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Toucher & Hardy

Reiss: I don’t see Patriots receivers getting open down field

Author Ryan Beaton

On Monday’s Toucher & Hardy program, Mike Reiss explains why the New England Patriots have to do more in the passing game.

Patriots Passing Game Struggles

Parts of conversation abbreviated for clarity.

Jon Wallach: You heard Jerod Mayo after the game—we played the clip already today—saying, “Yeah, we need to push the ball down the field.” 

After two weeks of watching this team play, they can’t push the ball down the field because Jacoby Brissett doesn’t have enough time to move it down the field. 

Mike Reiss: And do think that’s part of it, Jon. There are times when I do watch and see that. Right when Jacoby puts his back foot on the ground, and he’s at the top of his drop, I stop the film. I look at the picture and say, “Is anyone open?” 

And there are times when the answer to that question is, “No.” He’s got to move so quickly because the pressure gets there quickly. And you can’t put all the blame on the offensive line because there are times when Brissett does have time in the pocket. 

But I’ve got to tell you, I don’t see receivers getting open consistently early in the progression of the quarterback’s read. And that. It’s hard to have a good offense when both offensive line and wide receivers have room for improvement.  

Fred Toucher: Do you think this team is going to be able to run against everyone? For instance, The Jets on Thursday night? The Jets didn’t defend well against the run the first two weeks of the season. They didn’t yesterday either. 

Do you think the Patriots will be able to do this all season long? Or could teams figure out what they’re doing and take advantage? 

Reiss: I do think teams will be able to figure it out and slow things down. I have to be honest, I didn’t think they would be able to run it as well as they did yesterday. It’s hard to think that they could play this way and sustain it over a 17-game-long season. They need to expand more into the passing game. 

Ryan Beaton is a producer for 985thesportshub.com. You can follow Ryan at @ry_beaton on Twitter.

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Ryan Beaton is a producer and content creator for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Ryan was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 2021, studying Broadcast Journalism. Ryan started his radio career in college as a play-by-play announcer/producer for WMUA 91.1 FM. He produces multiple weekend shows, including: 98.5 Over/Under, Hockey Show, and Sunday Kickoff. He is also a part of the Celtics, Bruins, and Patriots Radio Network. His favorite sports are Mixed Martial Arts, Football, and Basketball. Ryan enjoys playing golf but is NOT good at it. Ryan writes about all New England sports from Patriots football to Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins.

Patriots Ups & Downs: Who stood out in a loss to the Seahawks?

The New England Patriots are 1-1 on the 2024 season after a 23-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Here are eight players who stood out in the game, based on their performance on the field…

UP: TE Hunter Henry

The Patriots wasted the best game of Henry’s career. The veteran tight end caught 8-of-12 targets for a career-high 109 yards, including a 35-yard catch-and-run from Jacoby Brissett.

If the Patriots want to impact the game through the air, they’re going to need a meaningful contribution from Henry every single week. He showed on Sunday how much better the offense can look just by getting the ball in his hands.

DOWN: TE Austin Hooper

Hooper isn’t here because of his work on offense, although he was only targeted once for five yards. He’s the first “DOWN” because the Seahawks’ Julian Love blew by him to block a field goal attempt late in the fourth quarter.

The three points would’ve given the Patriots a 23-17 lead in the closing minutes, and possibly helped them close out a win. That was the Patriots’ first major special teams miscue of the season, and it really cost them. Something to clean up for next week.

  • UP: RB Antonio Gibson

    New England Patriots on X (formerly Twitter): "GIBSON GETTING AWAYYY 🏃💨📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/uIRHhirEMJ / X"

    GIBSON GETTING AWAYYY 🏃💨📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/uIRHhirEMJ

    The Patriots offense let Gibson down in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. The veteran running back should have delivered a kill shot of sorts when he broke multiple tackles en route to a 45-yard run that put the Pats well into Seattle territory. Instead, the offense went backward from there and the Seahawks clawed their way back into the game.

    But, Gibson is off the hook for this game. He’s running hard and making dynamic plays with the ball in his hands.

  • DOWN: CB Christian Gonzalez

    Seattle Seahawks on X (formerly Twitter): "WIDE OPEN @dkm14 🤯 pic.twitter.com/rHIeaVSkOL / X"

    WIDE OPEN @dkm14 🤯 pic.twitter.com/rHIeaVSkOL

    Gonzalez covered D.K. Metcalf for most of the game, and in 1-on-1 matchups he allowed three catches for 24 yards on seven targets. But he and Kyle Dugger had what he described as a “miscommunication” when Metcalf blew right through both of them and streaked wide open down the field, as he hauled in an easy 56-yard touchdown catch from Smith.

    Dugger took responsibility for checking into a bad play, but Gonzalez was the one covering Metcalf most of the time, so it’s hard to let the second-year corner off the hook. He can’t give up any plays that big if the Patriots want to win games this season.

  • UP: DE Keion White

    New England Patriots on X (formerly Twitter): "Coming at you from every angle 💪📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/M0r0MhKMWY / X"

    Coming at you from every angle 💪📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/M0r0MhKMWY

    Another strong game for White, who put the loss on his own shoulders after the game in a sign of maturity and leadership. But White was again disruptive up front, finishing with 1.5 sacks, two QB hits, and seven tackles. The Patriots’ problem up front isn’t White, but that they seem to lack impactful secondary pass-rushers aside from him.

  • DOWN: LT Vederian Lowe

    Sep 15, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe (53) sacks New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

    Seattle Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe sacks New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett. (Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images)

    Pressure off the left edge was a problem all afternoon for the Patriots, and quarterback Jacoby Brissett mostly did a good-enough job to mitigate the damage. That was until he took a 9-yard sack in the fourth quarter on the play before the blocked field goal try. Lowe wasn’t the only player that allowed pressure on that play, but he was the most consistently troublesome offensive lineman out there.

  • UP: P Bryce Baringer

    New England Patriots kicker Joey Slye (13) reacts with New England Patriots punter Bryce Baringer (17) in the third quarter of the NFL game at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. Photo Credit: Albert Cesare/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

    New England Patriots kicker Joey Slye (13) reacts with New England Patriots punter Bryce Baringer (17) in the third quarter of the NFL game at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. Photo Credit: Albert Cesare/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

    Baringer is off to a great start this season, one of the few Patriots to string together two strong performances. He averaged 57 yards per punt, with a long of 67, three pinned inside the 20-yard line, and only one touchback in six tries.

  • DOWN: CB Marco Wilson

    Patriots LATAM on X (formerly Twitter): "¿Les pareció DPI de Marco Wilson o era inatrapable?#SEAvsNE pic.twitter.com/y3ZlR1gKPF / X"

    ¿Les pareció DPI de Marco Wilson o era inatrapable?#SEAvsNE pic.twitter.com/y3ZlR1gKPF

    Wilson got flagged for defensive pass interference for the second straight game, mugging the Seahawks’ Tyler Lockett in the end zone on third-and-6, gifting Seattle first-and-goal from the 1-yard line and an easy touchdown run on the next play. One could argue that the pass attempt was not catchable, and therefore not a worthy penalty, but all Wilson needed to do was look back for the ball, and he didn’t do it. Don’t give the officials a reason to throw the flag.

    We didn’t see much of Wilson for the rest of the game. The Patriots may have to consider a new depth chart at cornerback.

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