The Patriots have resoundingly answered most of the questions they faced before the 2021 NFL season, to the point where New England enters Week 15 in possession of the top spot in the AFC.
But have they answered all of the questions?
The Athletic’s Mike Sando in September wrote a column highlighting one “worry” for every team, with insights from NFL executives. Last week, Sando revisited those worries, with an eye toward determining whether they were accurate or misguided.
Sando’s preseason “worry” for the Patriots centered around rookie quarterback Mac Jones and New England not having a viable, veteran alternative at the QB position.
“What is the plan there? Because last time we saw (Brian) Hoyer, he’s forgetting he has no timeouts, taking a sack at the end of the half in Kansas City and it literally cost them the game,” an NFL executive told Sando before the season. “So, you have a kid who 24 months ago was the backup to Tua Tagovailoa, and now you need him to stay healthy for 17 games plus a possible playoff appearance? Is Hoyer good enough to get you out of a game or a couple weeks if you need that for Mac?”
Now, with the benefit of hindsight, here’s what Sando wrote last week while assessing the “in-season reality” of New England’s situation:
The depth behind Jones remains questionable, but that hasn’t been a problem to this point. Three pass plays and 46 runs in a key divisional game against Buffalo made the Patriots under-dependent on their rookie quarterback in the most recent game. New England has done an excellent job playing complementary football to minimize what it needs from its rookie first-round pick. Jones has executed his job superbly within that context.
Basically, we still don’t know.
Jones has been good enough so far, with the Patriots leaning on a solid rushing attack and an excellent defense en route to a 9-4 record. And there isn’t much reason to believe that can’t continue to be a successful formula as New England looks to build on its seven-game winning streak.
But an injury to Jones obviously would change everything. So, too, could a difficult playoff matchup in which the Patriots need to rely on their passing game to keep pace in a shootout.
The Patriots simply will have to cross those bridges if/when they arrive. Until then, hats off to Bill Belichick for the faith he showed in Jones before the season — when New England released Cam Newton — and the team’s ability to bounce back in its second campaign since Tom Brady’s departure.
