The Patriots will play real football in four weeks.
Real, competitive, physical football with actual stakes.
Until then, there’s more preseason and training camp to cover. Based on what we’ve seen so far, here are 28 Patriots thoughts 28 days away from the season opener.
Every practice, Mac Jones is flexing his command the line of scrimmage and quick release. JuJu Smith-Schuster frequently speeds into space on plays designed to maximize his yards after the catch. Blink, and you might miss DeVante Parker out-wrestling another cornerback for a jump ball.
Everything O’Brien has installed pulsates with purpose and comes with a counter. The Patriots are not committing to a store-brand knockoff of the Rams playbook any longer. O’Brien’s system is a real offense, a modernized one, and it’s tailored to the talents of its players. Just as every offense should be.
The stats, for whatever they’re worth two-plus week into training camp, have been scary.
Patriots quarterbacks absorbed 20 would-be sacks over team drills in the last three practices. The offensive line got undressed in the preseason opener against Houston, allowing a 38% pressure rate and basically one of every three designed runs to get stuffed.
But if starting left tackle Trent Brown and left guard Cole Strange can participate in team periods next week – and those “ifs” are as big as they are – that immediately solves half of the line’s problems. Brown, Strange and center David Andrews should form a solid trio on the left side, then it’s a waiting game with right guard Mike Onwenu as he recovers from offseason ankle surgery on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
Forget the seriousness of the gun charges Jones faces for a second.
How often does a mid-round rookie finish one season on the suspended list, get arrested the following offseason, walk out of practice in his second training camp and return like nothing’s happened? Let alone, a rookie who plays for Bill Belichick.
Despite drafting Christian Gonzalez in the first round, the Patriots realize they need a cover corner of Jones’ talent to compete in a loaded AFC. That’s why he’s here, despite the pre-draft character concerns and everything that’s transpired since the Pats surprised the league by selecting him in the fourth round. Otherwise, it’s Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones and a bunch of question marks.
In the twilight of his career, Elliott’s remaining plus skills are exactly what the Patriots need.
Short-yardage running, blitz pickup and ball security. He can do Rhamondre Stevenson’s dirty work, saving Stevenson from the overtaxing workload that broke him down last year. Throw him an extra million or two, while the front office deliberates whether Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong are rosterable, let alone worthy backups.
Sign Zeke.
Dugger’s camp would be right to ask for big money, somewhere possibly in the range of $15-$16 million annually.
Because unless he inks a one-year deal, Dugger’s next contract should be his only major free-agent payday. He’s a former second-round pick who’s already 27 and hasn’t made a Por Bowl. He plays within a defense that values his skillset more than most systems. The Patriots should bank on a rising cap to mollify numbers that look scary now, but fully cover Dugger’s prime and ensure a cornerstone of their defense remains in place.
If they believe Dugger could finish the season as their best defender – possibly even best player – they ought to extend him now before he proves them right.
NFL notebook: How the Patriots could extend Matt Judon, Kyle Dugger and Josh Uche on fair contracts
Jabrill Peppers.
Peppers has been a staple of the Pats' first-team defense throughout training camp. He sat Thursday night. He remains an explosive athlete, someone who hits with the violence of a player almost two times his size.
Coming off an ACL tear last season, Peppers posted the second-highest Pro Football Focus grade of his career, including personal bests in run defense and tackling. Entering his second season in New England fully healthy, the bet here is he builds on that come September.
Mike Gesicki is listed as a tight end, but according to your eyes and mine, he's really a big wide receiver. And according to sources, that's how he'll be utilized in O'Brien's offense.
Except Gesicki will align in-line more than the average receiver, and whenever he does, opponents will know the Patriots aren't running behind him. That's asking for obvious trouble. Any time Gesicki takes the field, the odds of the Pats calling gap runs (those with man-to-man blocking schemes) should fall precipitously considering Gesicki can't consistently hold 1-on-1 blocks against front-seven defenders.
Last season, Jones trailed only Zach Wilson as the second-worst passer under pressure at PFF. He was spooked from the summer on, bailing prematurely out of pockets and/or throwing passes away. Jones knew he was working behind a poorly-coached offensive line with confusing protection rules, and acted like it.
The good news: those coaches and protection rules have been replaced. The bad news: the O-line is still concerning. Jones' performance under pressure, particularly on third down and in the red zone, is crucial.
Patriots’ Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe address relationship around team’s preseason opener
Both quarterbacks were asked about their relationship last week. Instead of mentioning the other player, as Jones did recently in a glowing answer about rookie Malik Cunningham, both instead spoke globally about the quarterbacks room, which basically includes the two of them and ... just Trace McSorley. During Thursday's game, Jones and Zappe appeared to say little, if anything, to each other on the sideline.
From the standpoint of how it might affect the team and the Pats' chances of clinching a playoff spot, I don't care about their relationship. I don't think you should, either. Largely, it doesn't matter.
At worst, each player spends time being uncomfortable at work. At best, this apparent unease and competitiveness brings the best out of Jones, just as Jimmy Garoppolo once did for Tom Brady. Remember, the two of them weren't best friends, either.
So why bother mentioning this at all? Whenever quarterbacks speak, fans listen. That simply comes with the territory. And you have two quarterbacks with strangely similar non-answers about one another, it will raise some eyebrows; not to mention keep talk radio busy for a few days.
The rookie jitterbug has rapidly established himself as the team's No. 4 receiver, passing former second-round pick Tyquan Thornton in the second week of training camp. Barring a total collapse, he should maintain that role and might climb the depth chart even further.
He's making the team.
Thanks for the fourth-quarter heroics, but if the regular season started tomorrow, Cunningham would almost certainly be cut and then re-signed to the practice squad. One preseason drive against the Texans doesn't mean anything in the NFL, and Belichick still sees him first and foremost as a receiver.
The LSU highlights from 2020 get older by the day. He's pulled off some spectacular grabs in practice, but I haven't seen enough yet to believe he'll make the 53. Boutte plays like a possession receiver with strong hands and good body control, but athletically his on-field performance has matched the disappointing numbers he posted at the NFL Combine.
Rookie offensive linemen Jake Andrews, Sidy Sow and Atonio Mafi cannot perform like they did in Thursday's preseason opener and expect to be top reserves. It's on Klemm to develop them into respectable backups, something he's being paid handsomely to do. If he can't fix the likes of aging veterans Conor McDermott and Riley Reiff, Klemm must be able to mold the young clay he's been handed with three mid-round rookies.
Matt Judon. Josh Uche. Christian Barmore. Deatrich Wise. Keion White (two pressures against Houston). Ja'Whaun Bentley blitzing like a Hummer with its brakes cut. Watch out.
Judon vs. left tackle David Bakhtiari. JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. cornerback Jaire Alexander. Trent Brown vs. edge rusher Rashan Gary.
Most of the Patriots' best players at premium positions will be pitted against equals during joint practices in Green Bay next Wednesday and Thursday. Those are the names and drills to follow, among many, to evaluate where the Patriots are this summer.
Will Patriots CB Jack Jones go to prison? Here’s what we know
Jones is due back in court for a probable cause hearing Friday, the day before the Patriots' preseason game at Green Bay. It's unknown whether his court appearance will affect his availability for joint practices or the game.
On Friday, a district court judge will determine whether there is probable cause to believe Jones committed the crimes alleged in the complaint filed after his June arrest at Logan Airport. If probable cause is found, the court will move Jones' case to Superior Court, where his odds of imprisonment are expected to significantly increase. So far, Jones has yet to be indicted on the five felony gun charges he faces, all of which carry two counts, including some with mandatory minimum sentences.
Bentley is coming off a career year with 125 tackles, three sacks, an interception and six QB hits. He's finally reliable enough in coverage, allowing a QB rating of 86.3 when targeted last year, the lowest of his career as a starter. Opposing quarterbacks didn't even test him downfield, with an average depth of target of 2.6 yards when throwing in his direction.
Bentley is an all-around, impact linebacker. Don't take it from me. Ask Jerod Mayo.
“The thing about Bentley that’s impressed me is just to see the development over the years. This guy, I said it before on record, I think he’s one of the most underrated linebackers in the game,” Mayo said last week.
There's Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne, Brown, Reiff, Gesicki, Dugger and Uche. But this should be viewed as a positive.
Before fans fret over the anxiety of an uncertain offseason ahead, the Pats must perform in a prove-it year. A little financial motivation should help their veteran core do just that.
Baringer crushes punts daily like few have before him in Foxboro. The rookie's raw leg talent is astounding.
Fourth-round rookie Chad Ryland and veteran Nick Folk both went 3-of-4 during last week's in-stadium practice and their most recent practices before Thursday's game. In that preseason opener, Folk hit the only field goal from 44 yards away.
The Patriots will open against three straight defenses with similar philosophies. There are the Eagles, learning under new coordinator Sean Desai, a disciple of longtime defensive whiz Vic Fangio, And then comes the man himself, Fangio, who is the Dolphins' new defensive coordinator. Their staffs major in zone coverage, primarily Cover 2, Cover 4 and Cover 6, and disguise them with late safety rotations pre-snap.
Then in Week 3, the Pats will visit the Jets, who were among the league leaders in Cover 4 or Quarters coverage last season. Facing a set of defenses that prefer to play with two deep safeties, expect the Patriots to attack the flats, middle of the field and try to pound the run, while mixing in some tempo in all three games.
Marte Mapu.
I'm sorry. I'm in on the third-round rookie. He looks great. The fact Mapu is already bouncing between linebacker and safety during team periods and has universally impressed his teammates is notable.
But he has one pass breakup in 12 practices worth of team drills, and his path to playing time as a rookie is probably limited to subpackage linebacker. And that's if Bentley or Mack Wilson (who's had a strong camp) don't hold onto that job.
Let's see him in action during the preseason, then I'll move up from the caboose of this hype train closer to the conductor.
Calvin Anderson's mystery illness.
Sometime between mid-June and the start of training camp, Anderson got sick. That led to his placement on the Non-Football Illness list before camp, and he's been spotted at three practices since, every time wearing street clothes on the sideline. Bill Belichick has been mum on Anderson's status and possible return, and I've had zero luck digging into his status.
What happened? Anderson was a legitimate candidate to be the Patriots' next swing tackle - a position of major need - and he's basically been MIA.
I count six: Matthew Slater, Brenden Schooler, DaMarcus Mitchell, Raleigh Webb, Chris Board and Cody Davis, who remains on PUP. That's at least three too many for a team that knows Slater, Schooler and Board are locks to make the team.
Asked about new tight ends coach Will Lawing is performing in his first year on, Belichick ran down Lawing's resume and ... not much else.
"Will has got a lot of experience with Bill (O'Brien), they worked together at Penn State, Houston and Alabama," Belichick said on July 28. "They work well together, there is a lot of familiarity there with previous things they’ve done, how they do them, organization, practice organization, things like that."
If that doesn't highlight how O'Brien has effectively become the head coach of the offense, I'm not sure what does.
Speaking of Belichicks, safeties coach Brian Belichick remains a non-participant at training camp due to a severe knee injury. He is not expected back any time soon, and his brother, safeties coach Steve Belichick, has covered some of his on-field duties with cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino. Brian Belichick has, however, remained active in meetings.
There's a non-zero chance at least one fan, who paid some exorbitant price to see this team play in-person, will watch an entire game via the new jumbotron. And I wouldn't blame them. It's incredible.
"Yeah, I don’t know." -- Bill Belichick on if Mac Jones would start Thursday's preseason opener