FOXBOROUGH – What are the Patriots problems on offense? Where to start?
Through five weeks, the 1-4 Patriots have scored 55 total points. That’s the worst point total scored in a Patriots first five games played here in New England since Bill Belichick took over.
According to Pro Football Reference’s Stat Head, only five teams in Patriots franchise history have had worse offensive starts – the 1965 Boston Patriots (54 points), 1971 Patriots (53 points), 1975 Patriots (52 points), 1992 Patriots (46 points) and then 1995 Patriots (43 points).
In case you’re wondering, none of those teams finished with winning records.
The biggest problem, however, is the same issue we’ve seen through the start of this season – the offensive line. Sunday’s blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints was another example of the Patriots unable to block in the pass or run game.
When asked if he’s identified the key issue with the offensive line, Belichick deflected on Monday.
“I think there’s a lot of things we need to do better offensively, and everybody’s a part of it – coaches, players, every position,” Belichick said. “I don’t think it’s limited to one position, one group. Collectively, we have to perform better.”
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However, it’s clear the biggest hurdle Patriots are facing this season is that Mac Jones doesn’t have enough time to throw, the receivers don’t have enough time to get open and the running backs lack holes to run through.
The biggest mistakes that happened in Sunday’s loss were due to poor blocking.
It started in the first quarter – Jones was intercepted by Peter Warner, who returned it for a touchdown. On that play, Carl Granderson beat Trent Brown in 2.4 seconds to hit Jones. The Patriots pocket collapsed instantly at that moment. Jones shared some of the blame as he should’ve taken the sack, but this was the first sign that the Patriots couldn’t block the Saints.
Later in the first quarter, the Patriots had some momentum. Demario Douglas caught a 23-yard catch and the Patriots gained an additional 15 yards on the play due to a penalty. Two plays later, however, David Andrews failed to block Granderson and he hit Ezekiel Elliott for a loss of 4 yards. That was costly as Chad Ryland then missed a 48-yard field goal attempt.
In the second quarter, the Patriots had momentum in their 2-minute drill. Jones was 3-of-4 for 41 yards and the team was at the New Orleans 41-yard line. Then on first down, Tanoh Kpassagnon beat Atonio Mafi in 2.33 seconds to sack Jones for a loss of 8 yards. Vederian Lowe was also beaten on that play by Cameron Jordan.
Two plays later, on third-and-14, Granderson beat Brown in 2.32 seconds to sack Jones for a loss of 13 yards. Lowe was again beaten on that play by Jordan, who would’ve sacked Jones had Granderson not got there first.
In the third quarter, Jones was to blame for his poor pitch to Rhamondre Stevenson, which led to a fumble recovery by Jordan. However, Jordan was in the backfield so quickly because he beat Lowe in 1.56 seconds. Had Lowe blocked him, the Patriots might’ve been able to recover the fumble.
Later in the third quarter, Brown failed to block Granderson, who dropped Rhamondre Stevenson for a loss of 5 yards on first down. That drive ended in a three-and-out.
The Patriots have issues everywhere on offense. Their quarterback, pass catchers, and running backs share some of the blame. However, the issues start in the trenches.
Through five weeks, Mafi, who’s playing in place of the injured Cole Strange, leads the Patriots in sacks allowed with four. By comparison, Strange allowed four sacks last season in 17 games.
Lowe, who has started the last three games at right tackle, is next with three. Along with Calvin Anderson, Patriots starting right tackles have allowed four sacks and six quarterback hits in five games.
At right tackle, in 2022, Isaiah Wynn allowed five sacks, Yodny Cajuste three, and Conor McDermott and Marcus Cannon allowed one each.
Here are the Patriots pass protections stats vs. New Orleans
| Sacks | QB Hits | Holds | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trent Brown | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Atonio Mafi | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vederian Lowe | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Here are Patriots pass protection stats in 2023
| Sacks | QB Hits | Holds | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Onwenu | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| David Andrews | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Sidy Sow | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Cole Strange | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Calvin Anderson | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Trent Brown | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Vederian Lowe | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Atonio Mafi | 4 | 0 | 1 |
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