New England’s fresh-faced coaching staff is walking around with a blemish after their team’s grim Thursday Night Football showing against the Jets.
Sunday is a chance to slap on a little Clearasil and get back to the team that looked ready and disciplined in Week 1.
The Patriots team that took the field in Cincinnati looked smooth and detailed-oriented. The Bengals, while hampered by injuries, were still the more talented team, but the Patriots stuck to the identity they promised: a physical, running team. Jerod Mayo’s Patriots also looked like the smarter team. They abided by the old Belichick-isms that have fallen by the wayside in recent years: do no harm and wait around for the other team to shoot themselves in the foot. It worked.
Everything that went wrong in the 24-3 loss last Thursday can’t be blamed on the coaches. There were injuries and execution issues against New York. The Patriots were without their starting left tackle and left guard, and although the defense missed 14 tackles, it’s hard to believe tackling isn’t a major coaching point from DeMarcus Covington and his staff.
“That’s always a big part of football,” cornerback Christian Gonzalez said at his locker this week. “The other team always has playmakers who they want to get the ball in their hands, and [you] try to make a one-on-one tackle. No matter what happened last week, that’s always a focal point.”
It was also a Thursday night game, and teams tend to look sloppy on short rest after playing into overtime, as the Patriots did against Seattle the previous Sunday.
But aside from the sloppy execution, boneheaded penalties players racked up, Rhamondre Stevenson’s third fumble in as many weeks, and free rushers throttling Jacoby Brissett, the Patriots didn’t look like the group their coaches profess themselves to be.
Mayo, Van Pelt, and the rest of the staff say this is a team focused on self-improvement from game to game.
“Our goal is to get better every week. I know it’s Week 4, now going into it. Hopefully in Week 8, you’ll see big improvements from our offense as we move forward. We’re building to grow,” offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said Thursday.
The Patriots’ only prime time game looked like a big step backwards, and Van Pelt’s game plan made little sense. After having success running the ball with Stevenson, and in the second half of the Seattle game, Antonio Gibson, Van Pelt opened the game looking for air yards. Out of the six first play calls, five were passing plays. In total, all six plays only amounted to 17 offensive yards.
“Last week, I said earlier, I maybe should have stuck with the run earlier, and that’s something I’ll grow from and get better from.
Again, for me, it’s growth and improvement as well, as the season goes on,” Van Pelt explained.
The San Francisco 49ers’ 1-2 record doesn’t reflect the high level on talent on the team and coaching staff. They’ll be one of the tougher teams Mayo will face, both in terms of the chess mass of game day preparation and sheer skill on the field. Vegas has no love for New England in this matchup, as the DraftKings bookmakers have the 49ers to be -10.5. So, nobody really expects a win in the city by the Bay. But fans should expect a team that looks mentally sharp and a coaching staff who puts their playmakers in the best position to…well, make plays. If we don’t get to see Drake Maye start these games, we want to at least see competency. They proved they can be that team through the first two weeks of the season.
The honeymoon isn’t over for Mayo and his staff. But as they noted Monday, with a bonus practice day, they got to take a look in the mirror to evaluate who they want to be. It’s only Week 4. Let Thursday night be an ugly aberration, and show up with a team ready to play on Sunday.