Nitpicks & Nitwits: So Close, But So Far Away

There are a couple of ways for the Patriots to look at Sunday’s 25-20 loss to the Eagles:

• One – they stood toe-to-toe with an apparent Super Bowl-contending team and very nearly won the fight.
• Or two – it was more of the same ‘ol, same ‘ol self-inflicted damage from 2022 in losing at the end.

Either can be true, or neither can be true. And likely, it’s a little of both at the heart of the matter after Week One of the NFL season.

Eleven rookies dressed for New England Sunday, and while that may be a startling note for some to consider, it also signals an influx of talent and depth the team has needed to address. Time will ultimately tell as to the newbies’ quality of play and whether or not they can elevate this Patriots’ team back to an expected level of success.

Early returns, however, look promising.

But the glaring need on the offensive front – noticeable months ago and largely ignored – is still a huge issue because rookies MUST play. Both starting offensive guards (Cole Strange, Mike Onwenu) remain sidelined, replaced by two young ‘uns (Atonio Mafi, Sidy Sow) in the lineup.

Philadelphia has its’ own issues to work through with new faces and new coaching on the sidelines and in the press box. But the Eagles’ talent-level is still high enough to beat up on (or run past) most teams on a given week. This Patriots’ team fell into a 16-0 crater in the opening ten minutes and managed to climb out of the hole to give themselves more than just a chance to win in the end.

That counts for something. They actually had a couple of chances to win at the end…but couldn’t pull it off. Even TB12’s presence on his Celebration Day wasn’t enough to transcend to the players on the field. No, this team will need more than simple Brady magic to return to where they once reigned.

They’ll need to fix the mistakes. They’ll need to do the little things to win, and get healthier. They’ll need to avoid the absent-minded, self-inflicted wounds that so often caused trouble for them a season ago. Yes, they’ll need to be coached up better.

But they played hard. The defense gave MVP candidate Jalen Hurts all he and his Eagles could handle, grounding the NFC champs by allowing only 251 total yards. The offense moved the ball – Mac Jones had a big stat day, minus the pick-six – and held himself accountable for too many mistakes.

“I think everybody did a lot of good things in the game, and I’m sure everybody feels the same way that Mac does, that if we had all done one or two things a little bit better, it could’ve made a difference,” Bill Belichick said Monday. “So, I’m sure everybody feels the same way that Mac does, every player and coach that participated in the game. That said, there were a lot of – there were positives in the game that we have to build on, but in the end, any of us could have helped a little bit more, and it might have made a difference.”

Close, but no cigar yet…as the analogy goes. And the clock is ticking on lighting up and smoking someone else’s cigar…less than 10% of NFL teams starting 0-2 reach the postseason.

Miami provides the next test and opportunity for these Patriots to grow up. But they’ll need to be quick about it, won’t they?

Patriot penalties 

The stat sheet reads seven penalties for 50 yards, which is too many. But it was more the timing of these mistakes that really hurt.

• Offsides on Detrich Wise on the game’s second play negated a Philly fumble and loss of yardage.
• Holding on Kyle Dugger negated a sack on Hurts, and the Eagles scored a TD on the next play.
• Down 19-14 in the 3rd, two offensive penalties (Hunter Henry, Atonio Mafi) helped stall out a drive.
• Holding on Calvin Anderson wiped out a successful two-point conversion from Mac Jones.

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A Case of the Dropsies

There were some very good performances, specifically from WR Kendrick Bourne and TE Hunter Henry. But while the numbers were there, so were dropped passes…and missed opportunities for better numbers and results. The pick-six thrown by Jones was off of Bourne’s hands, right into those of Darius “Big Play” Slay.

Gotta catch what you can touch, don’t you?

Same goes for fumbling, too. Ezekiel Elliott was brought to New England to protect the ball, yet he left one on the Gillette turf after catching a pass from Jones in the first quarter. The fumble led to an Eagles’ TD…and a 16-0 lead.

Boutte’s tap dance

He was on the field quite a bit more than first expected, perhaps. But it’s tough to blame rookie receiver Kayshon Boutte too much for his missed opportunity that COULD have kept alive a winning drive.

A toe-tap short.

Fourth-and-eleven, 28 seconds remaining…Boutte caught his pass from Mac Jones at the Eagles’ eight but didn’t get the required TWO feet in bounds. The college rule is, of course, different, with only one foot needed in bounds. And Boutte says he knows that.

“I felt like that was my opportunity,” Boutte said. “We practice it day in and day out. That’s something I feel like I could’ve caught.”

Rookie mistake, or a harbinger of things to come? All young guys, Boutte included, will need to figure out the right way to play…before they find the highway.