Some Patriots news and notes for this Tuesday:
Third Down ‘Gotta Have it’ Questions
Heading into 2024, one area that certainly needs to improve is going to be the Patriots offense’s ability to move the chains on third down, which was absolutely an issue in 2023.
This is a New England Patriots club that converted just 30.2% of its third downs in 2023, down from 38.5% the year before in 2022 and 43.5% in 2021.
Neither quarterback performed well in that situation last season. Mac Jones was just 50-of-94 (53.2%) with one touchdown and 3 interceptions, while Bailey Zappe was 30-of-60 (50%) with one touchdown and one interception. Zappe fared a little better in the red zone on 3rd down, completing 3-of-4 (75%) along with his touchdown, while Jones was 2-of-6 (33.3%) with zero touchdowns.
Looking at the third down receiving leaders last season, it’s going to be interesting to see how things shake out as several members near the top half of that group are now gone, with New England’s newcomers now in need of potentially stepping up and filling that role.
2023 Patriots Third Down Receiving Leaders:
*Top 10 Players – FULL LIST (Click 3rd Down to Sort)
- Demario Douglas: 13/22 (59%) 172yds 7 First Downs
- Mike Gesicki: 11/19 (57.9%) 121 yds 6 First Downs, 1 TD
- Hunter Henry: 10/16 (62.5%) 109yds 9 First Downs
- Rhamondre Stevenson: 9/15 (60%) 47yds 2 First Downs
- Ezekiel Elliott: 8/13 (61.5%) 62yds 3 First Downs
- DeVante Parker 7/17 (41.2%) 106yds 6 First Downs
- Kendrick Bourne 7/13 (53.8%) 92yds 4 First Downs, 1 TD
- JuJu Smith-Schuster 7/14 (50%) 83yds 4 First Downs
- Jalen Reagor: 3/8 (37.5%) 49yds 1 First Down
- Tyquan Thornton: 3/8 (37.5%) 17yds
Looking at that list of names, it’s clear that there was definitely a need for an overhaul. Douglas is far and away their shiftiest player, with Bourne – depending on where he’s at after undergoing knee surgery – being the other player who should help open things up. The key question from there will be whether or not some of the newcomers, whether it’s Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, or K.J. Osborn, might also be improvements in this category.
Osborn should be interesting to keep an eye on. Of his 48 receptions last season, 13 of those came on third down, with the veteran piling up 150 yards while averaging 11.5 yards per reception and moving the chains 10 times.
As for quarterback, that’s clearly a big question mark. However, Jacoby Brissett had some success there last season. In his limited playing time in 2023, he completed 4-of-5 (80%) for 31 yards and a TD in that situation. In 2022, he was 61-of-100 (61%) for 775 yds along with a TD, albeit he did have two interceptions. In 2021, he was 34-of-59 (57.6%) for 282 yards along with a TD and an INT.
But looking at Drake Maye’s totals, even during what was a tough year for him last season at North Carolina, the numbers are certainly encouraging. He completed 50-of-84 (59.5%) last season for 719yds and 5 TDs, with zero interceptions.
The year before in 2022, he was 76-of-121 (62.8%) for 971 yards along with 11 TDs and 1 INT.
While things will likely be more difficult for him at the NFL level, it’s an area of strength and that’s good news for a team that was extremely weak there last season.
Needless to say, this remains a key area to watch heading into 2024. With significant changes to that side of the roster, they’re obviously going to need guys to step up when it matters most. Let’s hope we start to see some of that when things finally kick off in the coming months.
Baringer Kicks Off Amateur Championship
This was mentioned here in a previous column, but Patriots punter Bryce Baringer is spending his time ahead of training camp getting his competitive juices flowing, albeit it’s in a different fashion.
The New England punter is showing off his golf skills after taking part in the opening round of the Massachusetts Amateur Championship on Monday. According to WBZ Sports Matt Geagan, Baringer played pretty well but reportedly struggled on the back nine, finishing the afternoon 5-over after shooting a 77 in Framingham. That currently has him tied for 85th among a group of 144 heading into the second round on Tuesday.
Baringer opened things up with a birdie on the first hole and was even through the first nine holes but shot bogeys on four holes, along with a double bogey.
Despite how things finished up, Baringer said he enjoyed being out there and competing as he continues getting ready for training camp.
“This is something I talked about with our staff and they let me come out and do. It’s a time for me to stay competitive while getting ready to head to camp,” said Baringer via WBZ. “The atmosphere was awesome with a lot of really great players out here. To put my game against guys like [Matt] Parzaile and [Ethan] Whitney — who I played with today — it was fun.”
Best of luck to Baringer. Regardless of how things go, it’s still good to see him out there and a fun story to follow. Especially during a less-than-exciting time with still a bit to go before things finally get underway for the team down in Foxboro.
Odds and Ends
Former Patriots wide receiver Trey Nixon is apparently moving on from football, with the former 2021 seventh-round pick announcing on his Instagram page that he was retiring. “Football has been a huge part of my life for the past 20 years,” wrote Nixon. “I’ll forever cherish the memories and relationships I’ve made while playing this game. I am truly grateful for everyone who’s supported me along this journey and I’m excited for what God has in store for me next.” Many likely remember that Nixon was the final pick of former Patriots staffer Ernie Adams, with Adams putting his stamp on the former UCF wideout before he, himself, retired that offseason. … Bailey Zappe recently married his longtime girlfriend, Hannah Lewis, with the two reportedly tying the knot in an intimate ceremony in Montana. Lewis posted the photo on her Instagram account of the two, with the caption, “Me and you through it all.” Congratulations to Zappe, who also appears ready to battle it out in the coming weeks as he looks to carve out his role with this new group of quarterbacks heading into 2024. … Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte were both recently spotted working out in Florida, with other NFL wideouts Zay Flowers and Tank Dell also reportedly on hand. The work continues as Douglas looks to build off a strong rookie performance, while seeing Boutte emerge among the last ones standing would also help as the team looks to rebuild its receiving group. Boutte flashed early in 2023, playing nearly 70% of the snaps in the opener but saw little action again the rest of the season. … Speaking of receivers, one player who continues to be a big question mark there is JuJu Smith-Schuster, who will likely be among the tough decisions the club will have to make, especially given his contract. Mike Giardi of Boston Sports Journal said in a recent Q&A that he believes Smith-Schuster’s days are numbered, throwing out a blunt, “Juju feels like he’s dead where he stands” as it pertains to the veteran. It’s certainly disappointing, especially considering his addition came at the expense of former Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers. But making a clean break when the club is trying to make a fresh start definitely feels like the better move, so we’ll have to see if they do indeed part ways with him. … We’ll close this out on this note: Again, stressing the need for someone to emerge in key moments, Meyers impact there has yet to be replaced in this offense. Of the 3rd Down receiving leaders mentioned above, none have come close to replacing him yet. Meyers led the club by more than double when it came to conversions, finishing with 18 first downs and 2 TDs on 22 receptions in 2022. He also led the team in 2021 with 19 conversions on 25 catches. His total was significant in the difference in their success moving the chains, which definitely makes someone stepping up this season in that role all that much more important.
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
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