Does Mac Jones Deserve BLAME after Patriots Lose to Dolphins?

CLNS Media Sports Network

In their week 2 matchup against the Miami Dolphins, the New England Patriots once again fell short in a close game with the ball in their possession. With the team dropping to 0-2 to start the year, more questions continue to stack up about the roster and what isn't clicking for the Pats so far.  In this segment, John Zannis and CLNS Patriots reporter Taylor Kyles discuss who's to blame for another tough loss, and whether or not Mac Jones deserves any flak after their 0-2 start to the season.  If you enjoyed this content, please make sure to watch the full episode HERE: https://youtube.com/live/Q8V0h1n9CCg | Patriots Postgame Show  This segment of Patriots Postgame Show is brought to you by Fanduel Sportsbook, the exclusive wagering partner of the CLNS Media Network. NEW customers can bet $5  and get $200 in BONUS BETS – GUARANTEED. Plus, all customers who bet $5 will get $100 OFF NFL SUNDAY TICKET from YouTube and YouTube TV. Now is the best time to join FanDuel! The app is easy to use and you can be on everything from spreads to player props and more! So, visit  https://FanDuel.com/BOSTON and kick off the NFL season with an offer you won’t wanna miss.  21+ and present in MA. First online real money wager only. $10 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at  https://fanduel.com/sportsbook. Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMa.org or call (800)-327-5050 for 24/7 support. Play it smart from the start! GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234. NFL Sunday Ticket Offer ends 9/18/23. No refunds. Terms and embargoes apply. $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket, not YouTube TV. YouTube TV base plan required to watch YouTube TV. Redemption requires a Google account and current form of payment. Commercial Use Excluded. Subscription renews; cancel anytime.  Ever wished you could navigate the betting field with the confidence of a pro? Enter Download the Odds-R App! They're not a sportsbook, but they're the sports betting advisor you've always needed. It's like having a playbook for smarter bets right in your pocket. I've been absolutely loving the experience, and I think you will too. Especially since Pats Interference listeners get a 30-day free trial! Elevate your game day and join the smart betting revolution! Go get it at https://oddsr.com/presspass

Transcript

00:00 Mac Jones, I don't know how much you can put on him here.

00:03 I think he has his limits with his arm strength

00:05 and his ability to push the ball down the field, Taylor,

00:07 but I thought he played a pretty good game.

00:09 He manipulated the pocket once again when he had to,

00:11 made a couple of really money throws.

00:13 You know, great back foot one to Devontae Parker,

00:16 made a nice couple nice throws to Juju.

00:18 You know, a horrible interception,

00:20 but again, that happens too.

00:22 We can talk about that.

00:23 But I don't think this isn't,

00:26 you know, Mac's such an easy target here.

00:29 I, you know, I'm one of the first to say,

00:31 I think he has a ceiling that's going to cap

00:35 how far you can go,

00:36 but I just don't think you can do anything

00:38 with an offense that has an offense,

00:40 'cause again, the offensive line

00:42 was only missing one starter tonight, okay?

00:45 So it wasn't a wholesale, everybody's out.

00:47 That was Trent Brown, and that's a tough one to overcome,

00:50 but there's no push at all.

00:53 The running game after two weeks

00:56 has been an absolute disaster.

00:59 So if you can't run the ball

01:00 and you don't have the weapons or the quarterback

01:04 or whatever to push the ball downfield,

01:07 you're really, really, really limited.

01:09 They can just live in this intermediate zone.

01:11 They had what would be categorized

01:13 as two explosive plays all night,

01:15 and those were runs.

01:17 One was a Mac Jones run, one was a Raimondre.

01:19 Almost every other, every, you know,

01:21 Mac through three quarters had not completed a pass

01:24 more than 10 yards down the field.

01:26 That's a really, you're living in a really small box there

01:29 when you're trying to play offense here.

01:31 So how concerned are you by what you've seen

01:34 with what this offense is able to do so far?

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01:50 - I think the biggest takeaway,

01:56 and this is one of those things where

01:58 I wanted to see the on-field product

01:59 before I made a big deal out of it,

02:01 because I do think we're seeing O'Brien's scheme

02:04 allows them to move the ball methodically.

02:06 Like we have not seen an offense

02:08 where it's like three and out, three and out, three and out.

02:11 This offense, the past two weeks,

02:12 has been putting drives together,

02:14 but then it becomes- - A couple of good ones.

02:15 - The margin for error is so small.

02:19 One, because of pass protection and run blocking.

02:22 The offensive line, because of injuries,

02:24 because of, mostly because of injuries,

02:27 like Cole Strange did not look good.

02:29 From the things you could tell

02:30 from the live part of today's game,

02:33 Mike Edwenu had to sub out for Tony Omafi

02:35 for I think a lot of the second half.

02:37 - We think that was fitness related?

02:40 Or just he wasn't playing well?

02:41 - I really don't, no, I don't think you put Tony Omafi

02:44 in for Mike Edwenu because Mike Edwenu's not playing well.

02:47 Like I think that was probably

02:48 more just physical limitations.

02:50 Then Calvin Anderson, where,

02:54 I thought he was better off at the left tackle spot

02:57 because that's where he's been for a lot of his career,

02:58 so I don't know how much that's factored in,

03:00 and he missed all of summer,

03:01 but he was beaten several times as well.

03:03 So the offensive line is already setting you back.

03:06 For any offense, that's gonna make things harder.

03:08 And then that's capitalized by the fact

03:09 that Devontae Parker loses,

03:12 gets bodied out by Xavier Howard

03:14 on what was not a good throw for Mack, to be fair.

03:16 - Bad room, bad throw. - But at the same time,

03:17 you want Devontae Mack. - Yeah.

03:18 - Exactly, and then Devontae Parker.

03:20 There were a lot of 50/50s.

03:21 They were like, the pass wasn't great for Mack,

03:23 but also like Kendrick Bourne wants to be this big play guy

03:25 and that's what he's shown flashes of.

03:27 And he can't make those tough grabs

03:29 where guys are really close and he gets a shot downfield.

03:31 And that's been the case the past two weeks.

03:33 - It was actually a pretty,

03:34 the deep ball was actually a very good ball by Mack

03:37 to Kendrick Bourne in the first half.

03:38 - The first one, yeah. - And he only gets

03:40 a left hand on it, and that was almost

03:43 like a goofy looking attempt at someone.

03:46 I thought for a second maybe his right arm

03:48 was being held back a little and it wasn't.

03:51 It was just a bad attempt at that ball.

03:53 That's gotta be right there for Kendrick for KB

03:55 and he doesn't make that play.

03:57 - Yeah, so it's just, you don't have the big play threat

04:01 who you can consistently rely on.

04:03 Now, again, I think that Devontae Parker

04:04 can be that most weeks.

04:06 I just didn't like, I don't like when Mack targets

04:08 Devontae Parker when he's matched up against

04:10 like really legitimate top tier corners.

04:11 - Yeah, don't throw 50/50 balls against good corners.

04:14 Right, that's not-- - Right, like I'm cool

04:15 with it against 90% of players.

04:17 Like Devontae Parker can make a living

04:19 'cause he's very good at that.

04:20 But Xavier Howard gets the money he gets

04:23 because he doesn't allow those.

04:25 That's where I'm like, hey man, you gotta pick your spots.

04:27 - For a 50, exactly, for a 50/50 ball receiver

04:31 like Devontae Parker is, when you're playing

04:35 against a corner like that, the other 50

04:38 sometimes results in interceptions, not in completions.

04:40 The risk reward is simply not there

04:42 and that was just a very ill-advised throw.

04:44 - Especially in that spot, especially in that spot.

04:46 Like you're in scoring territory.

04:48 - Yeah. - Like that's a huge

04:49 difference maker.

04:50 If they even just get a field goal there,

04:52 it changes the complexion of the game.

04:54 But yeah, I just think the margin for error is slow slim

04:57 because one, who knows how long it's gonna be

04:59 until their offensive line is in the spot

05:00 where you're like, yeah, they're cohesive,

05:02 they can run the ball effectively--

05:04 - If they are, if they are.

05:05 We don't know-- - Right, that's what I'm saying.

05:07 So like even until, if that even happens,

05:10 then it's okay, well are your guys,

05:12 are your playmakers gonna make plays?

05:13 I think the tight ends do a good job of that.

05:14 Every time you do the tight end, something good happens,

05:16 but the receivers-- - Stay on your line

05:18 a second. - And it's Mario Douglas.

05:19 Okay, yeah. - 'Cause I do wanna ask you,

05:21 at best, at best entering the year, okay, at best,

05:26 you had four people you thought you could call starters.

05:31 Trent Brown absolutely has been effective

05:33 when he's been asked to play,

05:34 but you know there's health issues and this and that.

05:36 He's been more comfortable on the right than the left,

05:39 but whatever, that's one.

05:41 David Andrews is David Andrews, solid pro,

05:43 you know what you have there.

05:44 And on Wen, who's coming off a terrific year,

05:47 slotting back into his guard position,

05:49 which he's best suited to play.

05:51 We don't know if Cole Strange

05:53 is a plus offensive NFL lineman yet.

05:55 We don't have any idea.

05:57 He might not be.

05:58 He was thrust into the starting lineup last year

06:00 and got benched several times for performance issues.

06:03 We don't know who he is yet.

06:05 He might be good.

06:06 We don't know who he is yet.

06:08 So-- - I will say though,

06:09 tonight I don't think-- - You're looking at

06:10 three and a half feel good about, and still a hole,

06:14 so I don't know that you ever get to a point

06:16 that it's anything better than serviceable,

06:19 but it's also potentially horrible like it's been

06:22 in the sense that there's just not enough there.

06:24 Even though Mack didn't get sacked,

06:26 he was pressured on one third of his throws

06:28 by the Eagles who didn't really blitz much last week.

06:31 And then, you know, they had a bunch

06:33 of coverage breakdowns today,

06:35 and they can't run the ball at all right now.

06:37 So you're getting nothing out of this offensive line.

06:40 Maybe it gets there, but do you really think

06:42 that they can turn it around to the point

06:44 that this is a good unit?

06:47 - I do think that when healthy, they can be.

06:50 Now, I think it's very important to remember that,

06:53 okay, so Trent Brown, he didn't look good

06:55 run blocking last week, but he gets paid

06:57 for pass protection.

06:58 Cole Strange, I think, is good.

06:59 The things that he was having lapses with tonight

07:01 were not things that I saw last year as big issues.

07:04 I think it's fair to assume that he's going

07:06 to take a step once he's healthy.

07:07 David Andrews, David Andrews.

07:09 Mike Inouye was one of the best players in his position.

07:11 I think he just needs to get healthy

07:12 and be someone who you can rely on,

07:14 you know, be there every week.

07:15 Right tackle is still going to be a question mark,

07:18 but I don't think that either one of these games

07:20 have come down to Calvin Anderson.

07:21 It's been the interior is giving up pressure

07:23 so fast that Matt can't do anything.

07:25 Like you can get, like Darian Lowe told me,

07:28 they preach in New England, protect inside out,

07:31 because even if you give up pressure outside,

07:33 Matt can step up.

07:34 Like he's not one of those guys who's going to scramble,

07:36 but he maneuvers the pocket very well,

07:37 and we saw that tonight.

07:38 So I do think if this offensive line is better,

07:41 your margin for error is higher,

07:43 because, you know, players still need to make plays,

07:46 but we saw that Matt Jones, like his past two, four quarters,

07:49 he's been outstanding.

07:50 Like he's making all the throws that he needs to make.

07:53 It hasn't necessarily been perfect.

07:54 Like last year- - Much better than last year.

07:55 - Sideline throw to Keyshawn Booty, yeah.

07:57 Like that one, he kind of double clutched,

07:58 but he's throwing it and delivering catchable balls,

08:02 and guys aren't helping him out.

08:03 And that's maybe the most frustrating part,

08:05 but also why I say this season isn't like other seasons,

08:09 because Max Rookie year,

08:11 he was a lot of the reason that they weren't doing well,

08:13 as well as turnovers.

08:14 Like there were also times where they just gave the ball

08:16 away in horrible situations.

08:18 Last year was coaching, where they got behind the eight ball

08:20 because they were just terribly led,

08:22 and guys were just trying to survive out there.

08:24 This year, the offensive coordinator,

08:26 I thought there were a couple iffy calls,

08:28 but like, again, that's the margin for error,

08:30 where no offensive coordinator is perfect,

08:31 no quarterback is perfect.

08:33 But those two positions have been keeping you in these games

08:36 and putting you in position to win them.

08:38 Now it's okay.

08:39 This is where, you know, I don't like to be the weapons guy,

08:41 'cause I think if you've got a lot of service,

08:43 if you've got a lot of veterans

08:44 who are proven and reliable, you're fine.

08:46 And for the most part, I think they have that.

08:48 But now we're starting to see, okay,

08:50 that lack of a true consistent,

08:51 like a Tee Higgins, a Tyree Killed,

08:53 like not having those types of guys,

08:56 I don't think it's too early for me to say

08:58 that's gonna tank their season, because again,

08:59 we don't know what they look like with a healthy line,

09:01 but that's stood out a couple of times

09:03 where you're like, damn, man,

09:05 it would be nice if they had one guy

09:06 who could flip the field really quickly

09:08 or have a big play where they don't necessarily need

09:10 to keep putting these long drives together.

09:13 And I mean, again, they fight themselves in the foot

09:16 because they have mistakes, they have negative plays,

09:18 and they just can't have those.

09:20 Like other offenses have those and they can make up for it.

09:22 They can't make up for the negative plays.

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09:30 but they're the sports betting advisor you've always needed.

09:33 It's like having a playbook for smarter bets

09:35 right in your pocket.

09:37 I've been absolutely loving the experience,

09:39 and I think you will too,

09:41 especially since Patriots Press Pass listeners

09:43 get a 30-day free trial.

09:46 Elevate your game day and join the smart betting revolution.

09:49 Go get it at oddsare.com/presspass.

09:53 That's oddsare.com/presspass.

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