1. While it’s the furthest thing from Mac Jones’ mind, the race for Offensive Rookie of the Year will come down to the final two weeks. It’s a two-person race between the Patriots quarterback and Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. According to BetMGM, Jones is currently -500 to win, while Chase is +350, but it may be closer than that, especially with recency bias. The Patriots quarterback is coming off his worst two games of the season, which included four total interceptions, while Chase is coming off one of his better performances — seven receptions for 125 yards in a win over the Ravens. Overall, Chase has 68 catches for 1,163 yards and 10 touchdowns. If he puts together solid performances in the final two games — against the Chiefs and Browns, and the Bengals win the AFC North — it might be hard for Jones to win the award. Unless, he puts together two of his better performances of the season. It just feels like Chase is coming on very strong, while Jones is heading in the opposite direction. The Patriots rookie has had a tremendous season, but still has only 18 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. Chase’s numbers stand out just a little bit more and the Bengals’ success may put him over the top.
2. The Patriots have not got off to fast starts the last two weeks, and they are a completely different team win they do. They are 5-1 when scoring first this season, compared to 4-5 when they don’t. And then in wins, the Patriots are averaging 6.2 points in the opening quarter where in losses they are averaging 2.3 points. Furthermore, in five of their six losses, they have scored zero first quarter points.
3. Following Adrian Phillips’ extension on Saturday, looking ahead to the 2022 season, the Patriots will have some tough contracts to deal with. Nelson Agholor has a $15 million cap hit with $10 million of dead money, so cutting him wouldn’t really make much sense. And then with Jonnu Smith’s four-year deal, the potential out comes following the 2023 season, as he has a $13.8 million cap hit next year with $26.5 million of dead money. They also have a number of talented players who will be free agents: Devin McCourty, Trent Brown, Dont’a Hightower, J.C. Jackson, Matthew Slater and James White. Some tough decisions will be coming following the season.
4. The Patriots' run defense has been a problem. It started the year slow, ranking 24th after three weeks, but then it seemed to get it together. After Week 11, it was ranked 11th in the NFL, but now it is back up to 23rd. This is disappointing given how much was invested in the defensive line this offseason and how it could potentially be one of the biggest reasons why the Patriots’ season eventually ends.
5. Richard Seymour was selected as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for a fourth straight year last week. The class will be unveiled the Saturday before the Super Bowl and it really does feel like this is the year for the former Patriots defensive end. Being a finalist multiple years is usually a good thing and these players typically always get in.
6. Want further proof to why selecting Jones at No. 15 overall for the Patriots was the right decision? 13 AFC teams have a chance to make the 2021 playoffs and 12 of those teams have a starting quarterback who was drafted in the first round. Quarterback play is vital to teams’ overall success and it’s very hard to find these players outside the first round.
7. The Patriots will take on the Dolphins in Miami next weekend, which has given them fits over the years. New England is 1-5 in its last six December/January games played in South Florida. As of now, the game is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m., but that could change as ESPN has two slots for Saturday for games with playoff implications and then NBC has Sunday Night Football. If it does get changed, Saturday would be the more likely option.
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