Tag: Sidy Sow

The Morning After…early offensive struggles prove costly for Patriots

Here are some leftover notes from the Patriots’ 25-20 loss to the Eagles.

The New England Patriots ultimately lost at home on Sunday 25-20 against one of the best teams in the entire NFL.

However, the Patriots were in the game from the jump and managed to contain Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts on defense, while the banged-up offensive line kept Mac Jones upright against one of the league’s best front-sevens.

Even in a loss, there was a lot of good things to take away from the game. The defense looks elite as ever, and the offense looks competent. The Patriots showed confidence in their players, which is something we have failed to see the last few years. With that said, sloppy play hurt the team badly with two early turnovers leading to 14 points.

Let’s delve into some leftover notes from the game, now that we’ve had a chance to fully digest the heartbreaking loss.

Studs and duds in Patriots’ season-opening loss to Eagles

Here are the studs and duds from the Patriots’ season-opening loss to the Eagles.

The New England Patriots came within a drive of shocking the sports world on Sunday by knocking off the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles, but far too many mistakes and a failure to execute down the stretch cost them.

This game will feel like the one that got away for the team, especially after they watch the film and see all of the plays they left on the field. However, it could also be viewed as a building block for an improved effort in 2023.

The offense looks like it’s finally in a good place under Bill O’Brien, and Mac Jones is playing with the utmost confidence. Meanwhile, the defense held an elite quarterback in Jalen Hurts to only 170 passing yards and one touchdown in the 20-25 loss.

Here are the studs and duds from the game.

Things aren’t looking good for Patriots’ 2022 draft class

One year later, the Patriots’ 2022 NFL draft class is in rough shape.

The New England Patriots’ 2022 NFL draft class was full of promise after Year 1.

Fans saw a Day 1 starter in Cole Strange and saw promise in Pierre Strong Jr, Tyquan Thornton, Bailey Zappe and Jack Jones, while Marcus Jones was an All-Pro returner and spark plug for a dormant 2022 Patriots team.

The Patriots’ offensive draft picks were selected with a west coast zone offense in mind, which was one that the team tried to implement under Matt Patricia. There was hope that quarterback Mac Jones would thrive in a system like the one San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan perfected.

The issue was the Patriots lacked the personnel and coaching to actually do it. With only one outside runner like Strong Jr., one agile lineman in Strange and one deep threat in Thornton, the Patriots were relying on rookie players and a rookie offensive coordinator to try to implement a unique system.

Now that Bill O’Brien has returned as the offensive coordinator, the Patriots moved on from Strong for tackle depth, while also cutting 2022 picks Chasen Hines, Bailey Zappe, Andrew Stueber and Kevin Harris.

Harris, Stueber, and Zappe all returned to the practice squad.

Thornton, was placed on injured reserve after making the initial 53-man roster, meaning he will have now missed eight games in his first two seasons without showing much production. The Patriots drafted two receivers that fit their offensive mold better in 2023 with rookies Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas, both of whom have already flashed potential.

They are reportedly not happy with Zappe as their No. 2 quarterback, and they would like to find a new veteran backup that fits the offense more after Zappe’s abysmal summer under Bill O’Brien.

The team would still like to work with Zappe to develop parts of his game, but they have in essence moved on from the Year 2 quarterback who was pegged as the No. 2 option as early as Week 1 in 2022.

Strange has actually been really good, and he also added some power to play in the system. I believe the team likes him, and he could stick around long-term.

But things could be different for Thornton, who has now missed eight games in two years. Boutte and Douglas have already produced on the field, and if Thornton starts slow, there is a possibility the team could look to move him at the trade deadline, which would signify a change in their offensive philosophy.

In 2023, more evidence pointed to this as the Patriots went and drafted three lineman, who all fit a power system. Atonio Mafi is a Mike Onwenu clone, and Jake Andrews has a similar skill set to Ted Karras, while Sidy Sow resembles the depth tackles the Patriots typically like.

Those additions coupled with the ones in the receiver room prove that the Patriots offense has a developmental pipeline more aligned with O’Brien.

There is a chance by the end of the year that Strange, Marcus Jones, Jack Jones and Sam Roberts are the only players left from the class on the active roster. It’s a sudden and disappointing turnaround for a draft class that initially seemed full of promise.

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Four Patriots rookies, including Christian Gonzalez, given new numbers

It’s time to re-learn jersey numbers for these four Patriots rookies.

With the start of the regular season being a little over a week away, the New England Patriots are shaking things up with their rookie jersey numbers.

On Thursday, they announced number changes for cornerback Christian Gonzalez, kicker Chad Ryland, punter Bryce Baringer and offensive tackle Sidy Sow. This is the third number change the rookies have undergone since their arrival in the spring for OTAs.

Gonzalez, the Patriots’ first-round draft pick, will be wearing the No. 6, while Sow will wear No. 62. Meanwhile, Ryland has been issued the No. 37, and Baringer will be wearing No. 17 to kick-start the 2023 regular season.

All four rookies are expected to have pivotal roles on the roster right out of the gates. The specialists, Ryland and Baringer, both won starting jobs for the team in training camp, and Gonzalez has been playing with the first-team defensive unit since Day 1.

And given the unpredictable state of the offensive line, Sow will likely get his opportunities as well. They won’t have to wait long to get tested with the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles scheduled as the Patriots’ Week 1 opponents.

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Studs and duds from Patriots’ preseason win vs. Packers

Who were the studs and duds of the weekend for the Patriots?

The New England Patriots made the trek to Lambeau Field on Saturday to face thousands of screaming cheese heads and the Green Bay Packers.

It was mostly a mixed bag performance for the Patriots, who ultimately came out on top in  a 21-17 victory. The game was suspended early in the fourth quarter after Patriots rookie cornerback Isaiah Bolden suffered a head injury that required him to be rushed to the hospital.

It was later reported that Bolden was released from Aurora Bay Medical Center and allowed to travel back home with his teammates.

Although the Patriots didn’t play a full football game, there were more than enough moments to pick the studs and duds from a little over three quarters of action. Here’s who stood out the most for New England in the game.

Stock up, stock down for Patriots heading into preseason Week 2

Who is trending up and who is trending down for the Patriots in Week 2 of the preseason?

With the New England Patriots beginning joint practices on Wednesday, we got to see some of the starters in live reps against opposing competition. For the most part, training camp battles only go so far, as the Patriots typically want to keep everyone healthy.

Against real opponents, the Patriots got a sneak peek at their new-look offense with Bill O’Brien, along with the new offensive line combinations under Adrian Klemm.

The Patriots ended their two joint practices with the Packers on a high note on Thursday. In this piece, we’re going to take a look at three players trending up and three players trending down in preseason Week 2 for New England.

3 under-the-radar Patriots players to watch against Packers

More people should be talking about these three Patriots players.

The New England Patriots battled in Green Bay with a string of joint practices leading up to their Week 2 preseason matchup against the Packers on Saturday.

This next exhibition outing will be an important test for a lot of fringe players still fighting for a spot on the Patriots’ 53-man roster. Even if they don’t stick in New England, a strong showing could potentially land them a spot somewhere else.

As each week passes, it brings us closer to meaningful football games. With that being said, let’s look at some of the Patriots players you should be keeping a close eye on in the upcoming preseason matchup.

Patriots announce 2023 rookie jersey numbers ahead of preseason opener

The jersey numbers for the Patriots’ 2023 rookies have been revealed.

The New England Patriots’ 2023 NFL draft class and undrafted free agents are ditching their temporarily assigned numbers for their actual game numbers.

On Thursday, the Patriots announced all of the new numbers ahead of their preseason opener against the Houston Texans.

With rosters being at 90 players at this stage, a lot of these numbers could change as rosters are finalized and numbers shift. It is also important to note that there are some players currently wearing the same number as another player on the roster. That is permitted in training camp, as long as the players aren’t not on the same side of the ball.

Let’s take a look at what numbers the rookies have decided to go with for the next few weeks of training camp.

How Mike Onwenu’s expiring contract could play out with Patriots

Will the Patriots reach a contract extension with starting guard Mike Onwenu?

The New England Patriots struck gold in 2020 when they selected a Michigan Wolverine in the sixth round of the NFL draft. Stop me if you’ve heard that one before.

Mike Onwenu bounced between right tackle and right guard, before finally settling in at right guard last season.

Although right guard is his more natural fit, he played right tackle earlier in his career due to need. Even though the Patriots have a glaring need at right tackle and a surging rookie at guard with Atonio Mafi, they want to keep Onwenu right where he is.

That decision, although puzzling, is well understood across the league. Onwenu is wildly viewed as one of the best guards in all of football, and he has improved every single year since 2020. He is up for a new contract, and the Patriots have yet to make any headway on it.

Many, including myself, want them to lock up Onwenu sooner than later, as the price for good versatile linemen continues to rise. That, and, the Patriots have a ton of cap space after 2023 with other roster spots to fill. They should without a doubt spend the cash on an elite, homegrown player, who’s job is to protect the most important player, the quarterback.

Unfortunately, the writing may be on the wall, as the Patriots rarely give any player a second contract. They feel that their scouting and development teams are better than most at identifying talent in the later draft rounds, especially on the offensive line.

The Patriots recently let Joe Thuney and Ted Karras walk, while also trading Shaq Mason to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They clearly feel they can revamp the line on the fly, rather than having money tied to good veterans they developed. Onwenu could be the latest casualty to this philosophy.

That’s unless Matt Groh has anything to say about it. Groh has slowly taken more and more control behind the scenes in player personnel, allowing Belichick to control the team operations. Perhaps he could get a deal done.

In the 2023 NFL draft, the Patriots selected Mafi, an offensive guard from UCLA, and he has quickly shot up the depth chart, which is a sign that the team could be ready to let Onwenu walk. Onwenu had surgery in the offseason and has been on the PUP list since the start of camp.

The absences of both Onwenu and Cole Strange, who is dealing with a leg injury, has allowed Mafi to work at both left and right guard.

If Groh is truly in charge, it might make sense to pay Onwenu like a tackle, move him back to right tackle and allow Mafi to take the reins at right guard moving forward.

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Could Trent Brown be out in New England?

Could Trent Brown be a surprise cut for the Patriots?

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With the New England Patriots still looking into options to fill their tackle depth with the tryout of former first-round draft pick D.J. Fluker, there are questions as to what it might mean for Trent Brown.

I wrote in a previous article this spring that Trent Brown could be a cap casualty, and if Fluker signs with New England, it could be more realistic. Fluker will likely be depth, as the Patriots would have Riley Reiff and Calvin Anderson to fill the two starting tackle slots, but his signing could be noteworthy.

At times last season, Brown looked like he checked out and was part of the offensive line issues overall. Better play could have potentially saved the season, but there was likely issues with the former offensive line coach and offensive coordinator, Matt Patricia. It also wouldn’t be the first time that Patricia rubbed veteran players the wrong way.

Just ask Darius Slay.

Fluker could be a veteran addition for a team still looking for answers at their two starting tackle slots. Brown being cut could save the team around $8 million, which when paired with a potential cut of DeVante Parker ($ 6.2 million saved) in a DeAndre Hopkins scenario would ideally allow the Patriots to keep their operating costs for the 2023 season, while giving Hopkins whatever he asks.

If Brown is truly checked out, which is likely with his absence at OTAs, then Bill Belichick, who has let players go for less, would cut ties and start anew. Now that Adrian Klemm is the offensive line coach in New England, there is optimism they could patch together a tackle group with Anderson, Reiff, Conor McDermott, Fluker, Andrew Stueber, or even Sidy Sow.

Belichick and crew are likely trying to change perspectives on the operation from 2022 and could cut ties with an unhappy camper who has skipped OTAs and performed poorly in 2022 to save the team cap.

If the team feels the drop-off between Brown to Reiff/Anderson isn’t major, then they could move on. It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve moved on from Brown. They did so back in 2019, when he signed a massive deal with the Oakland Raiders.

If they did it before, they could certainly do it again.

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