Looking at the post-Brady Patriots, we know about 2020 and the Cam experiment gone awry yet they still salvaged a respectable 7-9 with good wins over the Raiders/Cardinals/Ravens (all .500 or better)
Last year had the Patricia/Judge offensive disaster, and we’re seeing how things are playing out this year.
But in between, the 2021 team was flirting with the AFC #1 seed. The team started 2-4 but 3 of those games were winnable (OT vs Dallas, a redzone fumble vs MIA, Brady vs Belichick where Mac played well but a doinked FG did them in)
Then came a 7 game win streak including impressive wins vs the Chargers, Browns, Titans. The latter games saw Mac Jones thrown 3 TD’s twice and the CLE game featured Jakobi Meyers finally catching a TD pass (he had previously thrown 2 TD’s and caught 2 2PC’s)
The peak for those Pats was that famous MNF wind game at Buffalo where Mac Jones didn’t throw a lot but they got a long TD run and clutch late goal line stand got them to 9-4.
At that point, they were also the AFC #1 seed and there was talk of a possible TB/NE Brady vs Belichick SB.
But after that, it all went downhill.
Even off a bye and with a 2 game lead in the AFCE, they got dominated on a Saturday night in Indy by Jonathan Taylor- I mean the Colts- and then lost the Buffalo rematch where Josh Allen went Super Saiyan. Mac Jones also went from the OROY favorite to losing the award when those losses coincided with Ja’Marr Chase going bonkers vs KC/BAL
Then, in a playoff rematch in arctic cold weather that seemingly favored the Pats, Josh Allen went Ultimate Super Saiyan in the famous ‘every drive was a TD except for kneeldowns at the end of each half’ game.
Since that MNF Wind Game, New England is 11-21.
How did NE go from looking like they had their guy post-Brady to Mac basically being on the outs?
Was it REALLY as simple as McDaniels leaving? Or is there more to it?
Like Mac going from Brady heir apparent to barely better than Zach Wilson is something none of us would have guessed as recently as 2 years ago at this time.
I feel horrible for Mac, BB ruined him. I hope he gets released and goes somewhere else and lights it up.
Because Josh McDaniels is a good OC that can put a decent scheme together.
He’s an absolutely awful HC, but technically as a playcaller and scheme designer he is at least decent.
Dude you just wrote a hell of a long post when the answers are simply i) a good OC left and was never replaced (literally for the first year), and ii) the roster isn’t as good as it was.
I was thinking about the offense this weekend after watching the Bengals game with Ted Karras then the Chiefs game with Joe Thuney. BB let a lot of oline talent leave. The oline lineup this season could’ve been Brown Thuney Andrew Karras/Mason Onwenu. Then he wouldn’t have felt the need to blow a first round pick on a guard. Can’t win in the NFL without a decent oline
If Belichick is such a great defensive coach, then why doesn’t he pay more for offensive talent then work with a cheaper defense?
Simple, in year two where development would be key for a second year QB, he got Patricia and he hasn’t recovered and probably never will. We completely fucked up his progression. Combine that with lack of talent and and injuries in key positions and boom, he looks like shit and so does everyone else.
Mac isnt bad, Belichick ruined him, it just took him a few seasons of ruining the OL to do it.
I truly do believe people undervalue the mental aspect that happens to players when they perform poorly too and how it can effect their careers and performances. These are guys, for the most part, have been absolutely dominant their entire lives in order to get where they are. And you all of a sudden are on a team with Matt Patricia as your coach, in a fairly bad spot with little help around you. I do believe that can effect a player, some can shake it off. Particularly at QB. Some can’t. Mariota, Wentz still see ghosts and feels non-existent pressure after that Clowney hit and has never been the same sense, tons of examples over the years. Tannehill has been vocal about the mental aspects of shutting the bed against the Bengals a few years back and the backlash from fans.
Mac Jones looked legitimately good his rookie year and now looks like a shell of himself.
Go check what the Colts did to Mac in his rookie year. They were the first team to basically say you can’t throw outside the numbers and loaded DBs in the middle to force him into making those throws. The NFL being a copycat league, everyone eventually played the same way against the new NE offense, and Mac’s latter part of 2021 was pretty weak in comparison, except for the Cleveland game.
Coming into 2022 with all teams following this blueprint, Mac had less than zero support from the offensive coaches, who not only dismissed his input but also benched his favorite receiver basically all year. He was visibly at odds with the offense game plan, which is hard to blame him for since it was at times indefensibly amateur. Tensions between Mac’s camp and the Patriots were pretty high.
Going into 2023 - Mac was praised by Belichick for putting in work and improving in camp, and it seemed the team would maybe return to some level of function offensively with an actual coordinator. A couple of early games against very good teams didn’t quite pan out due mostly to mediocre play and personnel that everyone predicted would be insufficient to score in this league. And again, the Patriots decided to get rid of Mac’s new favorite target in Jakobi Meyers. Then the Dallas game happened and Mac totally lost his confidence and has been playing mostly like a scared, humiliated, and disrespected QB. On top of that the Patriots lost their best two players overall to injury.
So now we have a probably broken QB that was already kind of limited, and frankly below average offensive skill players, and a severely injured and underperforming offensive line. Mac has been figured out, hasn’t been able to overcome his limitations, and has very little support on the field to cover for him. In the NFL I think your 2nd and 3rd years are what make your career, and Mac’s is looking like if he doesn’t get to go somewhere that has a lot of talent and support (like Geno to SEA) his career is near over.
Won more games.