Was the Jets sport an indication of issues to return for the Patriots?

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Fast-hit ideas and notes across the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. Patriots id: There was a standard theme from Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo and his high assistants, Alex Van Pelt and DeMarcus Covington, within the aftermath of the 24-3 beatdown they took from the New York Jets on Thursday.

That wasn’t us.

Their first two video games — a 16-10 win over the Bengals and a 23-20 additional time loss to the Seahawks — mirrored properly on gamers and coaches. The Patriots performed robust, had been largely essentially sound and gave the impression to be forward of schedule contemplating ESPN’s Football Power Index projected they might have the fewest wins in 2024.

Then they crashed and burned towards the Jets, seemingly as a result of they forgot what largely outlined them the primary two weeks.

They’re a hard-charging operating group that should defend a short-handed offensive line that has struggled mightily at occasions in cross safety. They’re an brisk protection that rallies to the ball, tackles properly and creates turnovers.

“We have had a components we have tried to play, and I believed we did an excellent job of that the primary two weeks,” heart and longtime captain David Andrews mentioned after Thursday’s blowout. “This wasn’t it.”

All of which units up an intriguing week for the Patriots (1-2), as a result of there isn’t any telling which path issues will go.

There’s a difficult street sport forward towards the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers. The Patriots can reaffirm who they’re by getting again to the fundamentals, in the end permitting them to level to the disappointing efficiency as a blip that typically occurs to groups on quick-turnaround Thursday video games.

Or Thursday might be nearer to what they are surely, which then would spark the query of whether or not the Patriots group from Weeks 1 and a couple of performed to date above itself that it was the excessive level of the season.

Security and first-time captain Jabrill Peppers mentioned earlier than gamers return for work on Monday, they need to get their “thoughts proper, reset and heal up.”

Maybe nowhere is that extra necessary than the offensive line, the place the potential return of beginning left guard Sidy Sow (ankle) is one silver lining for a unit that’s holding the group again. Contemplate {that a} 48.6% stress fee vs. the Jets was the best allowed by the Patriots since 2016, per ESPN Analysis. Sow will not be capable of clear up a gaping gap at left deal with — injured Vederian Lowe (knee) has been the most effective of a shaky lot — however the Patriots may use any sort of excellent information up entrance.

Seemingly with the O-line deficiencies in thoughts, Mayo mentioned, “We’ve got to be very intentional about the way in which we strategy the sport and the way in which we regulate in-game.”

Whether or not they can get again to that represents a difficult and early-season check for Mayo and his teaching employees.

2. Maye’s day: In a mirrored image of how a lot curiosity there may be in rookie quarterback Drake Maye‘s growth, reporters surrounded him within the guests locker room Thursday evening after he entered late within the fourth quarter for one drive.

Maye’s mother and father, Mark and Aimee, had been on the sport to see his first regular-season motion (16 snaps), which Maye mentioned was bittersweet within the sense that it was a blowout loss. Maye (4-of-8 for 22 yards; 2 rushes for 12 yards) was exhausting on himself for taking two sacks, however he additionally noticed some optimistic issues to construct on in changing 4 first downs.

Van Pelt considered Maye’s drive as a constructing block.

“I believed it was an amazing expertise for him to get in, particularly an evening sport in New York,” he mentioned. “I believed it was an amazing begin for him. Positively some issues to scrub up in his sport, however made some throws, made some performs together with his legs. I am inspired together with his future.”

Of Maye’s footwork below stress, Van Pelt referred to it as “up and down.”

“There have been some issues there to right, and that is often the case the primary time you are out for a dwell [game] — it could possibly change your ft and also you revert again,” he mentioned. “Nonetheless a piece in progress there; he’ll be capable of take it to the following stage.”

Maye is planning to go to his alma mater, North Carolina, on the gamers’ weekend off.

3. Stevenson’s fumbles: Fourth-year operating again Rhamondre Stevenson misplaced only one fumble all of 2023, which was a turnaround from the 2022 season when he misplaced 4. However issues have turned again within the mistaken path this season. He has fumbled in every of the primary three video games and gave the impression to be boiling over it after Thursday’s loss.

“I’ve obtained to carry the ball,” he mentioned matter-of-factly of the troubling pattern.

Van Pelt famous what this implies Stevenson can count on within the weeks to return.

“Job safety is ball safety and now he has a goal on his again. Groups are going to see that and they will come after the soccer,” Van Pelt mentioned. “I do know he’ll tackle it. I do know he is proud about [being secure with the ball] and he’ll be higher due to it.”

4. Brissett battered: Veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett has been sacked 9 occasions, and after taking 15 hits in Thursday’s loss to the Jets, he is now been hit 30 occasions by three video games. It displays how shaky cross safety has been at occasions, and in addition Brissett’s toughness.

“One factor about me is that I am going to all the time get again up,” he mentioned.

That has endeared him to gamers and coaches, beginning with Maye.

“It speaks volumes. I instructed him on the sideline, ‘that is the way in which to symbolize quarterbacks on the market,'” Maye mentioned.

5. Communication examine: Linebacker Jahlani Tavai had the communication system in his helmet Thursday as the first communicator to the sideline, filling the void created by Ja’Whaun Bentley‘s torn pectoral muscle damage.

Tavai, in addition to Mayo and Covington, felt the communication wasn’t a problem. Amongst their better issues was the sloppy tackling, which is Bentley’s forte.

“It is all the time robust if you lose a man like Bentley, however I do really feel like now we have gamers that may step up and fill these roles,” Mayo mentioned, referencing Tavai and Raekwon McMillan.

6. Bourne on cusp: Fifth-year veteran K.J. Osborn has performed greater than any Patriots receiver by three video games, totaling 130 snaps, together with his main contributions coming as a blocker within the run sport. Within the passing sport, Osborn has totaled simply 4 catches for 28 yards.

With veteran Kendrick Bourne eligible to start out working towards after Week 4 and are available off the bodily unable to carry out record, he may probably reduce into Osborn’s position if issues proceed in the identical path. Mayo famous in his pregame radio interview that Bourne is monitoring as anticipated.

“He is finished an amazing job and he is shut. We look ahead to getting him again within the room,” Mayo mentioned.

7. Touchback group: First-year Patriots particular groups coordinator Jeremy Springer has been decisive in how he has approached the brand new kickoff guidelines.

By means of three video games, all 11 of the Patriots’ kickoffs have carried into the tip zone, with 9 touchbacks. So as an alternative of strategically placing the ball in play contained in the touchdown zone, forcing a return, Springer and Mayo have basically been content material to have the opponent begin at their very own 30-yard line. Acknowledging issues may change, Springer mentioned there have been extra touchbacks leaguewide than he initially anticipated.

8. Kromah report: The Patriots signed rookie defensive finish/outdoors linebacker Jamree Kromah off the Bears’ follow squad Wednesday, filling the void created by outdoors linebacker Oshane Ximines (knee) being positioned on injured reserve. Kromah has high-end bodily traits; He is 6-foot-3 and 271 kilos with 34.5-inch arm size, and that contributed to him being a sought-after free agent after going undrafted out of James Madison.

Kromah performed 63 defensive snaps within the preseason — the Bears had an additional sport as they had been a part of the preliminary Corridor of Fame sport — and his enchancment over that span, together with prior scouting reviews, doubtless contributed to the Patriots’ pursuit. However he did not present up a lot on particular groups (simply seven snaps), which is an enormous a part of the position Ximines crammed for the Patriots.

9. Anderson reunion: Thursday was a painful results of the Patriots, however not as a lot for certainly one of its former longtime staff. Kevin Anderson, who broke into the NFL with the Patriots in 2006 as an operations assistant and spent 10 years in Foxborough earlier than shifting on to the Lions for six, is in his first yr as Jets head coach Robert Saleh’s chief of employees.

Amongst others, he caught up with Patriots assistant Matthew Slater and former security Devin McCourty (who referred to as the sport on nationwide radio) on the sphere earlier than the sport.

10. Do you know?: Punter Bryce Baringer, who Springer known as a “weapon” for the group, has had a punt of at the very least 50 yards in 20 straight video games. Since 1970, the NFL file for the longest streak with at the very least one 50-yard punt is 38 video games — set by the Raiders’ Shane Lechler from 2007 to 2010.