To start the season I have been very critical of Davante Parker. Today, he played a good game but not great. He had 6 catches for 152 yards but made a crucial mistake that led to another interception. On another play, the ball was thrown to him when he was not open and it was intercepted. That’s 4 Interceptions on balls thrown to Parker. This is what I wrote as the preview to the Miami game:
“According to Warren Sharp, NFL Analyst for FOX Sports, this season (switching from NBC) the Dolphins have had a difficult time with their Wide Receivers separating from coverage. They were the worst in the league for the last two years. Devante Parker was the worst in the league; 2021-127 of 127, 2020 -132 of 132, 2019 -123 of 125. So the Dolphins got rid of Parker and replaced him with Tyreek Hill and Cedrick Wilson. Yeah, that’s the same Parker the Patriots acquired.
The lack of separation forced young QB Tua Tagovailoa to force throws into tiny windows. This “aggressiveness” led to more INTs and very little YAC. Tagovailoa was tops in the league in the Aggressiveness category. Parker is now on the Patriots and is Mac Jones’s problem.”
Yes, Parker had a good game and a great catch on the sideline, but Mac Jones is trying too hard and forcing passes when he shouldn’t be. I don’t think Jones is getting good coaching from Joe Judge because he is making the same mistakes under pressure. He throws off his back foot causing the passes to float. His decision-making has been awful. Pre-snap reads have also been a big problem as he was pressured by slot cornerback Damarion Williams on a clear path, untouched blitz and Jones just heaved it up there for an INT. I have been told that Jones is getting coached to try and throw into these tiny windows. If that is the case he is getting bad coaching. His 2nd to last INT, he turned from play action and looked only for Parker, who was covered, yet threw it to him anyways.
Bill Belichick focused on the Offense and left the Defense to Steve Belichick and Jerod Mayo.
Mac Jones’s decision-making has been awful. He has regressed badly from last year. I strictly blame the coaches and the change of offense. Who does that to a second-year QB?
Play calling leaves a lot to be desired. First and goal from the 10 they call a swing pass that loses 4 yards. Second and goal from the 14, NE calls timeout and then runs a draw play for 4 yards. Third and goal from the 10 he throws an INT on a slot corner blitz.
Turnovers – You can’t win when you have 4 turnovers and only 2 takeaways.
Agholor has 2 4th Quarter fumbles in three games. Why hasn’t he been put in the doghouse as Bill does to the running backs when they fumble? Agholor was caught from behind and had the ball knocked out by Ravens rookie, 1st round pick Kyle Hamilton. Great recovery and possession by Marcus Peters before he rolled out of bounds.
The Interception thrown in the end zone was a poor pre-snap read. Parker was double-covered, inside and out. They were in press man and it prevented Parker from getting outside and over the top of the cornerback. Jones should have read this and eliminated Parker from consideration. He forced it again.
The playing time of WR was interesting. Parker played 66 snaps, Humphrey 53, Agholor 51, and Bourne 20.
Penalties are killing Patriots drives and the Patriots and Mac Jones are just not good enough to overcome them.
In the Mac Jones era: When opponents score under 25 points the Patriots are 11-3. When opponents score more than 25 points they are 0-7.
Think somebody should have covered Mark Andrews in the 1st half. McCourty looked like a rookie on the Andrews TD over the top of him. He bit on a fake and was trailing the entire way after that.
Duvernay’s TD catch was spectacular. When the Ravens drafted Duvernay in the 3rd round 2020 draft at number 92, Coach Harbaugh thought the Patriots had traded and jumped ahead of them at #91 to take Duvernay. They selected the wrong Devin, and they took TE Devin Asiasi whom they cut this year.
Cole Strange blew another assignment on a twist the Ravens pulled off early in the game, by doubling an interior lineman and letting an LB come in free. David Andrews had trouble with Michael Pierce and gave up a sack.
Deatrich Wise may have played his best game as a Patriot. He had 3 sacks in the 1st half to help contain Lamar Jackson.
Jackson and the Ravens adjusted in the second half, and Jackson’s RPO and option runs killed the Patriots. Jackson led the Ravens in rushing with 107 yards on 11 carries. Justice Hill added 60 on 6 carries. They kept Dobbins in check on 7 carries for 23 yards.
Baltimore used some three TE sets in the second half which the Patriots couldn’t handle.
Baltimore was 5 for 5 in the Red Zone. The Patriots were 3-5.
Stupid play call on 4th and 3. Didn’t even attempt to pass it past the sticks. Jones just threw it blindly to the player the ball was intended to go to, rather than read the play and make the correct play. Jones is no longer throwing to the open player but throwing to the intended target whether or not they are open.
Patriots ran for 145 yards rushing and a 5.2 average. That should have been enough to get a win. This was a very winnable game the Patriots and Mac Jones just gave away.
Mac Jones’s ankle injury was a freak play in which Calais Campbell came down with all his weight on the back of his leg of Jones. Reports after the game say x-rays were negative but that Jones will have an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury. Speculation is that it’s a high ankle sprain and it could be anywhere from a week to months for the injury to heal.
Mac Jones is scheduled to have a Zoom Press Conference at some point on Monday.
Merrimack Valley native and lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. My earliest memories of the Patriots were attending as a child with my dad, the off-season practice at Phillips Academy. I was at the Patriots game at Harvard Stadium in 1970 where Bob “Harpo” Gladieux was called out of the stands by the stadium announcer over the PA to play in the game. Analyzing the draft since ESPN first started to televise it in 1980 and former writer for the Lowell Sun Newspaper.
I think you are being overly critical of Parker and while critical of Jones, not critical enough. Those bad reads, decisions and throws are on him and nobody else. He has not progressed as hoped/needed. Wise had a good first half, not a good game.
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I think you are being overly critical of Parker and while critical of Jones, not critical enough. Those bad reads, decisions and throws are on him and nobody else. He has not progressed as hoped/needed. Wise had a good first half, not a good game.