Where have all the organizers gone?
It’s painful to think back to what this place once was, when Tom Brady was the playmaker in charge of the organization but there were so many potent threats around him. Rob Gronkowski sprinted toward the end zone and punched would-be tacklers. Julian Edelman darts and weaves across the court with his petite but annoying frame. Danny Amendola expertly grabs anything he can reach. Randy Moss is one of the best deep threats the NFL has ever seen.
But even before the Brady era, there was Curtis Martin, a breakout threat on any given offense.Or Stanley Morgan, who had three 1,000-yard seasons during his tenure with the Patriots from 1977-89, including two with him average Over 22 yards per catch. Brady’s pre-Super Bowl lineup in 1996 included Martin, Ben Coates, Sean Jefferson, Dave Meggett, Keith Byers and the late, great Terry Glenn. No wonder Bill Parcells wanted to buy the ingredients.
This year’s list? Who scares the other defense? Who are they worried about setting them on fire, on the ground or in the air? Who do they have to game plan around?
So far, the answer is no one.
That’s not Jones, a quarterback who continues to prove he’s capable and useful (and much better than someone like Zach Wilson, who truly reminded Patriots fans to take zero in on the quarterback position) what it feels like), but nowhere near the level of other teams. The elite of the NFL. Of his 81 passes, only two went more than 15 yards through the air. It’s not the JuJu Smith-Schuster that free agent receiver Bill Belichick viewed as the deep threat this offseason, but his slow adjustment and lingering Knee issues limited him to just 10 catches for 66 yards and no touchdowns in three games.
It’s not like any other receiver, either, with Kendrick Bourne’s 14 catches just ahead of tight ends Hunter Henry (13) and Mike Gesicki (nine), who More than DeVante Parker (8) and Demario Douglas (7). Knowing that the Patriots have been behind almost all of their first two games only makes these passing numbers look even worse.
But running games don’t scare people either. Not so for Rhamondre Stevenson, whose longest rush of the season was 14 yards but was lost to veteran Ezekiel Elliott in the final game. Beyond. Neither is Elliott, who is here to complement Stevenson’s Pro Bowl performance in Dallas.
None of them has rushed for 100 yards in a game this season; none of the Patriots’ receivers has topped 100 yards. Even those plays that look big on paper are more about yards after the catch, starting with Brown’s touchdown, including Stevenson’s 32-yard catch in Week 1, and third Two 18-yard catches from Gesicki and Bourne.
Not having a 100-yard performance is a disgrace, and only six other teams (Denver, Green Bay, Giants, Tennessee, Washington and Kansas City) have worn that badge of shame early in the season, and we’ll pass on the Chiefs for that one, with two reason. For one, quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the league’s No. 1 playmaker, and while he may not have found a receiver with 100 yards receiving in a game, he’s already connected with 14 this season. different receivers catch the ball. He’ll be fine.
Meanwhile, the Patriots face playmakers almost every week, including the feared Mahomes in Week 15. The AFC East-leading Dolphins could still score against the Broncos with Tyreek Hill, Raheem Mostert and breakout rookie De’Von Acharn ‘Von Achane (a former track star who hit 21.93 mph on a 67-yard touchdown dash), not to mention Jaylen Waddle, who didn’t play last Sunday, there’s no reason to think they’ll let it go now Slow speed.
Sunday’s Dolphins-Bills game is the gem of this weekend’s schedule, filled with playmakers. Dual-threat quarterback Josh Allen has thrown six touchdowns (five passing, one rushing) for Buffalo, and his favorite target, Stefon Diggs, has two 100-yard games. The Patriots’ opponent this week, the Cowboys, has a receiver in CeeDee Lamb who has at least one catch for over 30 yards in every game this year. Even the Jets have Garrett Wilson, an explosive receiver who’s always a threat, like his 68-yard touchdown catch against Dallas.
For the Patriots, the game-changing plays this year came either on defense (Matthew Judon was sacked for a safety) or on special teams (Brenden Schooler’s field goal was blocked). Their breakout star is also on defense, with newly elected Defensive Rookie of the Month Christian Gonzalez at cornerback.
This crime scares no one. While they were happy to take the lead against the Jets – their first of the season – the field goal could have been a touchdown if the front play had been better. A third-and-3 pass from the Jets’ 29 found Jones targeting Parker down the right sideline.
Incomplete; 48-yard field goal.
The story of the Patriots season so far.
Tara Sullivan is a columnist for The Globe. You can contact her at tara.sullivan@globe.com.follow her @Globe_Tara.