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Mike Reiss, editor at ESPN
FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts – One of the main themes coming out of the New England Patriots locker room after their 23-20 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks was that they need to move on quickly, with a game at the New York Jets next on the schedule on Thursday.
Coaches and players recognized one area in which they need to significantly improve: the performance of the receivers. It’s difficult to win when wide receivers make a total of three catches for 19 yards, as they did on Sunday against the Seahawks.
“We really need to start moving the ball down the field,” coach Jerod Mayo said.
The Patriots have shown they can run the ball and are a tough, physical team. Against the Seahawks, they totaled 185 yards on 36 carries (5.1 average). In Week 1, they rushed for 170 yards on 39 carries (4.4 average) in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
They have also shown that their tight ends can be effective. Veteran Hunter Henry totaled 109 yards, a career-high, and tied a career-high eight catches in the loss to the Seahawks.
But without the ability to soften up the defense with more consistent perimeter and downfield passing success, the one-dimensional offense shows its limitations, such as in situations at the end of a half or at the end of a game when you’re on a long field and there’s little time on the clock.
“We have to be able to go back and forth between the two,” Mayo said, acknowledging that the Seahawks’ effective use of a split-safety defense prevented deeper passing plays. “That’s something we have to work on. We have to have a more balanced offense and that’s going to be the goal this week.”
That won’t be easy against a Jets defense that has allowed an average of just 195.5 passing yards through the first two weeks (a Week 1 loss at San Francisco and a 24-17 win over the Titans on Sunday).
Patriots veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett completed 30 of 51 passes for 270 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in the first two games.
“Obviously we’d like to have more in our passing game,” Brissett said. “I’ve got to do a better job of getting a lot of these guys involved in the game plan and throughout the game. I take responsibility for that.”
One open question, however, is whether the Patriots’ receiver lineup is strong enough to produce the results they want. One of the reasons the front office was so aggressive in acquiring free-agent receiver Calvin Ridley and then Brandon Aiyuk in a trade this offseason is because New England lacks a dynamic opponent that demands extra attention from the defense.
In the season opener, the Patriots used speedy 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton (2 catches, 27 yards) and fifth-year veteran KJ Osborn (3 catches, 21 yards) as their top receivers, with DeMario Douglas (2 catches, 12 yards) in the slot. Second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk (1 catch, 6 yards) was the No. 4 pick.
In Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks, Polk was slotted higher and made two catches for 12 yards (including a touchdown). Osborn was the other starter and didn’t make his only catch for 7 yards until the second play of overtime. The rest of the receiving corps – Thornton, Douglas and 2024 fourth-round pick Javon Baker – didn’t show up in the stat sheet.
Mayo put the responsibility on himself and the coaching staff, saying one way would be to come up with more plays for Douglas, the shifty slot player.
“We have to get him going. He is one of our most explosive players. It is up to us as coaches to channel that in the right direction,” he said.
Center David Andrews also acknowledged the team’s shortcomings in the air, but noted that it’s everyone’s job to improve the results. That includes the offensive line, because Brissett was sacked three times and hit eight times on Sunday, which Andrews said was too many.
“We need to make our passing game more productive, and I’ve always said that’s a team effort from everybody. It’s not just about one person or one position group,” Andrews said. “It takes a team – all 11 guys on offense – and that’s what we’re going to try to do this week.”
