Normally a team boasting a 10-3 record, sitting in first place in its division, and touting the No. 1 defense in the league wouldn’t warrant any cause for concern.
But this team is different. New England is different.
Boston likes their pro teams to exhibit perfection week in and week out. It’s what they’ve grown accustomed to over the last two decades of dominance.
10-3 coming off a one-score loss to one of the better teams in the league isn’t the end of the world for a lesser organization. I mean, for as bad as the offense was, the defense held Mahomes to 57 yards passing in the entire second half and had it not been for some horrendous officiating, that game was going into overtime. So there’s still some silver lining there.
But for Patriots Nation, this week will be filled with snapping at coworkers who heckle you about how Tom Brady is old and the Dynasty is over. You may even call out entirely so you can stay home, draw the blinds and watch YouTube compilations of Time Brady’s Greatest hits.
And of course, you’ll get to hear people like Nick Wright, Rob Parker, Rex Ryan, and Shannon Sharpe pound their collective chests and say this Patriots team can’t beat anybody good or how Brady is in such a decline that he’s actually hindering the team’s success.
https://youtu.be/77Vge6i-Qn4
https://youtu.be/C-eD6OdEzVU
This season has been quite the roller coaster ride and back to back losses in December are pushing fans over the edge. So it begs the question: Is it time to panic in New England?
The answer is pretty simple, but let me tell you why.
The odds of this team keeping their position as the No. 2 seed in the AFC are very high with both Buffalo and Houston losing this weekend. The Pats also have a schedule to close out the season that consists of the Bengals, Bills, and Dolphins. All very winnable games.
If they can right the ship and maintain course, the Patriots will end the season with a 13-3 record, first-round bye and a guaranteed home game against any team not named the Ravens.
Now, I do understand the cause for concern though. It makes sense. The offensive line looks shaky. It appears only Julian Edelman can get open for Brady. The run game hasn’t had a semblance of consistency all season. All valid concerns. But allow me to attempt to put your minds at ease.
The run game looked to be trending in the right direction over the past two weeks with the return of Isaiah Wynn. Along with that, the offensive line itself looked to be rounding into shape as well. Yes, save for one big run by James White, the ground game looked anemic at best against KC.
But don’t forget starting center Ted Karras was out against the Chiefs which thrust third-string center James Ferentz into in already spotty unit which didn’t help matters. Karras is hoping to play next week though which is a welcome bit of news.
When it comes to the run game, Belichick has had to go away from that when the team starts to fall behind or he sees his offensive line is acting as a revolving door. Again, something that hopefully will improve now that everyone is starting to get back healthy.
As for the receivers, there’s not really much that they need to do other than just catching the ball when their number is called and running the correct route. There isn’t a lack of talent, just a lack of doing your job.
Rookie Jakobi Meyers’ hands have seemingly turned to stone as it’s starting to seem like the only balls he can catch come from anyone not named Tom Brady.
Yet another trick play by the #Patriots, James White to Jakobi Meyers.pic.twitter.com/GB9nx5AjHo
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 9, 2019
There were also drops from almost every other receiver on the team, including a missed opportunity for tight end Matt LaCosse in the back of the endzone that would’ve resulted in a TD. Not an easy catch by any means, but it’s a play that his predecessor Rob Gronkowski makes 10 out of 10 times.
It’s plays like this that the Patriots offense is used to make but this year, with the young/new cast of characters surrounding Brady, the timing just hasn’t clicked yet.
It all ultimately ties back into the offensive line. If they can protect Brady for just one more second, he will have players running open going against most defenses. Take a look at one of the last plays of the game against Kansas City.
Quick look at a play that may not be getting enough attention from the Patriots finish on Sunday – the second-to-last Pats play of the game, on third down. If Brady's pass to Edelman here is more in stride, does Edelman score? Coaches film views included. pic.twitter.com/oFQHQIp2vw
— Tony Massarotti (@TonyMassarotti) December 10, 2019
Two things stand out here. Notice LT Isaiah Wynn literally blocking air as he lets a free rusher immediately get pressure on Brady. And said pressure makes it so Brady doesn’t have that extra half a second to let Edelman separate more from the defensive back. If Wynn at the very least just stands in the way of the Chiefs lineman, Brady hits Jules in stride for the walk-in TD to tie the game (assuming the extra point).
It’s been the story all year and Pats fans are tired of hearing it, but receivers just aren’t consistently on the same page as their quarterback. That can be attributed to a full, healthy offense rarely seeing the field at the same time regularly. But now with players like Dorsett, LaCosse, and N’Keal Harry all seemingly finally having a clean bill of health, look for this offense to evolve into its final form.
And that’s a tough pill for Patriots fans to swallow, as we’ve all been waiting for this the entire year, but some things take time. They have three regular-season games left for the offense to water it’s metaphorical seed of cohesiveness and have it sprout into a Trust Tree full of option routes and everyone being on the same wavelength.
The most important thing that Patriots Nation needs to understand is that most of the issues plaguing this team can be corrected. Catching the ball, running the right route and blocking the right person are all things that can be fixed by practice. It’s time for the coaches to earn their paychecks and get this group together and ready for a playoff run.
So, is it time to panic in New England? No.
The panic button should be out though. Grab it from whatever closet you stashed it in, blow the dust off since it hasn’t been used in years, double-check the batteries…and wait.
But there’s something very familiar about hearing people shout that Tom Brady is too old and the Patriots Dynasty is over after a loss to the Chiefs isn’t there? I can’t quite put my finger on it.
And just like back in 2014, they’re on to Cincinnati.
