Patriots legend wants to see this from the team’s offense
Now entering the period of the NFL season that Bill Belichick has often referred to as “the time when real football is played,” the Patriots have a lot of work to do, particularly offensively, if they want to compete with the rest of the league.
Because their uncharacteristic struggles have dragged on through the first ten weeks of the season, everything about the team has been discussed. Nothing has been off-limits this season, from firing coaches and moving on from Mac Jones to bringing back former coordinators and questioning Belichick’s coaching.
Many contributors to those conversations have been former Patriots players, including Vince Wilfork. During a recent appearance on The Gameplan, the former nose tackle shared his take on how he views the team’s season so far and emphasized their need to unleash the offense if they want to win games.
"“They haven’t played their best football yet. They’ve been going out and — mistakes here and there, and really not getting going the way they should be. It’s at the point now where you have to take the handcuffs off this offense. You’ve got to take the handcuffs off this quarterback, these receivers, and we’ve got to go. We don’t have time to baby nobody and test the water. Testing the water is over.”"
Fans and New England media have shared much of his point throughout the weeks, especially when reviewing the play-calling. Week after week, it has been referred to as predictable, vanilla, and uninteresting, much of what had been presumed to be the issue with Josh McDaniels last season. But Matt Patricia’s performance has consistently been targeted as the root of the offense’s issues, including the alleged sophomore slump that Jones has been going through this season.
Given the offensive roster, the talent is better than in years past, making their lackluster performance through nine games more confusing. On paper, and when looking back at the 2021 season, they should be more of a real threat to the defenses they face. But their constant struggles and show of slight improvement have turned a promising season into a forgettable one.
When discussing what they need to do in the upcoming weeks to change their season’s trajectory, Wilfork said they need to show their quarterback more trust and support overall.
"“So they have to come out firing. They have to put trust in Mac that, hey, it is what it is. We have to get the ball downfield at times, we have to take shots at times, we have to be aggressive. I think once they start doing that and make a couple plays, it will give confidence to the whole team.”"
We’ve seen instances of precisely what Wilfork is referring to in games this year. When Jones can do what he’s best at, the offense has clicked and moved swiftly down the field. When he is forcing a play or told to continue handing the ball off, it’s proven to lead to unfavorable results.
The confidence remark has also remained a talking point among New England when watching the quarterback play in 2022. The way he carried himself and performed during his rookie season was always said to be like watching a player who has been in the league for several years, with even his veteran teammates pointing it out all year long. That confidence is noticeably absent this year, leading many to believe it is the root cause for most of his game struggles.
As the Patriots prepare for a big game against the Jets, with each team coming off a bye, Wilfork said he’s hoping to see a change in the team’s attitude and a total takeover of the offense by Jones.
"“Coming off a bye, you never know what we have stirred up, so hopefully it’ll be a different story with the offense being more aggressive and Mac Jones kind of taking charge of that and trusting that he can get the job done.”"