FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — This season was supposed to be a course correction for the New England Patriots.
Coming off an 8-9 record, the return of second-year quarterback Mac Jones and an offense coached by Matt Patricia and Joe Judge in 2023 The season was supposed to be a step toward another run at the AFC East. He once dominated games with Tom Brady.
Instead, the Patriots were 2-7 at halftime after losing to Washington, which appears to be the biggest gap the Patriots have had against a relevant team since Brady left during the 2019 season.
They’re last in the AFC, the only team yet to win an out-of-conference game, the return of coordinator Bill O’Brien has done little to reinvigorate the offense, and they’re dealing with a growing list of injuries. , which put their team in a difficult position. A recovery in the second half of the schedule seems unlikely.
As head coach Bill Belichick struggles through his worst start since his first season in 2000 in New England, the discussion surrounding his job security suddenly doesn’t seem like message board fodder anymore.
When asked the day after the loss to the Commanders why their efforts hadn’t led to more wins this season, Belichick put it down to not taking advantage of opportunities.
“Like yesterday (against Washington), we had our chances. We just have to make more plays in key moments of the game,” he said. “That’s in the past. We’re going to go to Indianapolis and get ready to play the Colts.”
Weekly adjustments may not be enough at this point.
Half of the Patriots’ eight remaining opponents currently have winning records.
Still, as bleak as things look, veteran center and captain David Andrews has no doubt those in the locker room believe they can turn things around.
“You have to look in the mirror and go back to work,” Andrews said. “It’s not going to destroy my spirit. It’s not going to destroy our spirit,” he said.
what works
It wasn’t much, but Belichick did find a winner in rookie punter Bryce Baringer. The 2023 sixth-round draft pick led the NFL with 22 punters inside the 20-yard line.
The shortcomings? That means the Patriots score a lot.
How can I help you
The offense has regressed in many areas this season. Last season, the Patriots averaged 314.6 yards and 27.8 points per game, ranking 26th and 16th in the league respectively.
Under O’Brien this season, both numbers have dropped to 289.4 yards (27th in the NFL) and 15 points per game (31st).
Jones admitted it was “difficult” to maintain faith in a system that was not producing the desired results.
“The most important thing is to have faith in yourself,” he said. “When you do your best every day, you shouldn’t have regrets. I don’t regret anything. I do need to do things better.”
Adequate inventory
Receiver Kendrick Bourne. Bourne was the most consistent player on offense before suffering a season-ending knee injury in a Week 8 loss to Miami. His 37 receptions, 406 yards and four touchdowns were all team highs a year after he struggled to get playing time.
The injury happened at his worst possible moment, as he was entering the final year of the three-year, $15 million contract he signed in 2021.
Inventory decline
Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. When the 2018 Pro Bowler signed a three-year, $33 million free agent contract this offseason, he said he felt like he was growing every day. That development didn’t continue into the regular season.
He only had 21 catches for 140 yards and didn’t score his first touchdown until Week 8 against the Miami Heat.
Injuried
The addition of the Patriots roster to injured reserve has certainly contributed to the team’s slow start, and that list seems to be growing every week. In addition to Bourne, rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez hasn’t played since getting hurt in Week 4 against Dallas. Cornerback and returner Marcus Jones (shoulder), offensive tackle Calvin Anderson (illness) and Riley Reiff are also currently sidelined.
key figures
17 — Belichick (331) needs to pass Hall of Famer Don Shula (347) to become the leader in coaching wins (including playoff games) in NFL history. With the Patriots’ win over Buffalo in Week 7, Belichick became the third coach in league history to reach 300 regular-season wins, joining Shula (328) and George Halas (318) )after.
It’s clear he won’t get there this season, but whether he can ultimately do that in New England remains to be determined.
Next step
The Patriots travel to Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday, where they will be the designated home team against the Colts.