FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Fast-hit ideas and notes across the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Clock work: Do the Patriots have a time administration downside?
As coach Jerod Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt thought of options to hopefully snap a four-game shedding streak in Sunday’s house recreation (1 p.m. ET, CBS) in opposition to the 4-1 Houston Texans, that is one query they’ve contemplated.
Twice of their first 5 video games, the Patriots have had the ball deep in their very own territory late within the second quarter, with their opponent having all three timeouts every time. The Patriots’ strategy backfired in each conditions.
“Our execution all through the season on the finish of the half simply needs to be higher,” Mayo acknowledged.
In a 23-20 extra time loss to the Seahawks in Week 2, the Patriots had been at their very own 8-yard line with 1:37 remaining till halftime. They ran for two yards on first down, and the Seahawks did not take a timeout, so the clock ticked all the way down to 58 seconds earlier than quarterback Jacoby Brissett threw two incomplete passes.
That left the Seahawks all three timeouts once they took over at their very own 49-yard line with 35 seconds remaining following a punt. They used all of them to set themselves up for a 44-yard subject aim on the ultimate play of the half — factors that turned out to be the distinction within the recreation.
Within the aftermath of the defeat, Mayo stated it could be a real loss if the crew did not study from a few of its errors, similar to that one.
However when a “carbon copy” of the state of affairs arose in final Sunday’s 15-10 loss to the Dolphins, the Patriots did not change their strategy — and execution additionally did not enhance.
On that one, that they had the ball at their very own 5-yard line with 1:50 remaining to halftime. Rhamondre Stevenson ran for 8 yards on first down and the Dolphins did not name timeout. So the clock ticked all the way down to 1:14 by the point the Patriots snapped the ball on second down, with Brissett throwing incomplete up the appropriate sideline to rookie receiver Ja’Lynn Polk to cease the clock.
Then with 1:09 remaining, Brissett once more threw incomplete, which finally gave the Dolphins the ball again at their 44-yard line with 55 seconds remaining. Whereas Miami botched the snap on a subject aim try, the trickle-down impact of the Patriots’ offensive strategy was that the protection performed seven additional snaps — which caught as much as them by the fourth quarter once they had been fatigued.
Van Pelt addressed his pondering on that sequence.
“Nonetheless sort of torn on that one personally,” he stated. “We had two possibilities to get 2 yards to get a primary down. We took a shot there with one in all our greatest wideouts, on a nook, gave him a possibility. We did not win on the route and did not make the throw we would have liked to make. Got here again on third down and had doubtlessly a man open there and did not get it to him. And now we’re punting. Second-and-2, I am feeling assured we are able to get it whether or not we determine to run it or go it.
“In hindsight, you run the ball there and chew off some extra time on the clock. It is that wonderful line of being aggressive or saying, ‘I am simply going to run the ball right here and attempt to milk the clock and take us into halftime.’ We’ve not been productive on offense via the go recreation, so I used to be in all probability a bit of extra aggressive than I wanted to be at that time.”
Van Pelt’s desire is to be aggressive, as was his personal taking part in fashion as a record-setting quarterback on the College of Pittsburgh, however the Patriots aren’t at the moment constructed to play that method. Personnel missteps by the prior regime put them in a compromising place, and that can take time to rectify.
So it is difficult to really assess the work of Van Pelt, who has been open about his ups and downs in his first yr as a full-time playcallers since 2009 with the Payments.
“I really feel like I’ve put us in some good conditions. I’ve had some unhealthy calls. Clearly, the Jets recreation haunts me a bit of bit, a number of the calls in that recreation,” stated Van Pelt, who acknowledged he wanted to rely extra on the run in that Week 3 loss.
“All of us collectively to be higher. I’ve to be higher at situational soccer,” he stated.
2. ‘Excited for 10’: One of many themes within the Patriots’ locker room by the tip of the week was summed up by a veteran participant who stated, “I am excited for 10.” The No. 10, in fact, is rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who makes his first profession begin Sunday and whose mobility and robust arm to get the ball downfield created a distinct really feel at follow this previous week, in line with gamers. Mayo felt a “renewed sense of vitality” all through the crew — even with out injured operating again Rhamondre Stevenson (out with a foot harm) — and now the query is that if it interprets into the sport.
3. WRs challenged: Patriots broad receivers have the fewest catches (39) and receiving yards (342) within the NFL. Will the crew’s change to Maye — with Polk, second-year participant Kayshon Boutte and prime slot DeMario Douglas in main roles — assist improve these numbers?
They’ve been challenged to indicate it, with one crew supply saying this week, “The ball’s popping out [on time], so let’s have a look at what you bought.”
One knock on risk-averse quarterback Brissett over the primary 5 video games was that he generally held the ball too lengthy.
Jerod Mayo: Renewed sense of vitality as Drake Maye has had a very good couple days of follow. pic.twitter.com/FzEyyfrwdX
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 11, 2024
4. Kraft on Peppers: Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft was a visitor on “The Breakfast Membership”, a nationwide morning radio present, selling his just-launched “#TimeOut Towards Hate” marketing campaign, and in addition addressed security Jabrill Peppers being positioned on the commissioner exempt checklist.
“Once you learn the [police report] initially, it turns your abdomen. As soon as he goes on the commissioner exempt checklist, they do their unbiased checking. We’re doing ours. If what was reported is true, he is gone. There have been some recommendations that this was a set-up and loads of what was reported is not correct … We need to get the information.”
5. Mapu as Phifer: Security Marte Mapu, the 2023 third-round decide from Sacramento State, earned widespread respect from coaches and teammates after coming off the injured reserve final week and taking part in all 78 defensive snaps whereas additionally sporting the inexperienced dot on his helmet as the first communicator to the sideline. Mapu had missed all however the first follow of coaching camp with what the crew later introduced as a calf harm.
His fast-but-physical fashion of play and distinctive function — half security/half linebacker — had defensive backs coach Brian Belichick reflecting on one of many underrated gamers of the crew’s preliminary championship years.
“Like a Roman Phifer-type again within the day,” Belichick stated. “[Phifer] was much less of a [traditional] linebacker, extra of an athletic linebacker who may cowl tight ends. That was clearly a distinct period — much more ’21 personnel’ [2 backs, 1 tight end] and also you performed with three ‘linebackers’ each snap.
“I really like what Marte does for us. Clearly he performs within the field some, however performs as a security and may transfer across the protection. That is the particular a part of a participant like that who might be so versatile for us.”
Query: Any replace on Christian Barmore?
Jerod Mayo: “He is progressing. He nonetheless has some checkpoints or hurdles to recover from.”
Q: Do you suppose there’s a higher probability Christian may play in some unspecified time in the future this season than you probably did a number of weeks in the past?
Mayo: “I might say ‘sure.'”
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 11, 2024
6. Maye seventh: Since 2000, Maye will grow to be the seventh Patriots quarterback to make his first profession begin, becoming a member of Tom Brady (2001), Matt Cassel (2008), Jimmy Garoppolo (2016), Brissett (2016), Mac Jones (2021) and Bailey Zappe (2022). It possible wasn’t a coincidence that the Patriots had been taking part in Brissett’s first profession begin — a 27-0 win over the Texans in Brissett’s rookie season — within the athletic room final week.
“Hopefully he has the identical consequence,” Brissett stated.
7. Andrews/Unusual hyperlink: Longtime Patriots heart David Andrews is scheduled to journey to Colorado to bear shoulder surgical procedure by Dr. Matthew Provencher, which is able to give him the very best probability to play in 2025. Andrews defined on his “Fast Snap” podcast that he tore his beforehand repaired rotator cuff, so the plan is to place a sheath over it in hopes that the muscle groups regrow. When he returns to the Patriots after the surgical procedure, he plans to rehab and work intently with 2022 first-round decide Cole Unusual in his transition to studying the middle place.
Unusual, who has solely performed guard at this level, is being checked out as a possible heart for the long run as Andrews enters his eleventh (and probably last) season in 2025. If Unusual finally turns into his successor, it could be a notable a part of Andrews’ already-impressive crew legacy.
8. London plans: This week shall be a distinct one for the Patriots from a journey standpoint, as they face the Jaguars at London’s Wembley Stadium subsequent week. They plan to journey to London after Thursday’s follow in Foxborough, after which are scheduled for a Friday follow within the UK, with Mayo and Maye addressing worldwide reporters that day as nicely.
Alongside these strains, particular groups coordinator Jeremy Springer stated he was already making ready for the Jaguars late final week, which is commonplace working process for him.
9. Do you know? Half I: Maye shall be 22 years, 44 days outdated on Sunday, making him the youngest quarterback to start out a regular-season recreation for the Patriots since Drew Bledsoe within the crew’s 1993 Week 18 season finale in opposition to the Dolphins. Bledsoe was 21 years, 322 days outdated.
10. Do you know? Half II: In keeping with Elias Sports activities Bureau, when Mayo’s Patriots crew hosts DeMeco Ryans’ Texans squad on Sunday, it is going to be the primary NFL recreation that includes head coaches who made a number of Professional Bowls as gamers since Sept. 30, 1990 — when Artwork Shell and the Raiders defeated a Mike Ditka-led Bears crew 24-10.
