1. The Patriots haven’t received great quarterback play this year, but it has been better of late with Cam Newton having his two best back-to-back games as a member of the team the last two weeks. With that being said, it still feels like Newton has a ways to go. And for all we’ve heard of it being the same offense as it's been, it really isn’t. This offense has been catered to Newton and dumbed down in a sense. It feels like Josh McDaniels is calling plays with Newton still using training wheels. So, what does the position look like moving forward? For now, Newton will stay under center, but if it gets to a point where it’s clear the Patriots are not going to make the playoffs, then it’s time to let second-year player Jarrett Stidham start a few games to see what he has. It doesn’t seem like the team has much confidence in him at the moment, but if the team doesn’t make the playoffs, it needs to get a sense of what Stidham is as it thinks towards 2021. From our perspective, Newton should not be part of the long-term plans. The team should invest in a QB in the first round or two of the draft and bring in a pocket passing veteran on a one or two-year deal. This gives the team a few options moving forward, which is what it needs as there isn’t an obvious player that is the answer right now. The Patriots did not get replacing Tom Brady right in 2020, but fortunately they have a chance to fix it beginning in 2021.
2. A veteran who could potentially become available and likely would be of interest to the Patriots is Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers have an out with his contract following the year and there’s been speculation Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch could look to have another player at the position. That was furthered recently when vice president of player personnel Adam Peters attended a BYU game, likely to scout QB Zach Wilson. “Here’s what I know about Jimmy Garoppolo, and I think I’ve been consistent: We’re a better football team when he’s out there. We win a lot of games when he’s out there. We’ve struggled to win without him,” Lynch said this week. “So people can try to pick his game apart. And I do believe this year Jimmy hasn’t played up to his standard. I think a lot of that is he’s been somewhat compromised by his health. … We have a lot of belief in Jimmy.” That’s what the organization has said for the last year or so, but there’s been no definitive word they plan on sticking with him.
3. One thing losing has done in New England this year is we’ve seen a side of Bill Belichick we aren’t used to. The coach has been a bit more honest and defensive when speaking to the media of late. He’s used the tactic of pointing to past success, which really started dating back to the playoff loss to the Titans a year ago. A reporter was asking for a message to the fans who have stuck with the team through “thick and thin” and Belichick quipped, “I wouldn’t say it’s been all that thin around here, personally.” For the last few weeks a Belichick quote has been one of the major topics with the team and when’s the last time that happened?
4. An underrated story with the Patriots this season is the job co-offensive line coaches Cole Popovich and Carmen Bricillo have done replacing Dante Scarnecchia. Speaking Friday, Bricillo said their approaches are similar and they work well together. “This offseason we went down to the combine and I think Cole and I really had an opportunity to really spend time just he and I talking and seeing how this thing goes,” he said. “Obviously, it’s a unique situation. I think Cole does a tremendous job doing everything he does. … We work well together and also at the same time, like in any relationship there’s going to be days where we don’t see things eye-to-eye, but there’s definitely mutual respect — one says one thing and one says another and we’re able to figure it out. It’s been good.”
5. A thought relating to the Patriots and their tight end situation: It’s been obvious there’s been a need to restock the position for several years and the Patriots decided this year, the one with the worst tight ends class according to draft experts in years, to select two in Round 3. They even traded up to take Dalton Keene after taking Devin Asiasi earlier in the round. Dallas Goedert, Mike Gesicki, Mark Andrews, Hayden Hurst, Irv Smith Jr., Dawson Knox and Jace Sternberger are all tight ends the Patriots could have realistically selected in 2018 and 2019.
6. Although it seems rather minor, Belichick pointed out this week how the team isn’t getting as much as it can out of kick returns. “We’ve missed a lot of good opportunities on kickoff returns,” he said. “It’s been frustrating. Really in all eight games. … We’ve all had breakdowns somewhere along the line, and it just seems like we can’t quite hit it right. There’s a lot of good things, and then there’s one or two problems on the play and that’s enough to kill the play. Really across the board. It’s not any one thing.” Entering this week's game, returner Gunner Olszewski is 10th in the NFL with a 24.1-yard kickoff return average.
7. The Patriots will travel to Houston to take on the Texans next Sunday afternoon. It really is remarkable to see all the changes Jack Easterby has been part of since he joined the organization a few years ago. And to think he was the team chaplain in New England and now is basically running the Texans is pretty crazy to think about. It’s also hard to believe he’s kept good relationships with people in New England, especially Robert Kraft and Belichick after trying to steal Nick Caserio away.
