Pats Posits: Things to Fix But Plenty to Like

Most of Patriots Nation is gushing over Tom Brady this morning and rightly so, as he delivered another last-minute comeback, the 50th 4th quarter comeback of his career, with a pinpoint end zone pass to Brandin Cooks. The game against the Texans was one where the two teams were evenly matched and for many spoiled Patriots fans, that’s cause for concern.

But it’s important to remember this is only Week 3. It’s still September. And when you look around the rest of the NFL, with 15 teams owning the same 2-1 record as the Pats and just two undefeated teams remaining, it’s clear that everyone is still figuring it out. The “figuring it out” phase is always hard for fans. It’s a roller coaster of inconsistency as teams discover what they’re good at and where their weaknesses are.

So yes, the Patriots have some weaknesses, and the defensive performances especially are concerning, especially when you see they’re giving up twice the points-per-game that they did last year (15.6 vs. 31.7).

Let’s unpack all the leftover thoughts on what we’ve seen from the 2017 Pats, including where they must improve if they’re to start their annual mid-season climb to the top of the NFL rankings once again.

— It’s just so strange, the Patriots have four players in the top-13 in yards-per-catch. An offense that has always been called “dink and dunk” is now explosive. But I think as we saw yesterday, relying on the explosive plays can be feast or famine. It’s not the methodical carving of a defense over and over that we’re used to. However when you’re down and need to comeback, you need those explosive down the field plays, so it’s a double edged sword.

— I highlighted that I didn’t think Brady and Cooks were quite clicking yet last week, but if you took one offensive headline from this game, their progression would be the top point. Cooks is just so bloody fast, and now teams will have to respect that speed more and more. The Chiefs sure didn’t.

— This is a different defense and one that is very much a work in progress, but seeing Devin McCourty, the “quarterback of the defense” as Kyle Van Noy called him, getting picked on in coverage is surprising. Ultimately I think this game was a bit of a outlier, where the defense just missed too many chances to finish Deshaun Watson off when they had him in their sites. He extended plays and made some nice throws after the original play design broke down. We’re still in the “a win is a win” phase of the season, but these mobile quarterbacks have been problematic and there’s another one coming to town on Sunday in Cam Newton.

— Nice bounceback game for Malcolm Butler who allowed just two catches for ten yards. He’s the best cornerback on the team, no matter how much they’re paying Stephon Gilmore and the defense needs his feisty attitude and compete level. Let’s hope this game is a springboard for him turning his season around.

— Nate Solder‘s struggles are really concerning but the offensive line came through at the end of the game with some flawless protection. Jeff Howe floated that Solder is still getting warmed up after sitting most of the summer, and while I agree that’s possible, I am also disappointed that a veteran like him is taking this long. All the line had their moments of struggle yesterday, it’s an excellent front so it’s to be expected. What ultimately matters is that they came through when it counted. Still, the future at left tackle is really hazy to me right now.

— The Pats largely ignored the run against the Texans, running it just 20 times. This is usually the case when they play a great front seven, but I was a little disappointed considering how diverse their backs are even without Rex Burkhead. I think it’s time for me to accept that at this point Dion Lewis is just a role running back and it’s doubtful he’ll ever be the go-to guy he was in 2015 when he was like Barry Sanders.

— What can be said about Tom Brady that hasn’t already been said? I can imagine how frustrated Bill O’Brien and Mike Vrabel especially must be this morning, when they did almost everything needed to be done to beat the Pats only to see Brady rip their souls out once again. It just speaks again to the point of how it takes a complete 60 minutes of aggressive play to beat Brady, especially at home. You can’t leave the door open even a crack. You have to slam it shut or blow the game trying to slam it shut. It would’ve taken brass balls to pass up three points in their final possession and go for it on fourth down, but that kind of how you have to play it.

— Elandon Roberts played 80 percent of the snaps and has been a key contributor the last two weeks. Curious to watch his season-long development. He was a big run-stopper as a rookie but now must develop his whole game. I’m curious on the rewatch to see how he did in coverage.

— The defense giving up big plays is certainly a problem but something that is not impossible to fix, especially with the talent in the secondary. I think a lot of it has come from the defense being mixed up by mobile quarterbacks so it’s more of a communication issue than anything. 2012 was the worst year for big passing plays when they gave up 74 of 20 yards or more. They’re on pace for 69 this year.

Things are always a work in progress at this point. Whether you’re getting blown out by the Chiefs in Kansas City or squeaking out a win over a very good defense with a rookie quarterback playing out of his mind. We’re just starting to find out who the 2017 Patriots really are and what they need to work on, but you can count on them taking the necessary steps to improve, both with the players they have, the players who might return from injury or even players not yet on the roster.