It took a while, but Jones handled adversity against the Colts as well as one would expect a rookie quarterback to handle it.
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Isaiah Wynn was a problem: The Patriots’ left tackle allowed four pressures and a costly sack against the Colts. He also took a false-start penalty and bumped into running back
Rhamondre Stevenson behind the line of scrimmage, leading to a loss of yards. Wynn had been playing well for the last month, but this looked like the player who was struggling earlier in the season. Wynn allowed at least three pressures in three of the Patriots’ first four games but hadn’t done so again until Saturday night. The rest of the offensive line wasn’t perfect, either.
Shaq Mason allowed two pressures and took a penalty. Michael Onwenu took a costly false start at the Colts’ 2-yard line. But Wynn was the worst offender on a mediocre night from the Patriots’ offensive line.
J.C. Jackson continues to dominate: The cornerback’s outstanding season continued this week. He had three passes defended on only 12
Carson Wentz attempts. He has more passes defended than he’s allowed completions over New England’s last six games. His interceptions grab headlines, but Jackson is showing the consistent cover skills to match his ball skills this season.
“Really just seen J.C.’s professionalism take off this year,” cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino said. “Super proud of him. Taking care of his body extremely well. Preparing it well. Studying his opponents. Not that he hasn’t done all of this in the past. But there’s that next level when you step forward and get going. … Just as a coach, watching him as a rookie and then watching him grow, you’re just extremely proud. You’re just happy to see the growth take place and him absorb the knowledge in the building, from guys like Steph, guys like (
Jason McCourty), guys like Jon Jones, Devin (McCourty), guys they’ve worked really close with, and you just see him absorb and take all that knowledge in and really apply it over the years.”
Jackson said he’s emphasized doing more of the little things right this season, and it’s showing up. He has another tough test looming against the
Bills and
Stefon Diggs, but he’s proved that he’s up for the task. The only questions now are how big his next contract will be in the offseason and whether the Patriots will be the ones to pay him.
An explanation for the field goal: On Monday, Bill Belichick explained his decision to kick a field goal when down 13 points with nine minutes to play. For starters, he said he didn’t feel great about the team’s chances of converting fourth-and-goal from the 7-yard line. With nine minutes left, he thought the chances of getting two possessions were strong enough. He also liked the idea of being down 10 points and only needing a long field goal in a dome rather than two touchdowns.
“At some point, I definitely would have kept the offense on the field on fourth-and-7 with less time or no timeouts,” Belichick said. “You can, certainly, take that scenario further, so then you get into the gray area of which one would you do if there’s less time, fewer timeouts, whatever.”
That’s a fair thought process. The analytics favored going for it, probably because of the time left on the clock. With the Colts running the ball the way they did Saturday night, banking on getting two more possessions without the Colts scoring a point was a risk by Belichick. That’s the tough position in which the Patriots put themselves, though. There aren’t a lot of easy answers when you’re down by 13 points with nine minutes to play.
Injuries: The Patriots have some injuries worth monitoring this week. Wide receivers
Nelson Agholor (head) and N’Keal Harry (undisclosed) didn’t finish the game. Neither did linebacker Ja’Whuan Bentley (ankle) or defensive lineman
Carl Davis (undisclosed). The Patriots were also without running back
Damien Harris Saturday. Rhamondre Stevenson didn’t have a ton of room to run Sunday, but he did have a fumble. It was recovered, but that may be enough to get Harris a bigger share of the carries when he’s healthy.
Dose of perspective: Linebacker
Matthew Judon made a point after the game on Saturday to say, “It’s never as bad or as good as it looks.” In the case of Saturday’s loss and how it affected the Patriots’ postseason outlook, that’s true.
According to Football Outsiders, New England’s chances of making the playoffs dropped only 0.5 percent to 99.2 percent. It would take a wild turn of events for the Patriots not to qualify for the postseason. Their chances for the No. 1 seed took a significant hit on Saturday, but the Patriots still have a 28.2 percent chance at getting the top seed, according to Football Outsiders. They also have a 67 percent chance to win the AFC East. A win against Buffalo this week would all but wrap up the division. The Patriots would also put a dent in the Bills’ chances to make the playoffs with a win.
I'll guess both Harry and Agholor are dealing with concussions. Both could be back for the Bills game, if so. Bentley may miss the game with an ankle. No one is talking to me about Carl Davis.
JCJackson's FTag is around $17M/. He's worth it if BB can't sign him to an extension. Sign the man!
