New England Patriots links 10/03/23 - Moving forward with Mac

We’re still picking up the pieces from Sunday, and today’s links include film reviews (my condolences to the analysts) more game breakdowns and a few early look-aheads.

The real questions relate to how the New England Patriots are going to react going forward. How Mac Jones will respond in Week 5 and whether he can overcome that case of the “mental shanks” is key. How the coaching staff will try to make up for the loss of Christian Gonzalez and Matthew Judon. And my big concern is whether the team as a whole can wash that loss out of their hair and come out swinging when practice starts back up. The Dallas Cowboys did it last week after embarrassing themselves against the Arizona Cardinals. Maybe New England can give the New Orleans Saints the same energy.

There’s not a hole deep enough to bury that football. Here’s hoping it doesn’t rise back up and turn the season into the living dead. I’m willing to watch with fresh eyes this Sunday. This is my team, what can I say?

TEAM TALK

• Evan Lazar’s After Further Review: Where do the Patriots go from here following Sunday’s loss? Evaluating the offense, Mac Jones, and other notes from reviewing the loss in Dallas.
• Mike Dussault breaks down how the Patriots might overcome a pair of potentially devastating injuries to the defense and suggests who could see expanded roles vs. the Saints.
• Press Conferences: Bill Belichick - Kyle Dugger - Matthew Slater - Ja’Whaun Bentley.
• WEEI Patriots Monday: Bill Belichick and Mac Jones.
• Alexandra Francisco reports JuJu Smith-Schuster is sending fans to Germany with a Sweepstakes supporting his foundation.

LOCAL LINKS

• Taylor Kyles’ Film Review: Diving deep to make sense of the Patriots’ season-worst offensive performance against the Cowboys and how they can start to rebound.
• Tom E. Curran determines that it’s officially time to stop pretending the Patriots are ‘good’.
• Karen Guregian says there’s no need to sugarcoat it. The Pats are as bad as they look.
• Justin Leger passes along a lemon-juice-on-a-paper-cut stat about the offense from Warren Sharp (Sharp Football Analysis): The Patriots have had a whopping 71 percent of their drives end in either a punt or a turnover. That mark tops the entire league, even the winless Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers.
• WEEI guest Boomer Esiason explains how the Patriots move forward with Mac Jones.
• Alex Barth reports the Pats have five players from either IR or PUP eligible to return to practice starting this week.
• Zack Cox identifies who must step up on defense after injuries to Christian Gonzalez and Matthew Judon.
• Alex Barth talks about how the defense will take another long-term hit due to injury.
• Phil Perry whips out his red Sharpie and issues his Patriots Report Card: Mac Jones, offense fall flat in rout.
• Karen Guregian cancels recess for entire team and issues her Patriots report card: Plenty of blame, and miserable grades, to go around.
• Andy Hart gives us the snap counts from Sunday: DBs Myles Bryant, Shaun Wade try to step up.
• Ian Logue (PatsFans) Five Monday thoughts: 2) Speaking of Jones, Sunday was obviously a mess. The three turnovers he committed were brutal.
• Mike Kadlick relays Bill Belichick when asked why fans should be optimistic: “...What we can do is keep working hard, keep fighting, and improve in the areas we need improvement and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”
• Sophie Weller finds there’s lot of support for Bill Belichick in the locker room despite the team’s recent struggles.
• Adam London relays Peter King’s Mac Jones-Bill Belichick take after Sunday’s historic loss.
• Tim Crowley highlights WEEI guest Mac Jones taking accountability. Jones understands the need to prove he can reset his play. I have to believe in myself and, you know, I really didn’t give them a lot to believe in the other night. I will show that I can do it and that comes from hard work, trusting myself and trusting them.”
• Locked On Patriots podcast: Mike and Murph break down the loss, Mac Jones having a case of the “mental shanks”, blaming Bill Belichick and the worrisome injuries. (47 min.)
• Pats Procrastination podcast: Clare and Chudders discuss the Pats Week 4 loss without total negativity. (37 min.)

NATIONAL NEWS

• Jeffri Chadiha (NFL.com) The First Read: Biggest challenge facing each division leader at quarter mark.
• Ben Solak (The Ringer) The Hot Read, Week 4: When Josh Allen is clicking, the Bills are unstoppable; Plus, the Eagles have issues, Lamar Jackson is quietly in peak form, Zach Wilson finally flashed potential, awards, and more. The Reason Bill Belichick Retires Award: Patriots QB Mac Jones
• Will Brinson (CBS Sports) Sorting the Sunday Pile, Week 4: Bills look like NFL’s best, Bengals season unwinding, Bears’ silver lining.
• Gilberto Manzano (SI) NFL Week 4: Five things we learned Include Jalen Hurts is still a pretty good passer; Plus: What we now know about the Steelers, Lions, Buccaneers and two rookie quarterbacks.
• John Breech (CBS Sports) NFL Week 4 grades: Patriots all get an ‘F’.
• Jeff Kerr (CBS Sports) NFL Week 4 overreactions and reality checks: Has the game passed Bill Belichick by? Are Dolphins paper tigers?
• Cody Benjamin (CBS Sports) 2023 NFL Week 4 winners and losers: /Patriots are such losers they don’t even earn a mention.
• Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Bill Belichick: We have pretty good offensive talent, haven’t found a consistent groove
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Bill Belichick’s seat could be getting hotter.
• Steven Ruiz (The Ringer) The 2021 NFL QB class is proving that the pocket passer vs. mobile threat debate is dead.
• Jimmy Traina (SI) Traina Thoughts: NBC embarrassed itself with Chiefs-Jets Broadcast; Rodney Harrison causes stir by calling Zach Wilson ‘garbage’; More.