Well Patriots fans, I got some bad news. Not only did this team lose yet again this season in a brutal way, but they have now been mathematically eliminated from the NFL playoffs. There is a lot that went wrong for the New England Patriots this year, but there are 3 key reasons why the Patriots didn’t make the playoffs.
After watching their latest game against the Indianapolis Colts, I am starting to question if Jerod Mayo is the coach of the future for this team. Especially when he decided to attempt a 68-yard field goal instead of Drake Maye throwing a hail mary. Joey Slye is a good kicker and the longest kick he has ever made was a 63-yarder, but the longest kick ever made in NFL history was by Justin Tucker at 66 yards and he barely made that kick. Plus, Slye in pregame warmups, never even came close to kicking that long, as the longest he made was 61 yards.
The Patriots have been undisciplined all year and have not learned from their mistakes in previous games, but that Colts game really started to make me question Mayo as the coach. He is way over his head in this role, and his coaching has cost New England multiple games. It will be interesting to see what New England does in the offseason with Jerod, but from what I’ve seen, his job security is not 100% a lock.
There are a ton of problems with the Patriot’s offense, but my goodness that offensive line is atrocious. A big reason is due to injuries as David Andrews, Caedan Wallace, Cole Strange, and Jake Andrews were all on IR. There were even more injuries to the offensive line that almost every week had a different lineup. A crazy fact at one point the Patriots had 5 different players starting at blindside tackle in 5 weeks. That’s insanity and no QB can survive with that offensive line. If the Patriots were wise this offseason, they definitely need to ensure they have enough depth on that offensive line for next season. Whether it is in the draft or in free agency, the Patriots have to protect Drake Maye.
Let’s be real, there were few expectations for the Patriots heading into this season. There were no expectations for a strong season, and this was a time for the organization to see who belonged and who didn’t. Especially in defense, which has been abysmal all season, and it’s hard to pick a positive on that side of the football. On offense, the thought is, hit or miss. I would like to see how Drake Maye has developed in his rookie season. Speaking of Drake Maye…
It took longer than expected, but Drake Maye did start a few games this year. How did he do? He was pretty solid. As of today, he has thrown for 1,696 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. Maye even scored a rushing touchdown as well which was nice to see. Maye’s biggest problem is his turnovers are ugly, and he has to work on protecting the ball more often then he normally would. Hopefully, with another offseason and a more competent offensive line, Maye will improve. In a season full of bad, Maye was a positive, let’s see how he finishes this season.
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