ESPN’s Mike Reiss: Patriots’ last two weeks mark lowest point since 1997
During this morning’s Toucher & Rich program, Fred Toucher and ESPN’s Mike Reiss discussed the New England Patriots’ 34-0 shutout loss and Bill Belichick’s questionable decisions.
Oct 8, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during the first half against the New Orleans Saints at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Reiss was asked whether he believed Belichick gave up on the game and questioned his choice to punt on a third-and-3 from the New Orleans 40, despite being down 24-0. Reiss expressed his confusion about Belichick’s decision, considering the game was still in the third quarter. They wondered why Belichick made such a move and discussed possible reasons, including a lack of trust in the team.
“I didn’t understand that decision. You know, he had explained that after the game, Fred, that until they’re better on third and fourth down, he doesn’t see that changing. To me, it is a 24-0 deficit with 9:55 to go in the third quarter, not the fourth quarter. I mean, I’ve seen stranger things happen and it wasn’t going in their direction at that time. But that call spoke volumes to me.” -Mike Reiss
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 08: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on during the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Gillette Stadium on October 08, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
The conversation then shifted to a broader discussion about the Patriots’ struggles, particularly with their recent draft picks and the team’s lack of depth. Reiss and Toucher considered whether there was any scenario in which Belichick might quit before the end of the season, but Reiss didn’t see that happening based on his sources’ feedback.
“I don’t see that myself. Only because the people that I talk to down there tell me that he’s working as hard as he ever has. And it’s not for lack of time, effort, passion, investment, you know what I mean? To me, that would be if someone had said, ‘Well, this is different.’ You know what I mean?” -Mike Reiss
They also touched on Belichick’s press conferences, suggesting that he might be finding it harder to explain recent events, even though it’s not necessarily reflected in his intelligence. The conversation concluded with Reiss noting that these were among the worst two losses in Belichick’s head coaching career since he’s started covering the team in 1997.
WALLACH: “Can you remember any time since 1997 that the Patriots have looked worse than they have the last two weeks back-to-back?”
REISS: “No.”
The New England Patriots were shut out at home by the New Orleans Saints 34-0. They currently sit at the bottom of the AFC East with a record of 1-4. Mac Jones was 12-of-22 for 110 yards and two interceptions on Sunday.
It’s the first time Bill Belichick has trailed by 30 points at home in his head coaching career, including his time with Cleveland.
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Nick Gemelli is a Producer for the Toucher and Rich program and contributor for 985thesportshub.com. you can follow Nick at @NickGemelli on Twitter.
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From bad to worse: 5 takeaways from the Patriots' shutout loss to the Saints
QB play
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 08: Mac Jones #10 of the New England Patriots looks on during the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Gillette Stadium on October 08, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
The state of the Patriots’ quarterback room is not good. Obvious, I know. But it’s not something we’re going to skip talking about.
We’ll start with Mac Jones. The issues that hurt him last week were front and center once again against the Saints. He was reacting to pressure that wasn’t there, his footwork was erratic, and he made panicked decisions.
After the game, Jones was asked if he feels ‘sped up,’ a term that relates to quarterbacks overthinking and/or rushing their in-play process – something usually brought on by sustained poor pass protection and repeated hits.
“It’s the NFL, they’ve got good defensive linemen that are coming every play and they’re trying to hit the quarterback. So, I’ve got to do a better job,” Jones said when asked after the game if he felt sped up.
The thing about quarterbacks being sped-up is the longer they stay that way, the worse it gets and the harder it can be to snap out of it. Right now, Jones seems a long way from being comfortable in the pocket again.
Bailey Zappe came into the game in the third quarter. He didn’t look as sped up as Jones but his accuracy was an issue. Multiple times, he overthrew open receivers as he finished the game completing 3-of-9 passes.
The line of scrimmage
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 08: The New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints line up before a play during the first half at Gillette Stadium on October 08, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images)
Both on offense and defense, the Patriots struggled at the line of scrimmage. There was no push by the offensive or defensive line, which made it difficult for the Patriots to establish any sort of momentum.
We’ve already touched a bit on the offensive line issues in this game. Jones was pressured regularly with the right tackle spot once again being an issue. Despite Riley Reiff, who was the starting right tackle at the beginning of camp, being activated from IR, he only subbed in at guard while Vederian Lowe played wire-to-wire at right tackle.
Things weren’t much better on the ground. Running room was scarce, as the Patriots ran for just 2.5 yards per carry. New England’s longest run of the day was eight yards.
On defense, the Patriots failed to pressure quarterback Derek Carr for much of the game. He was hit just four times, and sacked only twice. The absence of Matthew Judon was certainly felt.
Third down woes
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 08: New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and Mac Jones #10 of the New England Patriots look on during the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Gillette Stadium on October 08, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Back to the Patriots’ offense here, and situational football. Specifically, third downs.
The Patriots went 1-for-14 on third down in this game. That’s a conversion rate of 7.1 percent. It’s the most third down attempts they’ve had in a game under Bill Belichick while only converting one or fewer attempts, and the second-worst third-down percentage in a game under Belichick period, outside of a game when they went 0-for-11 against Miami in 2017.
It’s not so much that the Patriots were bad at converting on third downs, so much as it was an issue of not setting up manageable third downs. The average distance go to on third downs for the Patriots in this game was 6.4 yards, with the average distance to go in the first half being 7.7 yards. It’s nearly impossible to win a football game when trying to convert from that far behind the sticks, that often.
Special teams struggles
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 08: Jabrill Peppers #5 of the New England Patriots muffs a punt during the first half against the New Orleans Saints at Gillette Stadium on October 08, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
We’ve touched on offense. We’ve touched on defense. We also have to touch on special teams.
The Patriots struggled in multiple phases of the kicking game on Sunday. Rookie kicker Chad Ryland missed another field goal, this time from 48 yards. With that miss, Ryland is now 4-of-8 to start his NFL career.
On one hand, seven of Ryland’s eight kicks have been from 48 yards or longer. He hasn’t exactly been put in for chip shots. At the same time, part of the reason Ryland was drafted as high as he was (fourth round, as the second kicker off the board) is his ability to hit field goals from distance.
Rookie punter Bryce Baringer struggled early, mis-hitting his first two punts before settling in. Still, those two ended up being costly as it allowed the Saints advantageous field position to build a lead. His first punt – which went just 26 yards before going out of bounds and set New Orleans up at the New England 40-yard line, included a bad snap from long snapper Joe Cardona.
It wasn’t a great game for the returners either. Ty Montgomery ran two kickoffs out of the end zone and failed to get to the 25 on either one, and Jabrill Peppers fair-caught one punt inside the five (instead of letting it roll into the end zone for a touchback) and fumbled another while trying to pick it up off a bounce.
What’s next?
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 08: Keion White #99 of the New England Patriots pursues Kendre Miller #25 of the New Orleans Saints during the fourth quarter at Gillette Stadium on October 08, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Where do the Patriots go from here? There are a lot of big picture questions about the direction of the organization that will be had in the coming days. On a more micro level though, there is one adjustment the Patriots can make right now that should help them in the long term – play the kids.
At 1-4, the playoffs are now a longshot for the Patriots. It’s not unrealistic to say this team should at least be glancing at next year. In that regard, they should start to figure out what they have in some of these younger players. That goes from Keion White – who should see an increased role following Matthew Judon’s injury, to players like Ameer Speed. The sixth-round corner had played exclusively on special teams through the first four weeks, but saw some time at cornerback late in this game.
Pretty much any player from the last two draft classes falls into the category. Will that become a reality? We’ll see.
