The Patriots came into the season with a plan to help keep the team competitive: run the ball, play good defense and avoid mistakes. Jerod Mayo's troops executed that plan to perfection in the opener, but since then the plan has gone slightly awry.
Starting with the Week 2 loss to Seattle in the home opener, a couple of those elements have been missing. While the running part of the equation remained in place against the Seahawks, the defense and avoid mistakes parts weren't up to par. And last Thursday's meltdown at the Meadowlands saw a drop-off in all three departments.
Much has been written (including here last week) about the Patriots narrow path to victory. The lack of explosiveness on offense makes production hard to come by and therefore makes it difficult for the team to fall behind or win a shootout.
With that in mind, it's hard to expect the running game to be a staple each week. There will be times when circumstances dictate the offense's plan – like falling behind early or facing stout fronts that don't allow as many yards. So, it's understandable that the Patriots fell behind the Jets and weren't able to lean on New York with their physicality the way they did against Cincinnati and Seattle.
But what has been more troubling in the last two weeks has been the leaks in the secondary, where opponents have lit up the Patriots to the tune of 608 passing yards. The fact that neither Seattle nor the Jets has what would be considered a potent aerial attack made the Patriots performance even more glaring.
While the Seahawks boast an excellent set of receivers with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the Jets do not. Aaron Rodgers is most certainly a future Hall of Famer and one of the best pure passers to ever grace the league, but he didn't resemble his old self coming off the torn Achilles until he took on the Patriots. Garrett Wilson is a standout, but Allen Lazard and tight end Ty Conklin are journeymen who looked like much more in Week 3.
Given the imitations of the offense, Mayo cannot afford to endure too many defensive efforts like the last two, especially the Jets game. New York piled up 400 yards of offense and easily could have had more points if not for their own limitations, including seven offensive penalties and a couple of off-target throws by Rodgers. That came after Geno Smith lit up the secondary for 327 yards and was virtually unstoppable down the stretch when the game was on the line.
There were also some mental lapses against both Seattle and New York. The Seahawks took advantage of some questionable clock management toward the end of the first half, then turned in a 23-yard punt return to help set up a field goal before the break. The Jets game saw numerous breakdowns, including two personal fouls on defense (Jahlan Tavai, Joshua Uche), a 21-yard punt return allowed and a failure to maintain discipline up front to contain Rodgers in the pocket. Those are the types of self-inflicted wounds that even the best teams have a hard time overcoming.
If the Patriots are to find success in 2024, the secondary and the defense as a whole will need to be a lot better. It may not always be fair to have that much of a burden, but it's reality – at least until the offense can find its way and manage to put some points on the board.
Signs of life
It's been tough going for the three rookie quarterbacks who are currently starting for their teams as Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix struggled out of the gates. But in Week 3 there were some signs that things might be improving.
That was certainly true for Nix, who led the Broncos to their first win with a convincing 26-7 thrashing of the 2-0 Bucs on the road. Nix used his legs effectively (nine carries, 47 yards) while managing the game, completing 25 of 36 passes for 216 yards and avoiding mistakes.
Denver's offense was almost non-existent in the first two weeks in losses to Seattle and Pittsburgh that saw the Broncos total 27 points, but the trip to Tampa was different. Nix led six scoring drives including a pair of long TD marches to open the game and put Denver in control. Sean Payton has to be feeling a lot better about his rookie quarterback after that performance.
Things weren't quite as good for Chicago in Indianapolis as the Bears dropped a 21-16 decision to the Colts. But Williams showed flashes of the ability that allowed him to be taken first overall, throwing for 363 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Much of that production went to fellow top-10 pick Rome Udunze, who caught six passes for 112 yards and a touchdown. Williams also got Cole Kmet involved, connecting with the tight end 10 times for 97 yards and another score.
The Bears ultimately succumbed at least in part to some mistakes from their rookie quarterback as Williams tossed a pair of interceptions and lost a fumble. For the first time in three weeks he also showed his explosive traits and shook off a slow first half to get his team back in it on the road. The Bears fell short but that is the kind of production head coach Matt Eberflus would like to see more of – assuming Williams learns from the errors and cuts back on the turnovers.
The best of the three was saved for last as Daniels turned in a superhuman performance on the road in Cincy in the Commanders Monday night win over the Bengals. Daniels completed 21 of 23 passes for 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns and added another on the ground. He's been the best of the three thus far, leading Washington to a 2-1 record while directing an offense that hasn't turned the ball over all season and didn't punt in each of the last two games.
Speaking of quarterbacks …
Too much is made of the performance of young quarterbacks taken early in the draft. When things don't go well immediately, they are inevitably labeled as busts – which has already started to happen to the aforementioned trio despite a criminally small sample size.
But so much more than talent goes into whether or not a player succeeds. Take a look at a handful of quarterbacks enjoying success early this season after being saddled as first-round busts.
Sam Darnold, who went third overall to the Jets in 2018, has the Vikings 3-0 with impressive wins over San Francisco and Houston. Darnold has eight touchdowns and just two interceptions and a passer rating of 117.3 under the tutelage of Kevin O'Connell with the Vikings.
The first overall pick in that same draft, Baker Mayfield, is enjoying a renaissance of sorts in Tampa. After leading the Bucs to the playoffs last season, Mayfield has Tampa at 2-1 and has six touchdowns, two picks and a 110.7 passer rating.
Former Bears No. 1 pick Justin Fields is 3-0 as the starter in Pittsburgh. Although his numbers are modest (two TDs, one INT) he's completing better than 73 percent of his passes and has a passer rating of 95.3 while managing the game.
Most every quarterback taken early in the draft has the ability to perform at the NFL level, but how they develop once they get there has a lot to do with the structure around him. The coaching staffs in Minnesota, Tampa and Pittsburgh are getting more out of the players than their previous coaches did. That's part of the development process that is out of the players' control, and it's why it's not always fair to label every quarterback who doesn't succeed immediately a bust.
Sometimes it takes some patience, and the right fit, for a quarterback to reach his potential.
Power 5
1. Kansas City (3-0) – It wasn't easy, or pretty, but the Chiefs remain unbeaten.
2. Buffalo (3-0) – No windows are closed as long as Josh Allen is still playing.
3. Minnesota (3-0) – The Vikings notched another impressive win by dismantling the Texans.
4. Detroit (2-1) – Lions offense is still looking to break out, but defense is showing signs of improvement.
5. Green Bay (2-1) – Matt LaFleur impressed with back-to-back wins with Malik Willis at QB.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
