There were times when the Patriots offense was able to move the ball. There were times when Bailey Zappe showed some poise in the pocket and moved the chains with his legs. There were even times when the team converted some third downs and remained on the field for double-digit plays.
But at the end of the day the overall production looked eerily similar to what it had been in the previous 11 games – and it wasn’t nearly good enough.
Zappe got his first start of 2023, and he did show the ability to navigate the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield instead of on the rush, which is something Mac Jones seemed to struggle with. But his passes were too often off target, particularly early on and at times he held the ball too long waiting for something the develop and took some sacks as a result.
So, when it was all said and done the offense still failed to score a single point, and in fact it never really threatened to do so on a rainy afternoon in Foxborough. The Patriots never entered the red zone against the Chargers, let alone the end zone. Zappe completed only 13 passes for just 141 yards, the Patriots managed a paltry 257 yards of total offense and, of course, zero points.
There were a couple of opportunities for more – like a nice deep ball that Tyquan Thornton probably could have caught and a Rhamondre Stevenson fumble at the Chargers 31 – but for the most part the Chargers slowed down the running game and forced Zappe to beat them. It’s a tactic that opponents have used successfully against the Patriots for most of the season regardless of quarterback.
Too often opponents have been allowed to crowd the line of scrimmage with little to no repercussions. At times the Chargers had 10 players lined up within 10 yards of the ball, and at no time did Zappe make them pay. The same was true when Jones was at the helm, particularly over the span of the last several games. In fact, beyond the opener against Philadelphia when Jones led consecutive scoring drives late in the second quarter, and the upset win over Buffalo, the offense hasn’t really enjoyed any sustained production.
That was true even with the change at quarterback, even if things felt better at times. In addition to Zappe’s subtle movement in the pocket, the second-year quarterback protected the ball and avoided the turnovers that have plagued Jones. Bill Belichick mentioned that fact a couple times in the game’s aftermath, which was likely a signal that Zappe will remain the starter Thursday night in Pittsburgh.
But quarterbacks need to make plays, not just avoid bad ones. The only significant offensive plays the Patriots managed against the Chargers were Thornton’s 39-yard gallop on an end around and a deep back shoulder throw to DeVante Parker for 27 yards. Otherwise, it was an attempt to beat the Chargers with a death-by-1,000-paper-cuts approach that the visitors were all too willing to allow. Forced to start drives deep in their own territory much of the day, the Patriots stood no chance of putting many points on the board.
So, while it may have looked better the reality told a different story – one that Patriots fans have watched too many times this season.
2023-12-05 15:01:43
#looked #reality
