Pats Get Mauled 35-6 in Jacksonville, Buffalo Looming
The Patriots played Week 3 in Jacksonville last Sunday and were mauled by a score of 35-6. This loss makes it now six straight years they've started with a 1-2 record. This game raised more cause for concern for the team moving forward.
The offense seemed to look even more out of sync in Week 3. The first sign of things to come was the injury to RG Greg Van Roten. Van Roten was stepping up for the injured Michael Onwenu. He left the game and it was announced on Tuesday that he will also be added to the IR.
From that point in the game, havoc wreaked on the backfield. The Jaguars defense kept Maye under pressure for a majority of the game. Maye had his week 3 game cut short and was benched for backup QB Tommy DeVito at the start of the 4th quarter. Maye finished with another forgettable stat line of 14/25 on passes, only accounting for 199 yards, 1 fumble, 2 interceptions, and 3 sacks.
When questioned postgame about the struggles and the offensive slump, the Patriots quarterback said, “I’ve got to look myself in the mirror and take this as a turning point,” adding that the offensive performance has been “unacceptable for three weeks.”
Head Coach Mike Vrabel realizes, the same as all Patriots fans, that the team is not clicking the same as last year, stating his concern level is “very high”. This team simply does not look prepared week in and week out. Even with the injuries, they consistently make costly penalties and are expecting to pull out wins. Vrabel still maintains hope for the season saying he’s “confident that we’ll be back and we’ll continue to improve and fight and do the things that we’ve done here a lot to help us win.”
The Pats strong standing defense crumbled under the persistency of the Jaguars offense. The defense let Jacksonville convert on 8 of 12 third downs and allowed a perfect 5-5 in the redzone. The defensive side of the ball was littered with mistakes, making it impossible to get off the field. They missed blatantly easy sacks, tackles, and dropped interceptions. The team looked uncharacteristic and couldn't manage to get out of their own way. New England needs to dig deep into the gameplan bag for their upcoming date with a red hot 3-0 Buffalo team. This upcoming game entirely hinges on the Patriots figuring out their issues internally ahead of the game. It is crucial they put together a game plan to benefit Maye and help him adapt to these new defensive game plans against him.
Coming out of that lackluster performance by the defense and the high-powered Jaguars offense, the matchup they face against the Bills led by QB Josh Allen and RB James Cook is concerning. Despite the Bills pulling out an ugly victory in week 3 against the Chargers, they had 5 turnovers as a team and 10 offensive penalties. The Bills relied heavily on James Cook and their run game, racking up 154 rush yards and a touchdown. while Josh Allen stole two scores from a yard out.
New England will not be able to trust All-Pro CB Christian Gonzalez to keep Buffalo WR D.J. Moore in check because he is out with a shoulder injury. Since this game is a heated division rivalry, any depth player could become a gamechanger. The glaring issue I see in the upcoming game is the challenge of the defense getting pressure on Josh Allen. To have a chance, they must put him under distress and force his turnover worthy plays. With the lack of pass rush so far this season, it's more than likely we will see multiple blitz packages trying to catch Allen off guard.
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My Take?
On paper, all signs point towards a Buffalo win which is hard to argue. However, it's always difficult to predict how these division games play out. With Dre’Mont Jones (DE) and Craig Woodson (S) all nursing uncertain injuries ahead of the game, they could be tide changers on defense if they play. Christian Barmore (DT) and Christian Gonzalez have also both been ruled out. I am hopeful we will finally see glimpses of MVP caliber Maye making plays against Buffalo’s young and unproven corners. This could especially ring true if Christian Benford is unavailable to play. I could see big contributions from Mack Hollins and Pop Douglas.
Last week, Hollins was the only receiver making plays, his large frame and veteran knowledge could cause issues for the young and inexperienced Bill’s CB room. Pop Douglas has been with the team for a few seasons now, and the chemistry he has with Maye could prove beneficial this week. If Pop and Maye can connect early on, it could help Maye out of his slump with an explosive game.
My final score prediction for Week 4 is the Patriots coming up short 24-30. I’m expecting a solid confidence building game from Drake Maye trending back in the right direction, but the injuries and Buffalo’s relentless rushing attack will be too much to handle this early in the season.
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