Patriots Silver Linings: Five Reasons For Optimism At Halfway Mark

Believe it or not, the 2022 Patriots regular season already is halfway over.

Some New Englanders might find that a relief, given how mediocre the Patriots looked during the first nine weeks. But others might be optimistic about what lies ahead for Bill Belichick’s team, which despite everything is 5-4 and could move into a playoff spot as soon as Nov. 20.

So, let’s take a break from all the deserved negativity and instead focus on five silver linings for the Patriots as they enjoy their bye week.

1. The defense
Sure, the schedule hasn’t been that tough, but the Patriots defense nevertheless has been one of the NFL’s best. The underrated unit ranks seventh in points allowed, fifth in Football Outsiders DVOA, second in sack rate, second in takeaways and first in expected points added per play. Star pass rusher Matthew Judon has been a huge part of the success, with his league-leading 11 1/2 sacks putting him on track to rewrite at least one record book. But the secondary also has been excellent, with veteran Jonathan Jones more than making up for the loss of J.C. Jackson. Fans still should worry about New England’s middling linebacking corps, but the rest of the Patriots defense is legit.

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2. The rookie class
It hasn’t been perfect, but New England’s 2022 rookie class deserves a ton of credit. Cornerbacks Jack and Marcus Jones have been immediate contributors, with the former surprisingly ranking as the top corner on Pro Football Focus (make of that what you will) and the latter emerging as a needed weapon in the kicking game. Bailey Zappe played so well that he captivated an entire region and undrafted rookies Brenden Schooler and DaMarcus Mitchell have provided meaningful contributions on special teams. First-round guard Cole Strange and second-round receiver Tyquan Thornton have been up and down, but both also enjoyed great games during the first half. So far, the Patriots deserve high marks for the job they did in the 2022 NFL Draft.

3. Rhamondre Stevenson
The second-year stud has established himself as one of the NFL’s best all-around backs, and he might be the best player on the Patriots offense. Stevenson just gets better every week and has provided great production in the running game despite poor offensive line play in front of him. The 2021 fourth-round pick also has improved his ball security, something Belichick has taken note of. Stevenson entered the bye week with 618 yards and four touchdowns on the ground while adding 35 catches for 227 yards and a score in the passing game.

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4. The second-half schedule
Before the start of the season, many viewed New England’s second-half slate as a daunting stretch. And to be fair, it still looks quite difficult. However, the eight-game run no longer looks quite as rough. The Patriots will start with the Jets, whom they recently beat on the road and whose wild-card quarterback they completely dismantled. New England also visits the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders, who have a combined record of 5-12. We’ll see how Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings play on their own field in primetime, and the Cincinnati Bengals, whom the Patriots will play at Gillette Stadium, have a wretched offensive line.

As for the two games against the Buffalo Bills and the home matchup with the Miami Dolphins, there’s no way to sugarcoat those contests, assuming Josh Allen and Tua Tagovailoa are healthy. Allen is dealing with an elbow injury, but it reportedly isn’t serious. Nevertheless, New England might need just four more victories to make the postseason, and you don’t have to squint that hard to find winnable games in the second half.

5. Glass half full with Mac Jones
Yeah, this is some spin-zone stuff, but hear us out. The Patriots are 5-4 and in control of their own playoff destiny despite a clear and concerning regression from their franchise quarterback, who also missed a few games due to an ankle injury. In five starts in the first half, Jones completed 66.1% of his passes for 1,140 yards and four touchdowns to go along with seven interceptions. Last Sunday’s win over the Indianapolis Colts marked the first time in seven games that Jones didn’t throw a pick, and yet the offense looked like it bottomed out in the Week 9 win.

So, the reality is that there’s nowhere to go but up for Jones, the Patriots offense and the offensive coaching staff — which probably deserves most of the blame. If things get any worse, heads could roll at One Patriot Place, and we simply can’t envision Belichick allowing the offense to reach that point. Jones is health and should have a full offensive line after the bye will have had a long break to work out the kinks. Plus, he remains a talented quarterback capable of playing winning football at a high level. Don’t be surprised if he and the offense look much better moving forward.