Patriots’ missing piece: Why a true No. 1 weapon is key to New England taking the next step under Mac Jones

rewrite this content material with complete period and stay HTML tags FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Have you ever parked in a storage and turn into a little self-conscious about your car, particularly if you are in a pricey space? Sure, your automobile will get you from A to B and does its process, however the phrase “practical” is almost certainly certainly one of the first issues that comes from your mouth when describing it. As you search for a spot, you naturally see a few sports activities vehicles that would unquestionably run laps round you. And god forbid you’ve to park next to certainly one of them. That direct side-by-side is a visible of 2 other machines fully, even supposing they’re designed to do the identical factor. That’s type of how I noticed the Dolphins and Patriots on Sunday as Miami rode to a 24-17 win in Week 2. They’re two offenses designed, after all, to try to ranking, however one can do it in a a lot sooner and extra spectacular type whilst the different drudges ahead and once in a while breaks down. While it wasn’t a full-blown offensive spectacle through the Dolphins en course to their win to transfer to 2-0, every time they wanted to faucet on the accelerator, it used to be to be had to them. Need a slip display at the line of scrimmage to convert a second-and-19? No downside, Jaylen Waddle can care for that. Need a again to run 21.62 mph for a back-breaking landing in the fourth quarter? Raheem Mostert is your man. Heck, even their trainer is rapid!  Meanwhile, the Patriots — extra in particular Mac Jones — had been as soon as once more on the lookout for a game-breaking weapon that merely does not exist on their roster at the second. When they want to faucet on the accelerator, the offense in large part stalls out. The aggregate of Kendrick Bourne, JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki, and others is cast — sensible, even — however there is not any simple weapon that moves concern into an opposing protection and, extra importantly, garners maximum of the consideration of the protection. With Miami, having Tyreek Hill in the offense is a distinction maker even on a night time the place he didn’t gash the Patriots on the deep ball. Because of that presence on my own, safeties performed again, which opened issues up beneath and in the operating lanes. That’s one thing Bill Belichick does not have in his storage (Alright, I’m completed with the automobile references). The Patriots had 0 explosive performs (features of 16 yards or extra) on Sunday night time whilst the Dolphins loved 5 such performs. On most sensible of that, 51.8% of Miami’s yardage general got here after the catch (6.14) whilst that quantity used to be 41.6% for New England (3.1)The one participant who has proven the talent to break away defenders, rookie Demario Douglas, fumbled in the first part and used to be benched for the rest of the recreation. However, the Patriots will have to now not be depending on a sixth-round rookie to be the explosive weapon of their offense. They want a bonafide famous person, which is a equivalent scenario the Dolphins discovered themselves in prior to going out and obtaining Hill a few years in the past.  Tua Tagovailoa hovered round a 90.0 passer ranking in the first two years of his profession prior to rising as a official MVP candidate — when wholesome — now that Hill is in the passing assault. The identical may also be mentioned for Josh Allen in Buffalo prior to Stefon Diggs arrived and Jalen Hurts prior to A.J. Brown got here to Philly ultimate yr. Over the ultimate two seasons blended (16 video games), Jones has an 85.4 passer ranking. Josh Allen (Stefon Diggs)85.3 (2019) 107.2 (2020)Tua Tagovailoa (Tyreek Hill)90.1 (2021)105.5 (2022)Jalen Hurts (A.J. Brown)87.2 (2021)101.5 (2022)While you’ll preferably like your quarterback to raise the vast receiver room round him, once in a while it wishes to move the wrong way with a true No. 1 cross catcher being inserted and stabilizing the entirety else whilst serving to the signal-caller’s building. Hiring Bill O’Brien to lead the offense used to be the proper transfer through Bill Belichick this offseason, however that used to be just one piece of the puzzle to get this Patriots offense as a feared unit in the league. The next step is to establish and convey aboard a game-breaker as Jones’ operating mate. Because that arguably has been the distinction between what conceivably may have been a 2-0 get started as antagonistic to the winless scenario they’re these days enduring thru the first two weeks of the season.  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