Key Players [Mac Jones/others] Isn't/Aren't Ready to Play

[203Pat]

Gotta hope Onwenu & Strange do better with continuity, they get a bit of a pass this week for their absences throughout the offseason. The ship can still be righted but that requires all those starters getting and staying healthy. Unlikely.

I miss Scar.

I am by no means some sort of offensive line guru but Cole Strange looked terrible and completely lost a few times on Sunday night. That free rusher that sacked Mac was because Strange didn't pick him up. The Dolphins sent a LB and I don’t think Strange ever even saw the guy and just sidestepped toward Andrews at center to double team another guy. I also noticed him get blown up on a loss of yards for Stevenson. Taking a guard in the first round is bad enough but whiffing on a guard in the first is just painful. Strange needs to pick it up.

 

[upstater1]

Honestly I think that if we don't make the playoffs this year Bill "retires" and the new coach gets a year or so to figure out if Mac can be a franchise QB. I would rather tear it down to the studs and start over and deal with the rough 2-3 years than just keep trying to live on the fringes of the playoffs.

You'll be living on the fringes for a long time if you do that.

This team has a lot of young talent. Tearing it all down now is the exact opposite of what we should be doing.

 

[Wozzy]

If you believe in the magic QB theory, you simply don't understand football... you're engaging in hero worship.

We've seen QB's like Brees and Deshaun Watson put up the best QB numbers in the league and win single digit games.

And no, it's not because they lacked a "clutch gene" or some other bullsht that is entirely invisible in the stats... it's because their team sucked.

You fanboys watch a QB play great behind an exceptional line, with a extraordinary coordinator calling unique and unpredictable plays with good weapons and attribute it all to QB magic... see Mahomes as the current example. You've argued with me for years to look at all the Super Bowl winners.... yeah, no sht, they're on the best teams.

What did Mahomes look like when his offensive line broke down before the 21' playoffs... crap. What did he look like in game one this season with no Tyreek, no Kelce and his best WR coming off injury with no practice? Crap.

Mahomes on the Chargers looks exactly like Herbert... sht out of luck.

Mac has played well outside of a couple throws. He was nervous in game one so he threw a little high on the first series... then he calmed down.

Despite having no run game, a beat up WR corps and a poorly executing O-Line, he has thrown for the 6th most passing yards in the league with a 88.3 QB Rating and completed 69% of his passes.

Just a fair warning, Mac haters better hope his O-Line doesn't get it together and his weapons don't get healthy, because if they do... you could look pretty stupid.

If the Magic QB theory was real, Nick Foles could never have beaten Tom Brady throwing for 500 yards and 3 TD's... don't be a dunce. It's a team game.

 

[upstater1]

After a disastrous season last year for our offense, BB uses our first three draft picks on defense. Just an example...BB the GM is a big part of the problem.

So, no Keion White and Gonzalez? That's what you would've recommended?

As for Mapu, the Patriots are on record as being unable to trade out of that pick, and they admit to taking Mapu too early.

 

[upstater1]

And here's our OL - these are miserable grades (Mafi was good):



Hopefully Trent is back at LT, and maybe Vedarian can move to RT.

I watched Onwenu. He was great. He mauled people back there. Don't know why he came out.

 

[archstanton543]

So, no Keion White and Gonzalez? That's what you would've recommended?

As for Mapu, the Patriots are on record as being unable to trade out of that pick, and they admit to taking Mapu too early.

Getting offensive guys and putting up more than 17 points a game. It's great when you can limit the other team to 24 in today's high flying offense focused game but if you can't score yourself, you're going to have what the Pats have.

The truth is, you need players like Gonzo and White AND you need players on offense. You have to focus on O or D. Given you've got a limited window with Mac on his rookie deal you should prioritize O since you want to put your young QB in a position to succeed. They chose not to.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Dunno if anyone is really doing that. I think most of us are on the same page that we need to find out this year if he can be the guy going forward for this team.

The lengths some go to knock him down at every turn is the most baffling thing. It's not like has has a 45% passing and is throwing games away.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

I watched Onwenu. He was great. He mauled people back there. Don't know why he came out.

Always the plan reportedly - he has barely practiced since his surgery.

He didn't work well with Andrews:



Seeing Mafi is good, maybe time to move Onwenu to RT.

 

[archstanton543]

The lengths some go to knock him down at every turn is the most baffling thing. It's not like has has a 45% passing and is throwing games away.

The biggest problem: He's not Tawmy!

 

[Wozzy]

Seeing Mafi is good, maybe time to move Onwenu to RT.

Seeing Mafi is good, so is Sow, Jake Andrews, Russey and their other young tackles… and Onwenu is in a contract year, how about trading Onwenu for a nice draft pick?

 

[203Pat]

You'll be living on the fringes for a long time if you do that.

This team has a lot of young talent. Tearing it all down now is the exact opposite of what we should be doing.

I am fine keeping the guys on rookie contracts and and potentially bringing some of the guys drafted 2-3 years ago but the Lawrence Guy's, JaWhaun Bentley's, and Hunter Henry's of the world would be gone. Not to say those guys aren't good players but if we were going into a rebuild in 2024 I would want to see a limited amount of those 2nd/3rd contract typer veterans.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

and Onwenu is in a contract year, how about trading Onwenu for a nice draft pick?

That would weaken our shaky OL further right now. Onwenu is very rusty - last year he was our best OL player. I'd love to see them try him at RT again, although he seems to have put on some weight here, so maybe that won't work.

 

[203Pat]

Seeing Mafi is good, so is Sow, Jake Andrews, Russey and their other young tackles… and Onwenu is in a contract year, how about trading Onwenu for a nice draft pick?

Trade arguably our best lineman on a team with an already shaky offensive line for what? A mid round pick next year?

 

[TheRainMaker]

So, no Keion White and Gonzalez? That's what you would've recommended?

As for Mapu, the Patriots are on record as being unable to trade out of that pick, and they admit to taking Mapu too early.

You're not improving the team when you're continually using your resources early in the draft on the same areas of the team when their are way more pressing needs. While CB was a major need, your #1 priority is building around your QB you took at #15 two years ago. Taking a DB, an Edge and a hybrid S/LB will not help him stay upright and throw to an open receiver.

The Pats are turning into the 2014-2018 Jaguars where they were hoarding defensive players while neglecting offense which got them nowhere. The Jets did this as well hoarding defense.

At some point, you have to balance out your team. And you can't say "the Pats took the best available player" as they haven't drafted a Pro Bowl or All Pro on offense since 2010 or defense since 2013.

 

[RIpats88]

i suppose its also Mac's fault that our running backs are averaging 3.5ypc so we cant run play action to get the defense laying off.

its obvious the issue stems from the OL and then out.

 

[203Pat]

i suppose its also Mac's fault that our running backs are averaging 3.5ypc so we cant run play action to get the defense laying off.

its obvious the issue stems from the OL and then out.

 

[Kdo5]

I am by no means some sort of offensive line guru but Cole Strange looked terrible and completely lost a few times on Sunday night. That free rusher that sacked Mac was because Strange didn't pick him up. The Dolphins sent a LB and I don’t think Strange ever even saw the guy and just sidestepped toward Andrews at center to double team another guy. I also noticed him get blown up on a loss of yards for Stevenson. Taking a guard in the first round is bad enough but whiffing on a guard in the first is just painful. Strange needs to pick it up.

I’m holding out hope but yeah he has been unimpressive two years running now. He shouldn’t have been picked at that stage.

 

[RIpats88]

You're not improving the team when you're continually using your resources on the same areas of the team when their are way more pressing needs. While CB was a major need, you're #1 priority is building around your QB you took at #15 two years ago. Taking a DB, an Edge and a hybrid S/LB will not help him stay upright and throw to an open receiver.

The Pats are turning into the 2014-2018 Jaguars where they were hoarding defensive players while neglecting offense which got them nowhere. The Jets did this as well hoarding defense.

At some point, you have to balance out your team. And you can't say "the Pats took the best available player" as they haven't drafted a Pro Bowl or All Pro on offense since 2010 or defense since 2013.

not to mention in todays high flight offense there is never going to be a shut down defense like the ravens or seahawks.

so when you need to win a shootout how do you match the likes of hill, waddle, aj brown etc. with bourne/juju/parker none of whom are too explosive.

 

[RIpats88]

Getting offensive guys and putting up more than 17 points a game. It's great when you can limit the other team to 24 in today's high flying offense focused game but if you can't score yourself, you're going to have what the Pats have.

The truth is, you need players like Gonzo and White AND you need players on offense. You have to focus on O or D. Given you've got a limited window with Mac on his rookie deal you should prioritize O since you want to put your young QB in a position to succeed. They chose not to.

most teams realize they have an opportunity with a young qb on a cheap contract and give them all the tools to succeed. big one being going out and getting an elite receiver to make their job easier.

burrow got chase, allen got diggs, tua got waddle/hill, hurts got aj brown, mac got juju on one knee and a DC

if this was the jets we would be laughing at them. instead Bill is smarter than everyone blame the groceries not the guy picking them..

 

[upstater1]

Getting offensive guys and putting up more than 17 points a game. It's great when you can limit the other team to 24 in today's high flying offense focused game but if you can't score yourself, you're going to have what the Pats have.

The truth is, you need players like Gonzo and White AND you need players on offense. You have to focus on O or D. Given you've got a limited window with Mac on his rookie deal you should prioritize O since you want to put your young QB in a position to succeed. They chose not to.

So are we talking about this stuff in general or are we talking specific guys? You need to name the people you'd take instead.

Any old offensive guy instead of Gonzalez isn't really a compelling argument

If it were me, I'd do what Belichick did, pick the guy who is more likely to become a game changer or future all-pro.