.

    The next drive for the Ravens stalled in the red zone as Jackson short-hopped a pass to his wide open tight end Mark Andrews (7 catches for 61 yards on 9 targets) in the middle of the end zone so they were forced to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Tucker. The Pats went into halftime with a 13-10 lead thanks to another great drive: 10 plays, 75 yards in 4:30. The go-ahead score came thanks to a moment of brilliance from Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels who called for a pass from Newton to Meyers who then lofted it into the end zone for a diving Burkhead. Folk missed the point after (which I was convinced would come back to bite them later) but that couldn't ruin what otherwise was a great effort in the first 30 minutes by the Patriots. The cherry on top was Lamar forcing a deep pass down the sideline and J.C. (no relation) picking it off which allowed Newton to kneel to end the half. 

    The Patriots added to their lead in the third quarter as Newton rushed for a four-yard touchdown (his 9th rushing TD of the season) followed by Folk's PAT. Speaking of Nick, he was called on for a chip shot (20 yard field goal) after Newton bounced a pass to Meyers that should have been a touchdown. Still, the Patriots were up by two touchdowns (23-10) which was a bit of a shock considering that they entered as a seven-point underdog. Lamar's best throw of the game was unquestionably his 18-yard dart to Snead with eight seconds left in the quarter. After Tucker's point after kick, that was as close as Baltimore would get as New England sacked Jackson twice (by John Simon and rookie Josh Uche) while rookie safety Kyle Duggar (12 tackles, 7 solo, 1/2 tackle for a loss) had his best game as a pro. Undrafted second-year linebacker Terez Hall (10 tackles, 8 solo) played well-whoever that is-while Chase Winovich (7 tackles, 6 solo) continues to dig himself out of Bill Belichick's dog house.

    As I've said before, absolutely nothing is guaranteed for this Patriots team but for once, they will be favored next Sunday (1, CBS) as they visit the awful Texans (2-7 overall, 1-3 home). Quarterback Deshaun Watson is stuck with that loser team while old friend Romeo Crennel is the interim head coach after Bill O'Brien was mercifully fired earlier this season. It is gross to say out loud but simply getting back to .500 (5-5) would be a real nice accomplishment for the Pats after their season looked completely doomed. If nothing else, they are giving us a good reason to watch them while the days get shorter and the weather continues to go downhill toward winter. Thankfully, it looks like we can at least have a football season after all and in 2020, we'll take it!

It's Clear That In 2020 The Patriots (2-5) Simply Cannot Have Any Nice Things Without Tom Brady

 

    Remember when we thought this NFL year would be a fun debate over who was ultimately more important to the Patriots' dynasty: Tom Brady or Bill Belichick? It's not even halfway through the regular season for New England (2-5 for the 1st time since 2000) but after their heartbreaking 24-21 loss this afternoon against the Bills (6-2) at New Era Field, we can conclude that while Belichick is the greatest head coach in league history, he wouldn't have been anything close to that without Brady who has the Bucs (5-2) sitting pretty with an easy win on the docket tomorrow night at the Giants (1-6). This was the fourth straight loss for the Pats (for the 1st time since 2002) and unquestionably the worst given the stakes: there was a path to climb back into the playoff race if they could beat the AFC East leader. Instead, now you wonder what their plan is for Tuesday's trade deadline (4 pm) and then for the rest of the cursed 2020 campaign. 

    In the good old days, this had all the makings of a contest that the Patriots come out on top of based mostly on its opponent falling apart in key moments. Instead, already in field goal range (that would have sent it to overtime) Cam Newton (15-of-25 for 174 yards; 54 yards rushing, TD) fumbled after a hit by something called Justin Zimmer with another nobody (Dean Marlowe) recovering it at the Bills' 13-yard line. Game over. New England's dominance vs. Buffalo was renowned when Brady was here, in fact this marked the first time the Bills had beaten the Patriots at home (!) since 2011. Expect many other stats and streaks like that to continue to fall for the Pats over their final nine games.

    With their best defensive player (cornerback Stephon Gilmore) and their best offensive player (wide receiver Julian Edelman) both out with various injuries, the Pats did a more than admirable job hanging in there with a pair of second-year players-running back Damien Harris (16 carries, 102 yards, TD) and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (6 catches, 58 yards on 10 targets) giving them the biggest boosts while also bringing up the question of why weren't they getting more touches earlier this season while the offense continued to flat-line? Moreover, while his lack of arm strength is still very scary, Newton at least was making plays consistently for the first time since he contracted Covid-19. He outplayed Bills quarterback Josh Allen (11-of-18 for 154 yards, INT; 23 yards rushing, TD) who continues to regress since his strong start to his third pro season. 

    Like the Pats, Buffalo got most of its offense done on the ground-Massachusetts high school style (you know when that was still a thing pre-Covid). Devin Singletary (14 carries, 86 yards) and rookie Zach Moss (14 carries, 81 yards) had nearly identical numbers save for the fact that Moss found the end zone twice for his first two scores in the NFL. The Bills made the most of having Stefon Diggs (6 catches, 92 yards on 9 targets) on their team as he looks every bit the part of one of the best receivers in the league. New England never led in the entire game so I guess it would have felt a bit like stealing if they had somehow won. Allen did his part to keep it close by throwing an awful interception right to Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson and rookie receiver Gabriel Davis dropped a sure-touchdown on Buffalo's final drive. 

    I get that he has limited options right now but I doubt that you will be hearing Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' name mentioned anytime soon for another crack at a head coaching job in the league. Like Bill, many of his warts are being exposed without TB12 to gloss over them with his insane skills and brilliant football mind. New England's offense took awhile to get going as Moss' eight-yard touchdown run was the only score of the first quarter. Patriots kicker Nick Folk accounted for all the points in the second quarter on a 43-yard kick and a 33-yard kick (when the Pats didn't even dare to try and call one more play from the red zone before halftime). 

    Moss added a four-yard touchdown on Buffalo's first drive of the third quarter but Harris answered with an impressive 22-yard touchdown run (his first NFL TD) of his own late in the frame. The Pats tied it up at 14 and grabbed the momentum thanks to Newton's two-point conversion pass to Meyers. Allen's two-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter was mirrored by Cam's two-yard touchdown run on the ensuing drive. Rookie Tyler Bass' 28-yard field goal turned out to be the winning-play for the Bills after Gabriel's drop. No surprise, you could see Newton's visible frustration while he sat on the bench after he gave the game away. You have to feel for a guy that at one time was an NFL MVP, it has to be brutal to see your skills erode to this sad point.

    I never thought I would say this but for as long as I can remember, this is the first Patriots season that I hardly care much about. I think that's due to a combination of factors: the pandemic has shown how trivial many things in life can be plus watching the Pats lose week after week admittedly takes much of the enjoyment out of the whole process. I know, I know, we were so incredibly spoiled for almost 20 years. To use a modern analogy, this is the equivalent of breaking up with or no longer being friends with someone then seeing them on social media supposedly thriving with another person. After cheaping out on weapons for Brady the past few years and due to his many turd-filled draft classes, it seems like Belichick the GM is getting what he deserves. On the other side, TB12 is 43 on one of the great losers in pro sports and yet he's already created a huge culture change playing for a dopey head coach (Bruce Arians) who at least had the knowledge to surround his star with tons of great players. 

    At this point, the Pats would probably have to go at least 7-2 down the stretch to have a realistic shot at making the NFL playoffs. Is there any chance you can see that as a remote possibility for this woefully thin roster? Yeah, me neither. They are doubly screwed too because they still have to play the Jets (0-8) twice and New York is halfway to a winless season for the sole purpose of having the No. 1 overall pick and presumably drafting Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Additionally, it's tough to picture Belichick or many of the veteran Patriots shamefully tanking at any time no matter how bleak the outlook appears to be. For some unknown reason, ESPN booked Pats-Jets for Monday Night Football (8:15) next week at Metlife Stadium. Even before the season began, who was dumb enough to think that meeting would have any juice? You might hate me for saying this but I'd almost root for New England to lose that one but with the way this year has gone, I know they would undoubtedly screw that up too. Oy, the weather this weekend felt like winter and without the NBA and NHL seasons likely starting again until 2021, we need something to watch sportswise until then. Unfortunately, in that way and countless others, the Patriots just aren't getting the job done anymore when we could truly use them the most.

      

    

    

The Patriots Actually Hung Around With The Chiefs Way Longer Than Expected But Still Lost 26-10

 

    Once word came over on Saturday morning that Cam Newton had Covid-19 and he would miss the much-anticipated early season showdown against the Chiefs (4-0), a tall task turned into an impossible one. Let's be clear here: nobody in the world expected the Patriots (2-2) to compete with the defending Super Bowl champions so I suppose they should be proud of their effort under really tough circumstances: no Newton, the game moved to Monday night and they flew to KC this morning. Still, the NFL is not a participation trophy type of league and football isn't that kind of sport for that matter so the bottom line is that the Chiefs won 26-10 this evening at Arrowhead Stadium. 

    Brian Hoyer (15-of-24 for 130 yards, 1 INT, 59.4 QB rating) got the fluke start for the Pats but he didn't finish the outing as Jarrett Stidham (5-of-13 for 60 yards, 1st NFL TD pass, 2 INTs, 39.4 QB rating) took over in the third quarter and went the rest of the way. If Cam didn't have the Coronavirus, Hoyer honestly could be cut tomorrow and I don't think anyone would bat an eye. He came in with 10 straight losses in games that he'd started so it makes you wonder, how is he still in the NFL?  This should have been Stidham's first career NFL start but after a rough training camp complete with a mysterious hip injury, he was relegated to third-string quarterback duties-inactive the first three weeks. Thanks to the game getting pushed back a day, it will be a short week for the Patriots as they host the Broncos (1-3) on Sunday afternoon (4:25, CBS) and if Newton remains out, I'm calling it now: Stidham should/will start in his place. 

    The Patriots defense deserved better since they held one of the most explosive offenses in the league to just 19 points (KC's other touchdown was a pick-6 by Tyrann Mathieu) on their home turf with some fans (22%) in the stands. The best quarterback in the universe Patrick Mahomes (19-for-29, 236 yards, 2 TDs, 113.6 QB rating) looked mortal since both of his "touchdown passes" were 6-yard fancy handoffs to Tyreek Hill (4 catches, 64 yards) and Mecole Hardman. Kansas City's star tight end Travis Kelce (3 catches, 70 yards) still has never recorded 100+ receiving yards vs. the Patriots which is amazing and New England held explosive rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire to under 100 total yards (64 rushing, 27 receiving). The Pats lost from self-inflicted wounds that resulted in three more turnovers (4-1).

    There were three plays in particular that will give Pats head coach Bill Belichick nightmares for weeks: a possible Mahomes fumble in the second quarter was incorrectly whistled dead for a sack, Hoyer got sacked on the last play of the first half which blew a chance at a tying field goal for New England and Stidham's pick-6 clanged off of Julian Edelman's (3 catches on 6 targets for 35 yards) usually money hands. It was such a bizarre set of circumstances leading up to this postponed contest so I feel like once the Chiefs saw that Cam was out, they figured this was a lock and who could blame them? That's why I wouldn't take too much out of this result which was closer than the final score would indicate. 

    There were some positives for the Patriots, thankfully the trip was not a complete waste of their collective time (haha easy for me to say sitting in the comfort of my own living room while I write this). Their red zone defense was great in the first half as they held Kansas City to a pair of Harrison Butker field goals (from 23 yards and 39 yards) and they forced a fumble by Sammy Watkins that was recovered by J.C. Jackson (who later should have had an interception). You knew that to have any chance to be competitive, they needed to run the ball well and they piled up nearly 200 rushing yards: with Sony Michel placed on IR (quad) earlier in the day, Damien Harris (17 carries, 100 yards) had his first career 100-yard performance in the NFL and James White (38 yards receiving and 21 yards rushing) returned to action after missing the last two games following his father's tragic death in a car accident. Wide receiver Damiere Byrd (5 catches, 80 yards) had his second solid game as a Patriot and Chase Winovich (2 solo tackles, 2 assists) notched a sack for the third straight game. 

    The Patriots got on the board with a 43-yard field goal by Nick Folk in the second quarter. It should have been at least tied 6-6 at halftime but Hoyer gonna Hoyer. With that in mind, he blew another rare red zone opportunity for the Pats by fumbling away the ball in the third quarter which led to Belichick finally benching him. Kansas City took advantage by turning that mistake into seven points on Hill's touchdown late in the third quarter which gave the home team a 13-3 lead. We saw a brief glimpse of what got all the beat writers in a lather about Stidham this summer when he tossed a perfect 4-yard fade in the corner of the end zone to N'Keal Harry. The Chiefs answered that score with a touchdown of their own-Hardman's-but Butker missed the PAT so it was 19-10. It was game over one play later though as Mathieu took Edelman's baffling drop 25 yards for the clinching touchdown. 

    It is useless predicting anything in 2020 but I can guarantee that this week leading up to what should be a layup against the terrible Broncos will be full of intrigue over A) Cam's availability or B) who will start if he remains sidelined. Denver just got their first win of the season on Thursday night 37-28 at the hapless Jets (0-4). They've had plenty of quarterback issues of their own as starter Drew Lock is out with a shoulder injury, backup Jeff Driskel already got the hook and third-string undrafted rookie Brett Rypien of course was the one to start and beat the Jets. Linebacker Von Miller and wide receiver Courtland Sutton-their two best players-are out for the season with injuries and their head coach is the immortal Vic Fangio. Week 6 is New England's bye week so given the weak opponent and with time to regroup on the horizon, this is a game they have to win no matter which quarterback gets the nod. Plus not for nothing but Buffalo (4-0) is two games up on second-place New England as the Patriots bid for their 12th straight AFC East title looks to be a legitimate battle for once.