1 – If instant, reactionary, emotional gratification is the goal in New England then the Patriots signing of undrafted practice squad quarterback/wide receiver Malik Cunningham to the roster in advance of Sunday’s meeting with the Raiders is a very good thing.
Cunningham was a dynamic playmaker in his career at Louisville, after all.
Cunningham also had a fun scoring drive in the fourth-quarter of August’s preseason battle with Texans at Gillette Stadium.
And fun is something that has been very much lacking from the Patriots’ offense five weeks into the regular season and dating all the way back to the opening of training camp.
So the idea that the benching-worthy performances of Mac Jones might be replaced by an athletic modern playmaking presence is clearly palatable for plenty of Patriots fans frustrated with the 1-4 start to the season and a team that has been in the opinions of many trending toward unwatchable.
But the fact that there is so much excitement in Patriot Nation surrounding Cunningham’s promotion and potential to play – while NFL media is reporting that Jones will be on a short leash in Las Vegas after consecutive benchings against the Cowboys and Saints – is simply the most recent evidence that New England now has as unstable a quarterback position as any in the NFL.
Jones looks anything but a franchise QB in his third season, the former No. 15 overall pick a broken player leading an offense with little support to speak of, his future departure from New England feeling more like a when not an if at this point.
Bailey Zappe had his fun a year ago when Zappe Fever took over Foxborough and seemingly played a role, on some level, in the ruination of Jones. But anyone who’s being honest sees anything but an NFL starting quarterback in Zappe.
Will Grier is a wild card on the roster. Sure there were rumblings he’d make sense for the Patriots back in 2019 coming out of West Virginia. Sure he had a nice final preseason game with the Cowboys this summer. But he’s also older than Patrick Mahomes and is anything but a savior or future foundational piece.
Matt Corral and Ian Book have also been a part of the putrid Patriots QB story this fall.
And now, Cunningham is the flashy new piece to a puzzle that frustratingly seems to be missing oh so many pieces.
Cunningham may be a fun talking point. He might offer some athletic or off-script entertainment value if and when he gets on the field in a real game in a real Patriots uniform.
But that we’re even talking about Cunningham at this point -- just like last year when people were talking themselves in Zappe’s potential – is the latest evidence that the Patriots’ post-Tom Brady situation at quarterback is a disaster at what owner Robert Kraft has accurately called the “most important position on the team.”
For the Patriots that position could not be a bigger mess, even if Cunningham feels like a fun new addition to the mix.
2 – Instability at the quarterback spot is obviously the biggest story in New England right now, but things aren’t much better at the dismal wide receiver position. JuJu Smith-Schuster has been one of the most disappointing players in the NFL over the first month-plus of 2023, with just 86 yards receiving and now being lost to injury. DeVante Parker hasn’t been much better. Kendrick Bourne has had his ups and downs. Exciting late-round rookie Demario Douglas has made a few plays, but also has trouble staying on the field. Now, seemingly, there is some expectation that second-year target Tyquan Thornton might be the speedy spark to add life to the wide receiver depth chart. That should be a legitimate hope for the former 2022 second-round pick, but he’s shown little to earn that expectation in his two years in New England, both of which saw him open the season on IR. Some even desperately point to former Eagles’ first-round pick and now Patriots practice squad call-up Jalen Reagor as a possible option to turn to. That Reagor is even a consideration to bring life to the passing game tells you all you need to know about how bad things have been in that area for Bill O’Brien.
3 – While we’re on the multi-faceted disappointment regarding the Patriots offense, we might as well touch on Riley Reiff and the offensive line. The line has been the root of the New England problems on offense all season. Lack of continuity, talent or health has been the foundation of the folly for Adrian Klemm’s position group. While there had been hope that veteran free agent addition Reiff’s return from IR might help bring stability, the journeyman suffered another knee injury in his first game back and won’t be an option Sunday in Las Vegas against Maxx Crosby and Co. A good Reiff might have been a help to the line group at either guard or right tackle. But losing Reiff to another injury after just one week for a group that can’t buy a break at this point is another Charlie Brown-like good grief moment for the New England line group.
4 – For good reason Jakobi Meyers’ offseason leap from New England to Las Vegas has been a point of contention this week. Meyers went from undrafted to No. 1 option with the Patriots over four seasons in Foxborough.
For some reason, though, a guy who epitomized Bill Belichick’s receiver perquisite of “get open and catch the football” was apparently not valued in New England, as the team chose Smith-Schuster this offseason instead. Meyers has found a productive home with the Raiders, with 25 catches for 274 yards and three touchdowns in four games, all numbers that would lead the Patriots. Contrarian thought in New England has stated that Meyers is not a true No. 1 receiver and that the team would still be looking for such even with him still in place at Gillette. That’s true. But the reality is that the Patriots would be a better team and a better offense with Meyers. It would give Jones (or any other QB) another competent, reliable, consistent option to look for, which might just translate to more overall production on offense. Meyers is what he is. And that’s better than anything the Patriots have.
5 – The Patriots don’t have many big plays to speak of this season on offense and when you dive into the ones they do have it’s rather revealing and disappointing. New England has six rushing plays of more than 10 yards, only one of which (12 yards) came from supposed star running back Rhamondre Stevenson. Jones has the longest run of the season at 18 yards, while aged late-signing backup Ezekiel Elliott as the other four runs longer than 10 yards.
Meanwhile, the passing game has recorded just eight plays through the air picking up more than 20 yards. Half those plays come from guys who were considered anything but a key part of the passing game heading into 2023 with blocking tight end Pharaoh Brown’s season-long 58-yard touchdown in New York and Douglas’ three big plays (42, 24 and 23 yards). Stevenson (32), Bourne (28), Parker (22) and Hunter Henry (21) all have just a single 20-plus-yard catch through 20 quarters of action.
6 – While much of the angst in New England is focused on the offense, and for good reason, there is one area of the now banged up Patriots defense that certainly has been a massive disappointment –takeaways. New England is now dead last in the NFL with a mere two takeaways on the season, one Jabrill Pepper’s forced fumble on Jalen Hurts in the opener and a Christian Gonzalez interception a week later. It’s strange to see a Belichick defense that can’t turn the ball over, something that’s been a strength more often than not over the years. New England has now gone three straight games without a takeaway. By comparison, the Patriots had 30 takeaways a year ago, tied for second-most in the NFL, including multiple takeaways in 10 different games. The unit failed to record a takeaway in a game just twice last season. They are due to turn that around and will look to do just that Sunday in Vegas against a Raiders team tied for the second most turnovers in the NFL with 11.
7 – Prediction Time!: Somehow, some way, any way they can get it the Patriots (1-4) simply need a win. But it won’t be easy, even against a Raiders (2-3) team that’s certainly had its own issues to open 2023. Neither of these squads are what would be considered good right now. But the Patriots have evolved into a “get right” game for opponents in recent weeks. The turnovers by Jones (or whoever is under center) have to stop. The offense needs to start making some positive plays and building some semblance of productive pride and confidence. The defense needs to step up after the losses of Gonzalez and Matthew Judon, which will be a challenge against Devante Adams, Meyers and Josh Jacobs, even if the latter hasn’t run the ball well yet this season. Now, New England is dealing with a boatload of injuries on both sides of the ball, which can only compound its competitive problems. This feels like a bad spot for Belichick’s team. But luck can change in Las Vegas, as any downtrodden gambler will tell you. (Maybe not often, buts let’s just go with it!) The Patriots are due to play better on both sides of the ball. They are due to get a bounce here or a break there at some point. Sure the “they’re due” mentality is a desperately dangerous one, but that’s most of what we got right now. Don’t let Crosby and Adams ruin the game. Let Jimmy Garoppolo continue to be in the mood to give away interceptions this season. Heck, just don’t lose the game. Let Josh McDaniels and the Raiders do that. Let’s go with a 17-13 win for the Patriots on the road. Why not? (Don’t answer that.)
Thank you to MacFarlane Energy, a Mitsubishi Diamond Elite contractor, and the home heating oil and HVAC company that greater Boston and Cape Cod depend on at MacFarlaneEnergy.com.