Three thoughts on the Patriots for the price of one:
- New England did beat the Pittsburgh Steelers Thursday night, 21-18, snapping a five-game losing streak in the process. That was great, but…
“Hopefully, we can stay on track and keep finding ways to win,” Bill Belichick told WEEI listeners Monday morning.
Isn’t the idea here, while the team isn’t in a playoff chase, to actually put winning on the back burner in order to get a higher draft pick next April? Of course, it is. The team won’t say that. Competitors never stop competing. But on rare occasions, winning simply isn’t a priority when it comes to the bigger picture. What about building for the future?
Bill Belichick knows it but will never say it. Nor should he. A rare opportunity exists for this team to improve itself immediately next spring. They’ll work toward that effort without using the term “tanking” to describe that effort. Whether or not the Patriots will make the right selection with a valuable pick is another question entirely.
- The Patriots scored three first-half touchdowns on offense, with Bailey Zappe tossing three TD passes. It’s the first time a Patriots’ QB has thrown three first-half scoring passes since Tom Brady did that in December of 2018 against the New York Jets. That was great, but…
“When the players get a chance to play, they’ll have an opportunity to show they deserve more playing time, or maybe somebody moves ahead of them,” Belichick told the media after the game. “We’ll see how it goes. But certainly, he’s (Zappe) done a good job in the two opportunities he’s had to execute the offense. Again…I don’t think you can put it all on one guy, good or bad.”
Don’t expect Belichick to name a starter or decide it’s “Zappe time” for the remainder of the season. His job is to coach the team and try to win games, even if your mind is in the Tanking Zone at present. They know what they have (or don’t have) with Mac Jones. Zappe’s evaluation is still to be determined.
- The New England defense continues to show it has a lot of promise, especially without the presence of injured players Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez. It held the Steelers to 2.9 yards per rush and held the Los Angeles Chargers the previous week to a mere 1.2 yards per carry. That was great, but…
No, that was just great. With all of the clear negativity surrounding an unexpected season, several defensive players have risen to the occasion to keep the Patriots competitive. Jabrill Peppers tied a career-long interception return. Jahlani Tavai set a career-high in total tackles (with 14). Mack Wilson recorded his first sack and continues with noticeable improvement.
“(It’s) the preparation, the training, the resilience and the determination to improve, to get things right, to make things better,” Belichick said. “That’s what I appreciate about our team, our players, our coaching staff. That’s the attitude, that’s the way they approach things. So, obviously, a level of frustration with the overall season. But, on a week-to-week basis, you kind of put that aside and focus on the week that you have. Other than two games, really, it’s been so competitive every week.”
- Ep. 197: Fields to Pittsburgh, Still Available Free Agentsby Full Press Coverage on March 18, 2024 at 8:00 pm
Now, about that ‘tanking’ thing.
Self-inflicted wounds
One of the most frustrating aspects of this season with these Patriots has to do with penalties in critical situations on both sides of the ball. A defensive pass interference call on J.C. Jackson during the Steelers’ first possession ultimately didn’t amount to anything. Offensive pass interference on Hunter Henry wiped out a first down on the second drive and may have kept points off the board.
Another DPI whistled on Kyle Dugger in the 2nd quarter helped fuel Pittsburgh to a score that pulled the margin to 21-10 at the half. Brendan Schooler committed an unnecessary roughness penalty that pinned the offense deep in its own end. Seven penalties for 59 yards – compared to one flag for five yards against the Steelers. A 3-10 team doesn’t usually have to look deeply to find the cause behind the result.
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What was that?
Punter Bryce Baringer has had some solid moments in his rookie season, certainly. He set a franchise record against the Steelers with at least one 50-yard punt in every game for 13 straight weeks. But it hasn’t always been artful.
In the 4th quarter, with the Patriots holding onto an 11-point lead, Baringer had a punt blocked. He kicked the ball into the head of teammate Ty Montgomery as Montgomery was blocked into Baringer. The end result was an 11-yard punt, and Pittsburgh took advantage of the blunder to score a touchdown and gain a two-point conversion to pull within 21-18.
Montgomery was subsequently released by the team. Read into that what you will.
What was that, Part II?
Actually, parts II and III. Both were Pittsburgh miscues or poor decisions that certainly didn’t hurt New England’s cause. The first – and only – penalty against the Steelers came on a false start by the center raising his head on a 4th down snap to punt. Even NE’s Jahlani Tavai thought he had jumped off-sides.
But the hardly-seen call saved the Patriot’s defense from having to give the ball back to Pittsburgh with five minutes left and another chance to tie or win.
And with two minutes to play on a 4th and two from the Steelers’ 49-yard-line, 10-15 yards from a legit attempt to tie the game, Pittsburgh decides to throw deep. And incomplete.
Wonder if Mike Tomlin would want a do-over on that play call?