Will Mac Jones, New England Patriots Extend Streak of Offensive Futility vs. New Orleans Saints?
Mac Jones' "clean slate" is officially dirty. And, somewhere on the staff of the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles, you have to believe Matt Patricia is allowing himself at least a wry smile.
It was Patricia, remember, who was essentially run out of town after last season's disappointment in which the New England Patriots' play-caller was made scapegoat for a putrid offensive showing. But four games into the new year - even with experienced replacement Bill O'Brien wiping the slate clean and promising better results - quarterback Mac Jones is awful, the Patriots are 1-3 and the offense is one of the worst in the NFL.
Through four weeks just how anemic is New England's offense? The Pats have ...
*55 points (two thanks to a defensive safety). Only two teams - the Giants (46) and Bengals (49) have scored fewer. The Miami Dolphins put up more than that in one game.
*5 touchdowns (two by Hunter Henry and one each from Kendrick Bourne, Rhamondre Stevenson and Pharoah Brown). Conversely, the offense has surrendered three on two Pick 6s and a fumble by Jones. Christian McCaffrey (49ers) has scored seven touchdowns by himself. The Dolphins boast two running backs (Raheem Mostert and DeVon Achane) with six each.
*Scored less than 30 points in 15 consecutive games, in 22 of 23 and in 20 in a row started with Jones at quarterback. The aberration? A 38-point outburst at Cleveland with Bailey Zappe at the helm last Oct. 16. The last time New England topped 30 with Mac at quarterback came in a 50-10 win over the COVID-depleted Jaguars in Week 17 of 2021.
With Mac Jones at quarterback, the Pats haven't scored 30 points in a game since 2021.
*A minus-5 turnover margin (seven turnovers; two takeaways), sixth-worst in the league. An offense that last year was propped up by a defense that scored a league-best six touchdowns isn't getting that type of big-play, game-changing support this season.
In last week's embarrassing 35-point defeat to the Cowboys that served as the worst beatdown of coach Bill Belichick's Hall-of-Fame career, the Patriots managed just one measly field goal.
Worse news for the Pats? They need the offense more than ever. With likely season-ending injuries to star defensive players Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez, Belichick can no longer use a conservative blueprint that plays field position and counts on winning games, 15-10.
Not that the lack of production should be shocking. The Patriots were the NFL's worst Red Zone offense in 2022. They brought back O'Brien, but essentially traded leading receiver Jakobi Meyers for JuJu Smith-Schuster and - on a team desperate for playmakers - selected a kicker and a punter and didn't take a receiver until the sixth round of last April's NFL Draft.
O'Brien says he maintains trust in Jones. And Belichick bravely - stubbornly? - believes the team has a blueprint for success.
"We’ve played four games ... three we turned the ball over and lost, and one we didn’t turn the ball over and didn’t get sacked and won," he said. "So I think we know what the formula is. I think we have pretty good talent on offense. We just haven’t been able to find a good, consistent groove.”
The Patriots are 3-8 in their last 11 games. A punch-less offense is the main culprit.
