ESPN’s Mike Reiss joins Zolak and Bertrand in studio following a brutal 33-14 Patriots loss at the hands of the Chicago Bears on Monday night. Check out some of the highlights below with “Reiss’ Thesis”, including his thoughts on Mac Jones being removed from the game, whether the Jets game is a must-win, and when he knew that the Patriots were in trouble on Monday night.
Mac shouldn't be benched based on Bears loss
Oct 24, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) reacts before a game against the Chicago Bears at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
“What was Bill Belichick trying to do? Thread the needle. He didn’t think Mac was ready to play the whole game, but he wanted him out there because he thinks he gives them the best chance to win. And if we can have them for a slice of the pie like that, I want to do that. Obviously, it backfired, but I think that was the thinking. And it leads me to my take, which is after watching the three series that Mac was in the game: his interception was terrible, inexcusable, awful decision. But other than that, there was so much bad football around Mac that they didn’t give him a chance. And if Bill Belichick benches him as a result of that, that runs counter to everything that I’ve seen covering Bill Belichick’s teams. I would be surprised if it’s not Mac as long as he’s healthy.”
Is Sunday against the Jets a "must-win"?
Oct 23, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) celebrates with linebacker Quincy Williams (56) after a play in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
“I’m a little less into the whole must-win type thing. What I think they need is a performance to feel better about themselves and get the quarterback situation squared away. You go from two wins leading into this game. They’re feeling good about themselves. And this was just one that was just so off the grid. It was so bad. There was so much bad football, penalties, the punting, missed blocks and it was awful. You play like that, you might not win another game the rest of the season. So I think to me, I sort of look at it from the perspective of get back to playing the way that you know you’re capable of. I think they’re a much better team than they showed. I don’t view this game as one that is reflective of the team they are. I do think it’s an outlier, so I think they just need to get back and prove to themselves that that is an outlier and let the rest take care of itself.”
When Reiss knew the Patriots were in trouble on Monday
Patriots defensive end #9 Matthew Judon Sacks Bears QB #1 Justin Fields.
13 Pats Bears 102422 Bb“Sometimes I think they overthink it. And you look out on the field before the first snap and you don’t see Matthew Judon and you don’t see Dietrich Wise, Jr. on the field. And I would ask the three of you if I had to if I had to ask, who were the two best players on defense up to this point of the season? I want to try to be consistent. Sometimes I will say, Hey, good work by the Patriots. They’re preserving Judon to keep them fresh, you know, for the end of the season. But this was one where the two of them not being on the field stood out to me, and I think they overthought it. And then you would watch as the game progressed. Third down, right? We talked about how much that was a problem. Did you notice how they were taking like six or seven players off and almost putting in putting six or seven in? I think sometimes when you’re so package specific, you’re trying to be so fine with how you match up. You can almost create some additional issues and just not say and let the guys play, but simplify your packages and your personnel. And I’d be curious to know what the defensive players who are part of that think.”
