Image courtesy of New England Patriots
By Jon Lyons
NEFJ Correspondent
The Patriots offense has been bad all season, but the past two weeks have been asteroid-hitting-the-Earth level bad for a unit that was able to consistently outscore opponents during a 20-year dynasty. In the year 2023, when the rules are designed to facilitate scoring, the Patriots have managed to score just three points in their last two games. They’ve given up 22 points on offense in those same two weeks. It’s bad. Really bad. The only thing left to say is: can anything be done to fix it?
It’s almost an impossible question, but here are some recommendations:
Move Mike Onwenu To Tackle
Mike Onwenu was one of the best tackles in the NFL in 2020. Since then, he has played guard and generally played well there. The Patriots have steadfastly refused to move Onwenu to tackle, even when they had a revolving door of bad right tackles last season. Now is the time for that move. The Patriots’ run blocking is atrocious and their pass block win rate is 30th in the NFL, per ESPN. Simply put, they are struggling to block on every play. Riley Reiff returned to game action against the Saints and played guard in a rotational capacity. If Cole Strange is back healthy against the Raiders, I believe the best Patriots line combination would be Trent Brown-Strange-David Andrews-Reiff-Onwenu.
Pound The Ball To The Right
The Patriots have had a lot of trouble running the ball this season, but have had more yards per carry running right than left per PFF. If they make the change to a Reiff-Onwenu right side, I’d pound the ball in that direction. The team should also consider using a tight end, perhaps Pharaoh Brown, as a lead blocker in a fullback type role.
Put Mac Jones On A Short Leash
Jones showed some positive signs in the first two games, but still had two bad mistakes that resulted in interceptions. Since then, he has gotten progressively worse. His first two turnovers against the Cowboys were horrendous (seriously, throwing across the field twice in the same drive?) and his third one was costly as well. His pick-six against the Saints was an example of a bad decision mixed with an urge to play hero ball. Jones looked demoralized against the Saints and there were visible signs his teammates were fed up. The Patriots’ offensive line and receivers have been bad, but Jones’ play independent of those factors has been among the worst in the league. I believe Jones is the best quarterback on the roster and still has potential to salvage his season and career, but if he turns the ball over again against the Raiders, he should be benched immediately. Enough is enough.
Run More Play Action Concepts
Mac Jones has been a massive disappointment this season, but has been reasonably effective when throwing play action passes. Jones is 20/29 for 219 yards with two touchdowns and one interception when throwing play action passes. Adding more of those to the mix, preferably with extra protection built in, could help jump-start the passing game.
Give Kendrick Bourne Reps At X Receiver
DeVante Parker is the Patriots big-bodied, contested catch X receiver. The problem? Parker has been terrible this year. He’s been getting beaten on routes and losing at the catchpoint. His route and effort on Mac Jones’ interception in Week 2 against Miami was far below NFL standards. Parker has 12 catches for 129 yards, but six catches and 57 of those yards came in that one game against Miami. In fairness, part of his struggles may be due to injury, but regardless, Parker is not getting the job done. Bourne may not be as much of a contested catch player as Parker, but he is strong enough to play on the outside and will give them more athleticism and effort than Parker has. Parker doesn’t have to be completely sidelined, but I’d give Bourne a real opportunity at X.
Play Demario Douglas As Much As Possible
An additional benefit to having Bourne play the X position is that it will open opportunities for Douglas to get on the field more. He is currently in concussion protocol, but as soon as he is able, he should be starting and playing significant reps. He has already proven to be the Patriots most dynamic receiver and a significantly better option that Juju Smith-Schuster. Douglas has more yards, yards per reception, and a significantly higher PFF grade than Smith-Schuster. Also, on the eye test, Douglas is much more explosive and nimbler than Smith-Schuster.
Trade?
The easiest way to upgrade the offense would be to trade for offensive line help or a premier wide receiver. Unfortunately, an offensive line trade appears unlikely as most teams struggle with offensive line depth and are loath to give up good linemen during the season. Receiver is a different story, with Cortland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Tee Higgins and Mike Evans (less likely) all possible trade candidates.
Assistant Coach Concerns?
Troy Brown is my all-time favorite Patriot, but I am wondering if he needs some more help with the wide receiver coaching duties. It is now the second year in a row that New England’s receivers have underwhelmed on the stat sheet and been inconsistent in route running and making contested catches. Adrian Klemm was brought in to stabilize the offensive line. Thus far, it has been a disaster, especially since Week 3. A large part of this is the roster and lack of talent up front, but having none of the young players “pop” and guys seemingly not on the same page warrants attention paid to Klemm.