1. The Patriots are still searching for their quarterback of the future as it does not look like Cam Newton is the answer when it comes to the three-to-five year plan at the position. One player who could have been the answer and the Patriots did not get is Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. The Oregon product went No. 6 overall, so it would have meant them giving up a ton to get him (multiple first-round picks plus more), but wouldn’t that have been worth it considering how well Herbert has played in his rookie season? This week both Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels confirmed they looked at the QB in the pre-draft process and remember what Herbert said back in the spring following meeting with McDaniels at the combine? “That’s a guy I’ve always watched, always looked up to,” he said to Peter King. “I love their offense.” While the Patriots absolutely would have needed to give up a haul to get him — their first in 2020 and 2021 and then a mid-round pick or two — but the No. 1 priority for teams is to have a solid quarterback and the Patriots still don’t have that. Is Herbert better than any of the Patriots’ options in the middle of the first round this coming season? Probably. Clearly the Patriots showed interest in the quarterback last spring, so why didn’t they ultimately pull the trigger in doing what they needed to do to get him? The cost likely was a major part in it, but wouldn’t the team feel a lot better about themselves if it had Herbert instead of say Kyle Dugger, Anfernee Jennings and Devin Asiasi?
2. The Chargers likely will be searching for a new coach this offseason as it seems Anthony Lynn is coaching his final few games and one name who will certainly get brought up is McDaniels. The Herbert connection being one reason, but also his familiarity with Chargers general manager Tom Telesco as both went to John Carroll University. With the Patriots facing the Chargers this week, it’s certainly something to keep in mind as who knows what conversations could take place on the field before the game and then McDaniels will get a first-hand look at the new stadium as well as the area since the Patriots will be spending a few extra days in L.A. before taking on the Rams Thursday night. It will also give Telesco and the Chargers organization a first-hand look at how McDaniels operates.
3. With being said, in the end it’s hard to believe McDaniels would move his family all the way across the country to coach the Chargers. Watching the Do Your Job feature with McDaniels and his wife Laura earlier this year, one takeaway was how much family means to the Patriots offensive coordinator. With four kids ranging from 6 to 15 years old, it’s hard to imagine him uprooting them and moving to L.A. Not only is it across the country, it’s a completely different culture than the current situation in the Foxborough area.
4. For the second straight week, Stephon Gilmore will have a tough matchup as he will go up against Keenan Allen after DeAndre Hopkins a week ago. Against Hopkins, he allowed three catches on four targets for 26 yards and just two yards after the catch. Allen is one of the more underrated great receivers in the league as he has double-digit targets in eight games this year and double-digit catches in three of them, including 16 catches on 19 targets for 145 yards and a touchdown against the Jets in Week 11. Allen is a possession receiver, so even him catching five or six passes could still be a good day for Gilmore.
5. After the Patriots fell to the Titans in the wild card round last year, it allowed Belichick and the coaching staff to go to the Senior Bowl and without that trip it’s hard to imagine them selecting Kyle Dugger. At Lenoir-Rhyne he primarily was a free safety, but he moved around that week. “He played primarily free safety and the deep part of the field [in college]. But, at the Senior Bowl, they did use him in – I think their safeties were pretty much interchangeable,” Belichick said this week. “They might have even played right and left, I can’t remember, but you saw him in both positions down there.” Dugger has been used more in the box this year with the Patriots and without seeing him do that in Mobile, it’s worth wondering if the team would have selected him?
6. New England will be staying in L.A. following Sunday’s game as it prepares for Thursday’s game against the Rams. According to reports, the team will stay at a hotel on the UCLA campus and have access to its football facilities. But, with the Thursday game it won’t be a normal week of practice, as it will consist of a few walkthroughs rather than full practices. With that being said, most of their time will be spent in the hotel. As for why UCLA? Belichick’s close friend Chip Kelly is the head coach there.
7. In the past these extended stays on the west coast have been good team-bonding experiences and led to bigger things down the road. Could this be the case for the Patriots this season? “This is probably a ‘finding yourself’ type trip,” Jason McCourty said this week. “You’re going to spend a lot of time in isolation, whenever we’re not doing something football-related.” These next three road games are the biggest of the season for the team and if they can pull them out, they will firmly be in the playoff discussion. New England is 1-4 on the road so far this season, so the trend will need to completely flip for that to be the case.
