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Of all the tape the Patriots will study of themselves this season, Sunday’s just might finish as the most useless.
The Patriots will not face another quarterback like Lamar Jackson, an NFL unicorn who became the first quarterback to gash them for more than 100 yards on the ground in the Bill Belichick era. They won’t even face a similar offense until they see Baltimore again. After the game, safety Devin McCourty compared defending the Ravens to playing against a triple-option team.
Offensively, the Pats can trace all their troubles to four second-half turnovers.
If Mac Jones doesn’t force a play-action pass into DeVante Parker in the third quarter, or Parker doesn’t miss a red-zone audible causing Jones to throw another interception, or Nelson Agholor doesn’t fumble down five with five minutes left, they might win. It was that simple, and a repeat of the season opener in Miami.
The Patriots had a turnover problem, they have one now, and it still needs fixing. There is no mystery surrounding their struggles.
Oh, and by all reports, Jones will be out for weeks. High ankle sprains typically require a month or two of recovery time, even for high-level athletes, according to sports medicine experts. So whatever progress Jones showed Sunday around his spotty decision-making — namely, attacking downfield — won’t matter until Halloween or Thanksgiving.
It’s Brian Hoyer’s show now, which means the Patriots’ defense, special teams and coaching staff will all take a step closer to center stage. And while we’re on the coaching staff, one defensive decision did harm the Pats’ chances as much as Jackson’s brilliance; a mistake that if repeated next week could doom them in Green Bay.
Here’s what else film revealed about Sunday’s loss:
Under pressure: 3-of-6 for 26 yards, 2 INTs, 3 sacks, 28 rushing yards
Against the blitz: 3-of-7 for 76 yards, 2 INTs, 2 sacks
Behind the line: 4-of-4 for 13 yards
0-10 yards: 9-of-11 for 63 yards
10-19 yards: 3-of-8 for 72 yards, 3 INTs
Notes: Jones lived at both extremes Sunday, unleashing some of the best throws of his young career in a turnover-plagued performance that will ultimately be remembered for a terrible injury. He was marvelous downfield, where the Patriots attacked Baltimore’s surprisingly high heavy dose of man-to-man coverage on early downs. Jones’ decision-making and shoddy play under pressure undercut him again, though; troubling patterns when considering his performances in Week 1 and Week 2.
The sharp steady passer from last year is still missing.
No other Patriots defensive back managed as much as a pass deflection Sunday, but Jones caught an interception, forced a fumble and had four tackles.
Three sacks and another tackle for loss. That’s a stud performance any week, every week.
After missing multiple assignments, particularly against option runs, Wilson was benched in the second half for two series. He also missed a tackle.
#Patriots film: Off-ball linebacker play yesterday was rough. Real rough. pic.twitter.com/5tWoHu4C8R
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) September 26, 2022
Like Wilson, Bentley took several false steps against Baltimore’s run game and helped let Jackson loose up the middle. He finished with just four tackles in 56 defensive snaps. For a run-stuffing linebacker, Sunday’s performance falls on Bentley more than most.
The first-round rookie allowed a sack on the opening drive and three ensuing pressures, despite the fact Baltimore stuck to a standard four-man rush for most of the game.
Patriots QB Mac Jones could miss more than a month, according to sports medicine doctor
Lamar knocked the #Patriots out with this same play on the last drive, rushing for 20 yards and a 9-yard TD.
Credit to Wilson for talking about them post-game. "It is what it is. He's a great quarterback. You've just gotta do a great job of fitting runs." https://t.co/OW0bufsmv7 https://t.co/aUvVOUizpW pic.twitter.com/uonD7hHIuz
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) September 26, 2022
Statistics for passing depth, broken tackles and missed tackles courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
*11 personnel = one running back, one tight end; 12 personnel = one running back, two tight ends; 21F personnel = two backs, one tight end; 21H personnel = two halfbacks, one tight end; 22 personnel = two backs, two tight ends; jumbo personnel = two backs, three tight ends.
**Base defense = four defensive backs; nickel defense = five defensive backs; dime defense = six defensive backs.
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