Two things can be true:

[40yrpatsfan]

Well. We competed.

Low bar.

It's not a low bar to be competitive against a better team with half your own offensive roster turned over. They did a helluva job yesterday, it was fun to watch, and it makes me optimistic that they'll be a 10-win team. Which is not a low bar.

 

[Grogan1980]

It's not a low bar to be competitive against a better team with half your own offensive roster turned over. They did a helluva job yesterday, it was fun to watch, and it makes me optimistic that they'll be a 10-win team. Which is not a low bar.

Absolutely - I was disappointed they couldn't pull it out, but it was a lot better than the 31-0 season opening blowout at the hands of the Bills in 2003, in which a pretty decent QB, in his third year as a starter, had his worst start ever.

 

[n6249c]

And they didn't collapse when they were down 16 points in the first quarter. I can't stomach the game day thread, but I'm sure the usual suspects were chortling about a blow out loss -- which is indeed what usually happens when you spot a great team that many points.

This is the one thing that gives me the most hope for the rest of the season.

now they need to learn how to win. Real wins, not moral victories. Next game is a perfect time to start.

 

[RIpats88]

No he does not.

Same story with too many risky passes that will be INTs and turnovers lose games. Jones does not have an arm powerful enough to throw into tight windows consistently. The checkdown is his life preserver. Pats had 13 drives and 10 of those drives ended in either a punt, turnover or on downs.

The Pats defense needs to pitch shutouts for this QB to win.

How does Mac and the offense not look improved?

He just put 300 yards and 3tds on the eagles. I don't see how anyone can look at yesterday and say there are no improvements from last year.

But I'm sure you were watching the game hoping for the loss so you could come here and keep the anti Mac crusade going.

 

[Ian]

Pats had 13 drives and 10 of those drives ended in either a punt, turnover or on downs.

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but as someone who tracks every play of every drive every week for the last however many years, that tends to be the story with most teams in most games, let alone the Patriots. Maybe a difference of 2-3 drives on average, but otherwise, it's just how it goes. Nobody gets points consistently on a high percentage of possessions.

If you want to get technical, the issue was the early part of the game where they turned it over twice and then punted on three straight drives (5 possessions total) and then the two they missed at the end. But otherwise, the middle wasn't terrible.

I get it, and I was a little harsh in what I wrote because Jones needs to find the ability to close teams out when he's got a chance to do it. Until he does, his critics aren't going anywhere.

He's a guy who can build a lead and keep himself out of the spotlight that way, which in a perfect world, would be great. But until he does it when they need to overcome a deficit and the pressure's on, it's certainly not going to get any easier for him.

 

[Ian]

No he does not.

Jones does not have an arm powerful enough to throw into tight windows consistently.

Also, I will say that after watching him (and other QBs around the league) for three seasons, that's more of a luxury than anything else. Not a lot of guys have a cannons for arms and Jones has a strong enough arm to hit most of the throws. Sounds funny to say, but the guy has slipped plenty of passes in there past a diving defender, leaving us to say on more than one occasion, "I thought that was going to be picked."

But it wasn't.

That throw against Dallas a couple of years ago after the pick-six stands out, along with a few others I can think of where that was the case. Sometimes close enough is good enough. And we've already seen that in other games they've won.

Would it be great for him to just rifle it in there and save the stress? I guess. But that's just not the reality. Still, he's nowhere near as weak as people keep saying. I would say the most frustrating part of Sunday, having had other people bring it up, is rather than fire it out to the sideline, he kept finessing it high while trying to make sure it got over the defender at the boundary because the coverage was tight. There just wasn't the separation to fire it in there. Honestly, any throw, even with someone with a bigger arm, would have been contested and I don't know how that would have even gone.

No, he's not Drew or Tom and that's not part of his game yet. It took Brady I think until around the '04 season before we really saw him evolve in that way.

Again, in a perfect world, that wouldn't be an issue, but there aren't a ton of guys out there who check that box. His arm is good enough, and we watched him complete some pretty good ones down the seam and other intermediate throws on Sunday, and he's made some other solid throws down the field at times.

At the end of the day, he is who he is. I would have preferred if he closed out Philly, but the fact they were even in that position was thanks to an effort where he drove them down the field three times and put points up. However, I agree, that will need to change this season and I was obviously disappointed it didn't happen yesterday.

In the end, wins and losses will be how he's judged. And that's clearly what we'll all be watching as the season continues over these next few months.

 

[Ian]

Being a 6 or 7 seed USUALLY means you’re just an average team.

I believe this roster has under performed in the W/L column since last season. And just yesterday I watched them outplay the NFC champions and lose because of a ton of self inflicted errors. Which has been a theme

That 6 or 7 seed usually ends up potentially facing the highest seed, and knocking out the top seed isn't exactly unrealistic and it certainly changes things. Ask the NFL about that when the Patriots and Jaguars each respectfully did it in 1996 and left the league scrambling logistically because they didn't expect either team to be in it (they thought it would be Denver and Pittsburgh). Granted I think the Patriots managed to get a bye that year, but it didn't make how things ultimately unfolded any less fun.

Getting in is the most important thing. What happens from there is another story, but it doesn't happen and you have no shot at anything unless you at least make it.

 

[Triumph]

How does Mac and the offense not look improved?

The Pats offense failed to generate enough points to win - again.

No 4th quarter comeback drive - again.

He just put 300 yards and 3tds on the eagles. I don't see how anyone can look at yesterday and say there are no improvements from last year.

He threw the ball 54 times.

If I was still playing fantasy football I would take a serious look at drafting him.

But I'm sure you were watching the game hoping for the loss so you could come here and keep the anti Mac crusade going.

I just have higher expectations for the Pats offense.

The defense will be lights out and I do not want to see it go to waste. BB is on the downside of his NFL career and a Super Bowl trophy post Brady looks impossible.

 

[Triumph]

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but as someone who tracks every play of every drive every week for the last however many years, that tends to be the story with most teams in most games, let alone the Patriots. Maybe a difference of 2-3 drives on average, but otherwise, it's just how it goes. Nobody gets points consistently on a high percentage of possessions.

I decided to look for myself.

You may want to edit your response there.

Mia had 10 drives scoring on 7 = 70%
SD had 10 drives scoring on 6 = 60%

Miami won

Phi had 11 drives scoring on 5 = 45%
NE had 13 drives scoring on 3 = 23%

Chicago had 12 drives scoring on 4 = 33%
GB had 11 drives scoring on 5 = 45%

GB won

Jax had 15 drives scoring on 5 = 33%
Indy had 14 drives scoring on 2 = 14%

Jax didnt lose

I just picked random games from Sunday and did not bother with the blowouts by Dallas and SF. Its obvious that their opponents sucked on offense. I will agree with you that if your team is only going accumulate points on 2 or 3 drives that you better be playing a real turkey and not a team with its act together.

 

[Ian]

I decided to look for myself.

You may want to edit your response there.

Mia had 10 drives scoring on 7 = 70%
SD had 10 drives scoring on 6 = 60%

Miami won

Phi had 11 drives scoring on 5 = 45%
NE had 13 drives scoring on 3 = 23%

Chicago had 12 drives scoring on 4 = 33%
GB had 11 drives scoring on 5 = 45%

GB won

Jax had 15 drives scoring on 5 = 33%
Indy had 14 drives scoring on 2 = 14%

Jax didnt lose

I just picked random games from Sunday and did not bother with the blowouts by Dallas and SF. Its obvious that their opponents sucked on offense. I will agree with you that if your team is only going accumulate points on 2 or 3 drives that you better be playing a real turkey and not a team with its act together.

That's about right, it's somewhere around 5-ish a game I think on average. And we're in agreement that Jones needs to start finishing, I've said as much (and I posted something to that effect), and he needs to take that next step. Albeit they still could be doing worse considering some of the play from around the league this weekend and even Monday night's showing by Josh Allen.

 

[rochrist]

How does Mac and the offense not look improved?

He just put 300 yards and 3tds on the eagles. I don't see how anyone can look at yesterday and say there are no improvements from last year.

But I'm sure you were watching the game hoping for the loss so you could come here and keep the anti Mac crusade going.

Yep. I don't remember seeing him celebrating a single win, ever.

 

[RIpats88]

Yep. I don't remember seeing him celebrating a single win, ever.

The schtick is getting old. If they do win then it's analyze any missed pass or errant throw. Or just be absent the thread as if it never happened.

Compare macs performance to any number of QBs this weekend. Heck look at Josh Allen.

 

[Kasmir]

Gotta love the gate keeper boomers who think they are better fans cuz they “wEnT tHrOuGh tOuGh tImEs iN tHe 90s”

90's, pup? Some of us were there for the 60's and still have the 76 team as their favorite...

 

[sb1]

No he does not.

Same story with too many risky passes that will be INTs and turnovers lose games. Jones does not have an arm powerful enough to throw into tight windows consistently. The checkdown is his life preserver. Pats had 13 drives and 10 of those drives ended in either a punt, turnover or on downs.

The Pats defense needs to pitch shutouts for this QB to win.

Nah your boy Zappy Smurf isn’t our starting QB.

 

[Triumph]

Nah your boy Zappy Smurf isn’t our starting QB.

Wheres Corral?

 

[sb1]

How does Mac and the offense not look improved?

He just put 300 yards and 3tds on the eagles. I don't see how anyone can look at yesterday and say there are no improvements from last year.

Definitely an improvement over last year. The play caller had a lot to do with it. We know what Mac can do with the right coach, his rookie year showed that already.

But I'm sure you were watching the game hoping for the loss so you could come here and keep the anti Mac crusade going.

Probably just butthurt that his binky Zappy Smurf isn’t long for this team. Hey the Jets need a QB…just sayin.

 

[sb1]

Wheres Corral?

Corral > Zappy Smurf

 

[Triumph]

Yep. I don't remember seeing him celebrating a single win, ever.

I dont go to gay bars.

 

[sb1]

I dont go to gay bars.

Zappy Smurf was 2-0 last year!1!1!1! Or something.

 

[PowerRunRevival]

I try not to judge the team only by the results. The Pats looked better in game one than they did at any point last year. I knew the Pats were facing an extremely tough team and they exceeded my expectations against that team.

Hard to be mad when the team plays better than I expected them to. As OP said they do need to find a way to win these close games though.

I thought Mac was good. I blame Bourne for the pick 6 (if it touches the receivers hands they should catch it).

I bet Parker makes the sideline catches Boutte couldn’t. Onwenu and Strange healthy would have helped the running game a lot. This team is known for easing into the regular season. The offense was good on Sunday but I expect it to get better.