Tag: Mac Jones

5 rebuilding scenarios for Patriots in 2024

The Patriots have multiple directions they could go in when rebuilding the team in 2024.

Another pitiful season for the New England Patriots should signal a much-needed rebuild in 2024.

That rebuild could happen with or without coach Bill Belichick, and it will likely be focused more on the offensive side of the ball.

The current quarterback situation looks broken with Mac Jones under center, but to be fair, there isn’t enough talent around him to save the unit even if Patrick Mahomes was at quarterback.

A mediocre offense combined with a healthy defense might have yielded desired results for Belichick and company. But the offense has been a complete flop worthy of a reboot.

It’s out with the old and in with the new for the Patriots in 2024. Here are five potential rebuilding scenarios for the team next season:

Giants vs. Patriots: 6 keys to victory in Week 12

The New York Giants host the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon in Week 12, and here are six keys to victory.

The New York Giants host the New England Patriots on Sunday after spending their last three games on the road.

It’s been a dismal season for Big Blue, having won their third game of the season last Sunday against the Washington Commanders.

The Patriots aren’t having a great season, either. They have won just two games in what could possibly be Bill Belichik’s last season as the head coach.

Since the departure of Tom Brady, the Pats have sunk to the bottom of the NFL. That said, the Giants are at the bottom, too.

If they want to come away with a win on Sunday and improve their record, there are six things the Giants must do against New England this week.

Mac Jones’ presser comments might have answered Patriots QB mystery

Did Mac Jones answer the starting quarterback question in New England?

Who will start at quarterback for the New England Patriots on Sunday against the New York Giants?

When it comes to that question, it has been like pulling teeth for reporters to get any direction on where the Patriots, who have been tight-lipped on the situation, are leaning ahead of the game. However, quarterback Mac Jones might have answered the ongoing mystery, when speaking with media members on Wednesday.

“I hope so. That’s the plan, I think,” Jones said, when asked if he was starting on Sunday. “I always work really hard for that, really put a lot of attention in detail in the week, like I talked about. And a lot of the decision-making is things I can’t control, but I can control my attitude and my effort, like I talked about. I’m really thankful, overall, just to be in the NFL and be playing quarterback. And Thanksgiving, right? It’s a great week to be grateful for a lot of things.”

Jones didn’t outright say he’s going to be the starter on Sunday because—as even he alluded to—he doesn’t make those decisions.

But it’s also hard to imagine any other scenario unfolding with Bailey Zappe, Will Grier and Malik Cunningham not receiving the brunt of the first-team reps at practice. If the Patriots really were moving in a different direction, those players would need that extra work on the field.

So far, it has been business as usual with Jones taking first-team reps and getting press conference duties. If nothing has changed during the week, it’s hard to envision anything changing on Sunday.

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Who took starting QB reps for Patriots at Tuesday’s practice?

Tuesday’s practice might have given us a hint to who will start at QB for the Patriots

There were some notable developments at the New England Patriots’ practice on Tuesday.

The quarterback position still remains up in the air, and both Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe took snaps during practice on a day when coach Bill Belichick said all of the quarterbacks need to be “ready to go.”

Media members were only able to see a portion of the practice, but it appears that Jones, who was taking first-team reps, still looks like the favorite to keep the starting job. Zappe took reps with the second team, per NESN’s Zack Cox.

Jones looks to rebound after a difficult performance against the Indianapolis Colts in Germany. He threw for 170 yards and an interception on the day. The third-year signal-caller has recorded 2,031 yards, 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on the year.

Questions were asked earlier in the week where Malik Cunningham stood in the room, but offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien would not comment specifically on Cunningham’s role.

The quarterback room has been under the microscope for much of the season. Right now, however, it appears Jones is still the go-to option.

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Bill Belichick’s latest comments on starting QB situation in New England

Will Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe or Will Grier start on Sunday? Bill Belichick offered the latest on the QB situation for the Patriots.

In the latest episode of “How the Quarterback World Turns” in New England, coach Bill Belichick has still not made a decision on who will be the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback in Week 12.

Shocker.

The Patriots are expected to play a game of musical chairs at the position at practice this week before ultimately deciding on either Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe or Will Grier to take starting snaps under center in Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.

“I’ve told all the players the same thing: be ready to go,” Belichick said at Tuesday’s press conference, when asked if he’d made a decision on a starter.

There is no word on if rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham could potentially work his way into the mix as well.

The Patriots aren’t going to lie down and give up, but the hope of making the playoffs is far gone with the team sitting at 2-8 on the season. So one would expect them to take a chance on some of the other players, like Cunningham, on the roster that don’t get as much playing time.

But then again, the goal might be to scrap together as many wins as possible and bow out of the 2023 season respectfully. That line of thinking would explain Jones still being in the mix as a potential starter.

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Recent Bill Belichick comments might have eliminated one Patriots QB as Week 12 starter

One Patriots QB still has some catching up to do, per coach Bill Belichick

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is faced with a spotty quarterback room this season, and the question was raised as to whether Will Grier could be in line to start on Sunday against the New York Giants.

Unsurprisingly, Belichick was noncommittal with his answer.

Grier does not have a ton of experience in the Patriots’ offense. He has not started a game since the 2019 season. He has been New England’s emergency quarterback in seven of the last eight games.

While Belichick has praised his willingness to learn, it doesn’t sound like Grier will be getting any in-game chances this coming Sunday, either.

“(He’s doing) a little bit better each week,” Belichick said, when speaking with host Scott Zolak on Patriots All Access. “Just a little more familiarity with being able to run our plays. He just hasn’t had a chance to — you know what it’s like playing quarterback. The backup quarterback, you never get enough reps as it is.

“So, that’s the backup quarterback, and then the third quarterback is even less than that. And when you’re new and you haven’t been here in training camp and had the full background of OTAs and training camp and a chance really to run our core plays, it’s just a lot to catch up on.”

There is little doubt that New England’s quarterback room is in flux right now. The Patriots need to find an answer at the position, and it does not appear that Grier is on track to being that answer this Sunday.

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Will Mac Jones start against Giants? Patriots OC shares insight

Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe or Will Grier — who will start at QB for the Patriots in Week 12? OC Bill O’Brien shared insight on Monday.

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien confirmed Mac Jones took first-team reps at quarterback at practice last week. But so did Bailey Zappe and Will Grier.

Jones being spotted by media members in the open portion of practice with the first-team unit fueled speculation the Patriots would continue with him under center in Week 12 against the New York Giants.

In reality, the team still hasn’t made a decision on what they’re going to do at quarterback moving forward. It feels more like an open competition at practice to see who earns the opportunity to start for the team. O’Brien shared more insight on the situation when speaking with the media on Monday morning.

“The other day at practice Mac took the first team reps. Bailey [Zappe] rotated in there, Will Grier rotated in there,” O’Brien said, via WEEI’s Mike Kadlick. “You know, so we’ll see. I think what I’m saying is, that’s really important… one of the reasons why I really enjoy coaching here is you have to earn it on the practice field.”

This will be a week of evaluating for the Patriots, but ultimately, the final say on the quarterback decision will come from coach Bill Belichick.

“For me, I basically get everybody ready to play,” said O’Brien. “At the end of the day, Bill [Belichick] will make that decision.”

The fact that Jones hasn’t been completely ruled out as a starter could be looked at as a positive from his perspective. New England hasn’t completely closed the door on him being their best option currently at quarterback.

If Zappe and Grier fail to grab the reins of the opportunity clearly dangling in front of them, it will be business as usual for the Patriots with Jones under center in Week 12.

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Bill O’Brien comments on sideline blow-up with Patriots QB Mac Jones

Bill O’Brien talked about his intense sideline blow-up on QB Mac Jones.

One of the most memorable scenes from the New England Patriots’ embarrassing offensive collapse in Week 10 was quarterback Mac Jones getting chewed out on the sidelines by offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.

It was clear in that very moment that the honeymoon stage was over. Jones was in the middle of the worst performance of his NFL career, and O’Brien wasn’t sugar-coating his coaching.

But then again, when has O’Brien ever been known to sugar-coat anything. His delivery is a hard-nosed style of coaching that may not be for everyone, but his long run of success at both the collegiate and NFL levels suggest it works.

“That’s kind of the way I coach,” O’Brien said, when speaking with media members on Monday morning, via WEEI’s Mike Kadlick. “Sometimes, the way to get the point across is to be very demanding and very intense about it. that’s how I coach, that’s how I am.”

There are no certainties Jones will be the starting quarterback under center when the Patriots return from the bye week to face the New York Giants on Sunday.

If he does start, it’s even more questionable what version we end up seeing. Will we continue to see a beaten quarterback that looks to be sapped of his confidence, or can he turn the page and get back to the promising signal-caller that upset the Buffalo Bills just a few weeks back?

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Studs and duds midway into Patriots’ 2023 season

Here are the 2023 midseason studs and duds for the Patriots.

At the very least, the New England Patriots came into 2023 expecting things to be better than the disastrous 2022 season.

The offensive line wasn’t going to magically improve overnight, and even with the signing of Bill O’Brien as the team’s new offensive coordinator, there clearly wasn’t enough offensive talent for the unit to take flight completely.

But could they hover enough off the ground to matter with the hardest schedule in the league? So far, the answer has been a resounding no with the team sitting at 2-8 and the worst record in the AFC.

It has been a nightmare season filled with more downs than ups for the Patriots. The scariest part is the nightmare isn’t over. There are still plenty of games left to play before closing the curtains on 2023.

Here are the studs and duds for New England at the midway point of the season:

Commanders QB Sam Howell isn’t judged fairly against other quarterbacks

Why are the opinions on Sam Howell so extreme — positive or negative — after every start?

Washington head coach Ron Rivera has tried to tell anyone who’d listen the Commanders have found their quarterback. Every time Rivera speaks, regardless of the question, somehow Rivera turns it back around to quarterback Sam Howell.

Does Rivera believe this is true, or does his praise of Howell come from a selfish place? One quote from Rivera from training camp stands out.

“I don’t worry about that,” Rivera said about his future. “If we go 8-8-1 this year and he fires me, and next year they win the division and 40 of the 53 players we drafted, and it’s the same quarterback, I’m vindicated. Send me my Super Bowl ring. That’s the way I look at it. I want us to be right and to see this community have that excitement again.”

He didn’t mention Howell by name here, but it gave insight into his thinking. Rivera knows he’s coaching for his job. In fact, his fate has likely already been decided and was before the season, short of an improbable Super Bowl run.

For Rivera, it’s about legacy. And while he’s done some good things in Washington, you are what your record says you are. And his record in Washington is 26-33-1. He’s the head of all football operations; he picked the entire personnel department, including general manager Martin Mayhew. This is his roster. He drafted these players. He signed these players. And he extended some of the players he inherited.

Which turns us back to Howell. A fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, many wrote Howell off before he ever took a snap. Why? Because of the foolish narrative that he can’t succeed because he was a fifth-round pick.

No, we aren’t going to bring up Tom Brady here. But we will bring up the names of some other third-day quarterbacks, Kirk Cousins and Dak Prescott. Cousins and Prescott receive a lot of ridicule, much of it unwarranted. Both players are easily two of the NFL’s top 10-12 quarterbacks.

Cousins was a fourth-round pick in 2012, and Prescott was a fourth-round pick in 2016. Both were successful college quarterbacks at Power 5 schools.

Howell made his 12th NFL start on Sunday against the New York Giants. It didn’t go well. Howell was intercepted three times. It was the second time he struggled against the Giants this season.

Of course, social media quickly jumped on the narrative that Howell can’t play or Howell isn’t the answer. One prominent journalist who had been mysteriously quiet during some of Howell’s standout performances couldn’t wait to take a victory lap on Sunday.

Instead of many realizing this is a young quarterback with 12 NFL starts on his resume, some either want to anoint him or write him off after every performance. When, in truth, we should settle somewhere in between — for now.

Howell can play. Does he have flaws? Sure. Did Prescott and Cousins have flaws? Why don’t we judge first-round quarterbacks in the same manner?

Howell has shown more in 12 starts than Justin Fields, Mac Jones, Trey Lance, or Kenny Pickett. It’s the same for Brock Purdy. Remember how everyone wanted to write Purdy off after the first struggles of his NFL career?

Howell had issues with sacks early in the year. He’s cut those numbers down. He’s now thrown 12 interceptions. He’s also throwing the ball 50 times or more per game.

Yet, for some of the above quarterbacks, the excuses are abundant—coaching changes, lousy playcalling, etc. Howell doesn’t get the same benefit of doubt. Everyone is ready to say, “I told you so,” when he has a bad game.

Some of this is Rivera’s fault. The pressure he put on Howell to deflect the poor job he’s done recently wasn’t fair for the young quarterback. Some of it is Washington fans, so desperate for a franchise quarterback, want to prop up Howell after every performance. And to be fair to fans, they haven’t seen any passer like Howell since Cousins and, in some cases, before Cousins.

Not every game, especially on a poor team, should be a referendum on Howell’s future. What Howell has done with this current roster has been impressive. Most importantly, Howell has shown growth during the season. One or two bad starts shouldn’t impact the good.

Every time Howell struggles, the talk of the week is, “This next game is huge for Howell.” Perhaps that’s true. In reality, they’re all huge for Howell. He’s already proven he’ll be in the NFL for a long time. Right now, he’s trying to prove he’s Washington’s franchise quarterback.

Depending on where the Commanders pick in the 2024 NFL draft, a new regime may want to draft their own quarterback. That doesn’t mean Howell is a failure. Whether it’s in Washington or somewhere else, Howell will be starting somewhere next year unless he completely falls apart over the remaining six weeks.

That’s possible, but don’t count it.