I doubt Sunday’s 15-10 win over the Jets made Don Shula’s ghost lower his newspaper and squint nervously at his massive TV up in elite coach heaven.
The Patriots don’t seem like a team on the verge of going on a rampage. But disaster was averted in the too-close-for-comfort win over the Hapless Jets.
They didn’t burp it up at the end. Their defense is stupid good. The running game awakened. There were no turnovers. There were myriad nice throws by Mac (Not The Problem) Jones into tight windows in high leverage spots. Special teams was overall outstanding.
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It’s progress over perfection, ladies and gentlemen. Anyone expecting a masterpiece at MetLife in a game between teams that were both 8-11 over their last 19 was in the wrong damn museum.
Vultures were stretching their wings for a flight to the skies over Gillette if the Patriots fell to 0-3. They have been diverted. That’s good.
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Not good was what we observed in the stomach-churning final 23 minutes. Which was (deep breath):
- A flurry of unforced penalties early in the third quarter that sapped momentum after the Patriots opened a 13-3 lead on their first drive after halftime.
- Having the ball at the Jets 45 with 11:20 remaining and failing to convert third-and-1 with a 13-10 lead.
- Getting the ball with 5:24 remaining and a five-point lead and failing to kill the clock.
- Getting the ball with 2:19 remaining and failing to kill the clock.
- Getting the ball with 1:19 remaining and failing to kill the clock.
- A free-shot Hail Mary from Zach Wilson that was way too close to being completed. The kid has one strength: throwing it far. Why rush three with two lurkers and allow everyone to get downfield and situated? It’s like not defending the in-bounder. That’s how Christian Laettener shots happen.
It’s still the situational stuff that’s keeping the Patriots from a clean win. In the first half, a second-and-6 hold on Cole Strange when the Patriots were at the Jets 20 put them behind the sticks and eventually led to a 48-yard field goal attempt which – on the windy, rainy day -- Chad Ryland missed.
On their first drive, they had third-and-3 at the Jets 29 and Jones overshot DeVante Parker on a corner route down the right side. That cost them four points. On their second drive, it was a third-and-3 drop by Rhamondre Stevenson leading to a punt. On their third drive, it was the Strange hold backing them into a more difficult field goal.
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To see this team as actually “good” and a playoff hopeful, you need to ignore the more obvious things -- turnovers, penalties -- and pay attention to circumstantial evidence. Such as:
- Outplayed the Eagles by a lot for 48 minutes.
- Held Miami to 24 points in Week 2.
- Held a combo platter of the league’s best receivers – DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Garrett Wilson -- to a total of 28 catches, 301 yards and two scores.
- With the offensive line back intact Sunday, there were no sacks allowed and 157 rushing yards.
There are myriad reasons why the Patriots are not an objectively “good” team here in late September 2023. We’ve chronicled all the missteps on the field and off in minute detail for YEARS!
(Aside: I swear to God, letting Jakobi Meyers go ranks right up there with benching Malcolm Butler and only narrowly trails Tom Brady’s Exit and Matt Patricia, OC on the “WTF ARE YOU EVEN THINKING” Scale. You see some of the catches he made Sunday night hanging out of bounds?)
The point, by now, has been made. DeAndre Hopkins would have had the throw Parker didn’t track down. Probably Meyers too. They ain’t here. So what is?
A team trying to get from marginally below-average to average. Then they can chase good.
How quickly that happens, if it ever does? That’s why we watch this stuff. Meanwhile, Don Shula’s ghost is unperturbed.