I don't have 24/7 NE sports media down here. I know what I read here. A few data points, with the third being critical and most recent.
- Mac is wearing the compression sleeve
- What folks recount as the immediately preceding events leading to the sleeve
- the performance of the O yesterday, which was beyond its pre-pad performances
I also see some chicken little-ing.
Mac's arm might be too wonky to practice on. that's got some description on here involving "career" in a bad way... not "career killing" but something in the vein of career-altering. Anyway, we're certainly not there yet, but if it continues, there might be a decision there to make. I don't know that we need it to be career-altering if he's getting screwed up by an injury that "shouldn't" keep him off the field.
Receiver doesn't seem to be the issue. In fact, our big Thing To Worry About was whether any of the receivers were any good. I think it's clear that the likely trajectory for Thornton is a bright spot... if anybody is actually going on about WR.
The D presently "looks great" so it's frustratingly hard to think about whether they're gelling or something and they really are "this good." It seems really unlikely...
We do see an old pattern emerging: Bill does something Bill's way. No coordinators. All defensive guys coaching the offense. No O-line coach (after probably having the among the best in the league for all those years.) This O breakdown comes in the presence of this particular BB unorthodoxy. I'm not making it causal, but it does make you go hmmm.
The O line is playing as its been playing. I am thinking, since all 3 QBs were having problems, that the O line is the common denominator.
I'd be cautious about "being first" in going overboard on what a "historic" collapse it is until closer to the real season. We all love when it's a finely tuned machine early. It sure isn't in this case.
Sure doesn't look GOOD though.
You've jumped to a lot conclusions. Mac is injured and this is the cause of his personal struggles. Mac is getting screwed up by this injury that
"shouldn't keep him off the field". I'm not sure those things are supported by much evidence beyond the fact Mac is wearing a sleeve and the offense is getting poor reviews, which could be explained by many other things.
"No OL coach". This is not true. Matt Patricia and Billy Yates are titled "Senior Football Advisor / Offensive Line" and "Assistant Offensive Line", respectively.
"All defensive guys coaching the offense". This is also not true. Joe Judge played quarterback at Mississippi State. Troy Brown was a wide receiver. Ross Douglas was a running back at the University of Michigan, who joined the Patriots' coaching staff via a fellowship program.
Offense is experiencing a
"breakdown" ... during the second week of training camp, in August. I'm not sure how a team can experience a "breakdown" during training camp, short of constant in-fighting (which isn't the case here). The purpose of training camp is to practice, train, teach, learn, and get better. No one is keeping score. I'd rather the offense experience growing pains now than when the games count.
"O line is playing as its been playing" ... this confuses me, since you live in Virginia, and therefore presumably haven't been attending nor closely observing practices. (I also live in Virginia and haven't attended any of the practices this training camp, so I don't have a strongly formed opinion about how the offensive line has performed during training camp).
"We all love when it's a finely tuned machine early. It sure isn't in this case" ... this feels overstated. It's August 9th. We haven't seen any joint practices, let alone a preseason game. It's not early, it's prehistoric. And do we all love when it's a finely tuned machine early? I don't really care what the team looks like during training camp because the purpose isn't to look good during practice, the purpose is to improve and get better.
There are many variables/dynamics at play that I am unaware of. There is no scoreboard to measure success/progress. There are a lot of elements we are not privy to. Would it be nice to hear some positive reports regarding the offense? Yes. Do I care about the offense being a finely tuned machine during the second week of August? Nope.