You wanted to see the Patriots starters play into the second quarter, and you got it. Unfortunately, very little about it felt encouraging.
New England’s starters on both sides of the ball struggled against the Las Vegas Raiders’ backups in Friday night’s preseason finale, putting the struggles media have seen in practice on display for all to see.
Though there were pockets of good here and there for the No. 1s and later for the backups, the evening felt much more like a step backward than a step forward, especially if you thought of Friday’s game as something of a dress rehearsal for the season.
Everybody, including quarterback Mac Jones, apparently need a lot more work before they’re ready for showtime.
Mac Jones plays like a rookie, and that’s not okay anymore.
A bad couple of games in the preseason aren’t a guarantee that the Patriots’ offense will be unwatchable for all of 2022.
Also, it wasn’t all bad for Jones, who had three first-down throws to Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, and Hunter Henry on the offense’s fourth drive that reminded of the unflappable young quarterback we’re used to. Additionally, he had a touchdown throw to DeVante Parker called back due to offensive pass interference.
But too much of Jones’ play on Friday night looked highly uncomfortable and, well, un-Mac-like.
He drifted into a sack by Malcolm Koonce because he anticipated pressure up the middle that actually got picked up by Michael Onwenu, making Isaiah Wynn look worse on the play than he truly was.
He ran backwards — something he can never afford to do — despite having a workable pocket to step up into and had to throw the ball away on his very last rep of the game.
And his interception to Lukas Masterson on Drive No. 2? Yikes.
Jones and Co. have time to iron out some kinks before they play the Dolphins in Week 1, and he might not be as far off from getting things going as it seems. But these unforced errors and rookie-like mistakes can’t happen if the Patriots are to have any chance of staying competitive this year.
You can point to the offensive line as a unit that needs to get its act together — it absolutely does — but Jones simply has to be better.
Injuries bite the Pats at a bad time.
The most important thing the Patriots needed to accomplish at the end of the preseason was get out of the game without significant injury trouble. Like with most other things Friday, they had no such luck in that regard.
Backup running back Ty Montgomery, who had a strong training camp, left the game in pain with a reported ankle injury. Though the extent isn’t yet known, losing Montgomery would be a heavy blow this close to the season. He’s been their best pass-catching back this summer and was looking like a candidate to help fill in for the retired James White on third downs.
Jakobi Meyers also couldn’t finish the game on his own terms, reportedly heading to the blue medical tent at one point and spending time on a stationary bike.
Injuries have started to chip away at the strong depth the Patriots had in their running back and receiver rooms with Tyquan Thornton out until likely mid-season, Kristian Wilkerson missing time with a concussion, and now Montgomery’s ankle.
Look for New England to comb the waiver wire for backend roster additions and practice squad players. They’re already planning on hosting ex-Chicago Bear receiver Dazz Newsome for a workout this weekend.
Jack Jones turns up in final preseason outing.
The flashes have been there throughout training camp for Jack Jones — the ball-hawking nature, smooth feet, and feisty coverage — as well as the occasional gamble gone wrong.
Friday, though, it almost all good for the fourth-round pick out of Arizona State.
Jones was all over the place in pass coverage, smashing Raiders running back Austin Walter short of the line to gain to force a punt and thumping ex-Patriot Isaiah Zuber on a short route to force another incompletion. His swagger after making each play was noticeable as was his physicality at 175 pounds, which isn’t surprising to anyone who’s watched him play this spring and summer.
One poor angle in run support was his only obvious negative play on the day.
Jones probably isn’t ready to play a heavy workload in the NFL just yet. His lack of caution will get him cooked against shifty, savvy receivers who can take advantage of his aggressiveness.
But he’s going to have chances to play in 2022 in a cornerback room that’s far from world/beating. When he does, he’s going to find a football somehow, someway.
The old ways might be best for Patriots’ run game.
The first handoff of the day for New England ended as too many have this training camp: with Rhamondre Stevenson getting tackled behind the line of scrimmage with no chance to gain positive yardage.
The next drive, they had a halfway decently blocked outside zone run to the right — only to see that Michael Onwenu was called for holding.
Then, they started to go back to what’s worked in the past: inside zones with Onwenu and Cole Strange climbing up to it linebackers, downhill power with pulling guards, and crack tosses. Not surprisingly, they were finally able to run the ball with some success.
The Patriots aren’t just going to throw wide-zone runs out the window. There are too many things you can run off of them that can benefit this offense. But if New England wants to win in Week 1 against Miami, it might be time to go back to the bread and butter a bit more.
Goodness knows the offense needs every blade of grass it can get right now.
