Patriots News 10-19, Keys And Players To Watch In London
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Good day. Here are your Patriots news and notes for October 19. Today is an early gameday in London, with the Patriots and Jaguars starting at 9:30 a.m. We are posting this early this week due to the early start for the Patriots and Jaguars game in the morning.
Both teams are 1-5 and struggling. The Patriots have struggled to stop the run with the absence of Christian Barmore and Ja’Whaun Bentley due to illness and injury, respectively. The pass protection for QBs Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye has been poor.
The Jaguars’ pass defense is currently last in the NFL, allowing a whopping 276.7 yards per game. Bill Belichick spoke about the Bears romp of Jacksonville in London last week, describing QB Caleb Williams’ big day by saying, “That was a good defense to face.”
The Patriots hope that holds true once again, as Drake Maye will face the same Jags secondary that has had multiple blown assignments, gap integrity problems, and an inconsistent pass rush.
Rhomandre Stevenson: The Patriot star running back was a full participant at Friday’s practice and seemed on target to return to the roster against the Jaguars on Sunday.
“I’m feeling good right now. I had to take a couple of days off, but I’m feeling like I should be able to play on Sunday,” Stevenson said after the practice.
Stevenson leads the Patriots with 77 carries for 356 yards (4.3-yard average) and three touchdowns.
Christian Ellis: The Patriots’ standout special teams player will likely see increased snaps on defense this week. Most of his defensive snaps have been on obvious passing downs, but according to defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington, his play will see him add to his responsibilities this week.
“I think Elliss has done a good job with his third-down role, and obviously he’ll see more early-down snaps,” Covington said. “He’ll definitely have an opportunity. I think he’s done a really good job in his role with our special teams, he’s done a really good job on third down for us, and we think he could expand that role on early downs.”
His increased snaps on defense will likely come at the expense of Raekwon McMillan, who has been surprisingly underwhelming this season.
Drake Maye: The Patriots rookie had a comical moment when asked by a London-based reporter why English fans should support the Patriots.
Maye responded, “Well, I think it comes with the team name New England… I think UK fans can be attracted with that,… and our colors are pretty sweet.”
While his reasoning is sound with the name, our history, dating back to pre-Revolutionary War days, had New England, specifically the Massachusetts Bay Colony, as being a Royal pain in the a$$ for Jolly Olde England.
However, the two countries are now the staunchest of allies so Maye’s slight gaffe can be glossed over. But it was funny to hear that. I’m sure no one in England took offense since the Patriots have traditionally had quite a following through the years. The Patriots fan club in England has been huge supporters and Robert Kraft visited with them the last time the team was in London.
Patriots 4th & 2 Podcast: This week, Derek Havens and I wrapped up the Texans game, broke down Drake Maye’s first start, and discussed the Jaguars matchup. We also gave our predictions for the game and other games. Please check it out.
Russ Francis/Chuck Fairbanks: The former Patriot tight end and head coach should be in the Patriots team Hall of Fame, and the fact that Francis isn’t in is an absolute travesty. Francis and the Raiders’ Dave Casper changed how teams used the tight end position. This will be discussed in our Sunday posts until it happens. Casper is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Francis’ numbers stand up well against Casper’s, yet he isn’t even in the team’s HOF.
Key Matchups and Keys to the Game —
Unfortunately, due to events beyond my control, I didn’t complete my Razor’s Edge Keys to the Game this week on time with the key matchups. However, I’ll condense it a bit and add my keys to the game right here, complete with a prediction.
Start Faster And Don’t Fall Behind:
Head coach Jerod Mayo’s mantra this week was to start faster. After two Houston possessions last week, the Patriots were down 14-0. And it could have been worse as the Texans missed a field goal. That can’t happen this week against a struggling Jaguars team.
“We’ve got to start games faster, and that’s definitely a point of emphasis this week,” Mayo said. For the Jaguars, after getting routed by the Bears in London last week, safety Andrew Cisco said he saw, “a lot of quit in the team.”
That alone should be all the impetus the Patriots need to turn the tables and start quickly this week.
Attack the Slot:
The Jaguars have struggled to cover slot receivers this season, and with Pop Douglas, fresh off a career game against a tough Texans defense, this should be a major point of emphasis for AVP this week.
The Jaguars allow a league-high 276.7 yards per game through the air, so favorable matchups should be available to Drake Maye, not just in the slot but elsewhere. Jacksonville plays about 40 percent man coverage, and they haven’t done well against QB scrambles, so some designed roll-outs by Drake Maye could open paths for him to run or throw. Play-action would be effective here as that is another area that the Jaguars have struggled to defend.
The Jaguars should get a boost from the return of CB Tyson Campbell, who signed a big contract extension this summer (4 years, $76.5 million) but has missed the last five games with a hamstring injury.
Get the Running Game Going Again:
At first glance, this may be an area in which Jacksonville will have a decided advantage. The Patriots struggled to run the football against Houston without Rhamondre Stevenson. And Jacksonville’s run defense has had good numbers thus far. The Jaguars rank 11th in the league, allowing 113.3 yards per game. They rank 10th in yards per carry at 4.3.
However, are opposing teams taking the least path of resistance, targeting the passing game? The Patriots may explore that this week, trying to get the running game going and putting Maye in more favorable down and distance situations.
Getting Stevenson back this week would be a boost for the offense, but he was listed as questionable by the team to play this week, as he was only a limited participant in practice on Friday at the Harrow School.
Limit The Jaguars Running Game:
The Jaguars have a potent running game with a one-two punch of Travis Ettiene and Tank Bigsby. Ettiene is the primary back, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. Bigsby, however, averages 7.2 yards per carry with 41 carries and 297 yards. So, while Jacksonville’s average of 116 yards per game is just 19th in the league, that has more to do with the team falling behind early and being forced to play catch-up. That is another reason for the Patriots to start early.
Making the Jaguars more one-dimensional will be easier said than done. Injuries have decimated the Patriots’ defense, with the middle being deprived of Christian Barmore and LB Ja’Whaun Bentley. The past two games have seen the defense gashed for 193 and 192 yards, respectively.
The interior linebackers’ play must improve this week. Ettiene suffered a hamstring injury last week and will be limited or miss the game this week, which would go in the Patriots’ favor. But they have to play better run defense overall.
While forcing the ball in QB Trevor Lawrence’s hands seems like a losing proposition, although he’s played well, his receivers lead the league in dropped passes. That is surprising, as the Jaguars have quality weapons at the skill positions.
The Patriots can get off a five-game losing streak against an equally struggling Jaguars team. Both teams enter at 1-5, but the time factor may come into play. The Patriots traveled to London on Thursday, while the Jaguars remained in London after playing there last week.
The Jaguars’ and Patriots’ defenses have been struggling, so while that may be good news for Drake Maye to continue his growth this week in his second NFL start, it can be a double-edged sword, as Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars could use this as a “get right” game.
However, there has been an element of feeling re-energized with the Patriots since the elevation of Drake Maye to the starting quarterback role. Jacksonville, however, showed elements of quitting last week, which could snowball if the Patriots get off to a fast start.
Here are our Patriots Players to Watch this afternoon if the Patriots are to win today.
Drake Maye: The Patriots’ young quarterback made some positive plays last week and some not-so-great plays against Houston. He must cut down on turnovers and improve his accuracy, especially in the short to intermediate areas of the field. That can solved through consistent footwork and timing.
He will rely on Pop Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, and Hunter Henry, as they were his go-to players last week. It will be intriguing to see if Ja’Lynn Polk is involved early or if he will see a diminished workload as his struggles continue.
Working against a porous secondary should allow Maye to put together a very good day, but his pass protection and consistency must improve.
Offensive Line: The Patriots’ OL has yet to have the same group start two games in a row. As always, the focus is mainly on the tackles. Jacksonville has two excellent edge rushers, Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen, who have combined for 7.5 sacks and 45 QB pressures.
The tackles must step up and pass-protect better for the offense to make some strides. Starting LT Vederian Lowe has already been ruled out for this game. We may see more TEs chipping and RBs staying in to pass block on obvious passing situations.
Being able to run and pass is obvious for success, but once the OL can put together a complete game, the advantage of facing a struggling Jaguars defense can be realized.
Keion White: White has been the only consistent pass rusher this season. White has four sacks, 11 QB hits (3rd in the NFL), 25 pressures, and three passes defensed. The Patriots need him to pressure Lawrence, disrupting his timing and perhaps adding to his sack total. White had four sacks in the first two games but has been blanked for the past four contests.
They need White to have a big game this week, creating havoc up the middle and aiding a secondary that has been forced to cover for a much longer time than it should.
Christian Gonzalez: The Patriots’ second-year corner had issues against Stefon Diggs last week. And this week, the Jaguars have the promising rookie WR Brian Thomas, who is off to a fantastic start. Thomas has 25 catches for 424 yards and three touchdowns, including a huge 85-yard catch and run for a score against the Colts.
The Patriots will probably line up with Gonzo against Thomas, who is tremendously large at 6’4 “, 205, and use various players on the Jaguars’ Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis, who was a thorn in the Patriots’ side when he was with Buffalo.
One of the issues facing the Patriots’ defense this season is allowing big plays, both through the air and on the ground. Gonzalez’s job this week is to stop the big plays through the air.
Run Defense:
The Patriots have allowed 193 and 192 yards rushing in the past two games, and in order to win this morning, that number has to drop significantly. Davon Godchaux has done his job on the interior, but the other members of the front seven have to step up their game.
The interior linebackers, in particular, must play much better. There has been over-running of plays, two players filling the same gap, etc. With Travis Ettiene limited or out this week, the run defense must slow down Tank Bigsby and force the Jaguars to become one-dimensional.
Jerod Mayo said it best last week when he opined, “Poor run fits, poor tackling, and then we couldn’t catch them.” He also stated that changes were coming this week, which may signal some moves with the off-the-ball linebackers.
Prediction: The Patriots get off the schnied and leave London victorious.
Patriots 24-20
The Jets are still betting on the 2024 season and have added WR Davante Adams this week. Adams and Aaron Rodgers enjoyed great success together in Green Bay, and they’ll try to replicate that in New Jersey. Jets’ owner Woody Johnson said that the team will ” kick a$$” in the remaining 11 games.
But at 2-4, the Jets have precious little room for error for the remainder of the season if they wish to make the playoffs. Rodgers, being Rodgers, promptly threw WR Mike Williams under the bus after his game-ending interception against the Bills, stating that Williams ran the wrong route but failing to explain why his throw was nearly five yards short.
The next day, the Jets acquired Adams, and Williams has sat out practicing this week for “personal reasons.” Through six games, the Jets, with Rodgers at quarterback, have scored 113 points. Through six games in 2023, with what was an awful quarterback situation, the Jets scored 111 points. Not exactly an improvement. Rodgers has gotten everything he’s wanted, and the excuses are drying up.
The Buffalo Bills, whom the Jets are chasing in the AFC East, have not been sitting stagnant on the sidelines. Buffalo added WR Amari Cooper this week, adding to its arsenal for Josh Allen.
Cooper had his entire $20 million salary picked up by Cleveland and is in the final year of his contract. He’s had a history of sulking and periods of play where he’s disappeared. But now that he’s playing for a team that aims for a Super Bowl in a contract year, he should be all-in for the remainder of the season. After that, it is anybody’s guess, but he should fill the Diggs role and add to the depth along with Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Curtis Samuel.
Cooper has 691 career catches for 9736 yards (14.1-yard average) with 62 touchdowns.
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Week 7 Predictions:
Thursday Night Football:
Denver over New Orleans 1-0
Sunday, October 20:
New England over Jacksonville – London 9:30 am start
Atlanta over Seattle
Buffalo over Tennessee
Green Bay over Houston
Indianapolis over Miami
Cincinnati over Cleveland
Detroit over Minnesota
Philadelphia over NYG
LARams over Las Vegas
Washington over Carolina
Kansas City over San Francisco
Sunday Night Football:
NYJ over Pittsburgh (Tomlin should have stuck with Fields)
Monday Night Football:
Baltimore over Tampa Bay
LAChargers over Arizona
Bye Week: Dallas, Chicago
Last week: 14—0 (That doesn’t happen often)
2024 Season 66—26
2023 Season 178—94
2022 Season: 178—92—2
2021 Season: 183—88—1
2020 Season: 169—86—1
2019 Season: 162—93—1
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“Yeah, we have a period in practice today where it’s like nothing else really matters. It’s not about X’s and O’s and schematics. You must have seen the practice script [laughs]. We have a start fast period where it’s just offense versus defense, and we’re rolling out of the gate, and that’s the plan.”
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo on how the team can get off to a better start in today’s game.
“I think, obviously, that first game with the Texans, you can see kind of – we call it ‘the flavor of the day.’ What do the Texans want to do? They want to heat us kind of up, play man, kind of what these defenses are trying to do to us that day. I think it’s kind of easier to get a picture of what they want to do, whether it’s down and distance or certain guys, what they want to do, or hey, they want to kind of put a spy on me, what they want to do defensively. I think it was easier for me to kind of see what the Texans were trying to do to us as we got down the road in the game. I’m sure some teams would try to mix it up down the road, but kind of easier for me as the game went along like, ‘Hey, they’re trying to do this. We can exploit them these ways.’”
The media asked Patriots QB Drake Maye what went easier as his first start progressed and what got harder.
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“Talent sets the floor; Character sets the ceiling.” Bill Belichick
Follow me on Twitter @SteveB7SFG or email me at [email protected]
Listen to our Patriots 4th and 2 podcasts on Apple and YouTube as Russ Goldman, Derek Havens, and myself from PatsFans.com discuss the latest Patriots news and game analysis.
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