Notes and thoughts about the Patriots’ coaching staff, David Andrews’ injury, Joey Slye’s success, and more.
The New England Patriots are fast approaching must-win territory. Coming off three straight losses to drop to 1-3 on the year, their game against the visiting Miami Dolphins on Sunday is a big one already: another loss, and their already slim-looking chances of competing for a playoff spot will take a hit the team probably won’t be able to recover from.
Naturally, most of our attention this week was on that game. As for anything else that might have come up, we have you covered as well.
Welcome to this week’s edition of our Sunday Patriots Notes.
Honeymoon phase is quickly coming to an end for the Patriots’ new coaching staff: Ever since the Patriots and Bill Belichick decided to part ways in January, “patience” has become a leading mantra for the organization. It is not hard to see why given that the club is embarking on a major rebuild both on and off the field.
The success of that rebuild cannot be accurately measured nine months in. That does not mean there is no pressure on those overseeing it, especially from the sidelines: the Patriots’ new-look coaching staff is quickly moving past the honeymoon phase.
The Patriots’ 1-3 record is one thing first-year head coach Jerod Mayo and his hand-picked group of assistants have to deal with. They also need to make sure players remain bought into the vision for the team as a whole — something that was called in question this week.
While the “teetering on mutiny” statement made on an team-produced podcast this week has both been disowned or strongly denied, the state of the team as a whole can still be seen as a work in progress. While some of that had to be expected given the scale of the rebuild in Year 1 after Belichick, there are certain areas of frustration independent of that process.
Offensively, the Patriots have shown little progress in some vital areas and underwhelmed in others. Whether it is Rhamondre Stevenson fumbling four times in four games, DeMario Douglas voicing and showing frustration, or the offensive line simply not being up to the task, the job at hand is a difficult one for the staff on that side of the ball.
The same is true for a defense that has taken a step back from its 2023 form. Repeated and uncharacteristic issues when it comes to setting the edge and completing tackles are plaguing the unit and, together with an ever-growing list of injuries, not allowing it to play up to its theoretical capabilities.
While the ultimate responsibility for righting the ship falls onto the players’ shoulders — they are the ones taking the field — the coaching staff also has to play its part; at one point, error repetition becomes more than a player concern.
That does not mean the locker room is in shambles or the team on the verge of collapse; by all indication that is not the case despite some brief speculation this week. Nonetheless, the NFL is a results business at the end of the day.
Mayo and company are learning it the hard way so far.
David Andrews hopes to be an ‘asset’ even from the sidelines: The Patriots’ longest-tenured offensive player, David Andrews will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a shoulder injury. The team captain has not yet made any statements since getting moved to injured reserve on Friday, but he did address the issue on his Quick Snap podcast earlier in the week.
Besides calling it “super frustrating”, he also spoke about missing time due to injury and how to make the most out of it.
“You always want to try to be an asset,” he told co-host and former Patriots teammate Brian Hoyer. “In ‘19 when I was out, I just wanted to be an asset. Even when I’ve been hurt — little things here and there, like I had thumb surgery in ‘20 — you’re just, ‘What can I do to be an asset? What can I do to help guys?’
“Obviously, you’re going to have more time on your hands. If it’s watching a little bit more film and maybe you see something that a guy in a normal week, when he’s got a million things going on, he might not pick up on. So, I think no matter what you’re doing, if you’re playing or not, whether you’re a practice squad guy, reserve guy, backup, you just want to be an asset in whatever role you’re in; and even if you’re starting you want to be an asset or you won’t be around long.”
Marte Mapu’ impact could be immediate: The Patriots activated safety/linebacker hybrid Marte Mapu from their injured reserve list on Saturday, meaning that he is officially available to suit up for the team’s game against Miami on Sunday. And if he does, his impact might be felt right away.
Not only are the Patriots without Jabrill Peppers (shoulder), who was ruled out for the contest on Saturday, they also might miss fellow starting safety Kyle Dugger (ankle). In addition. Luckily for the Patriots, they like what they have in Mapu.
“It’s great to have him back,” said defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington.
“He’s a smart player who’s been preparing like — this dude is like a coach in the classroom the way he prepares and the question he asks. I always thought you know how smart a player, a person is, period, by the questions they ask. His questions are high-level questions. He’s thinking about stuff in the playbook even though he wasn’t technically able to play the first four weeks. And he’s been like that ever since I had him at the Senior Bowl.”
‘In a perfect world’ Michael Onwenu would be a guard for the Patriots: File this one under “resetting expectation.” Back when the Patriots signed standout offensive lineman Michael Onwenu to a three-year, $57 million contract extension in March, the plan was to keep him at right tackle rather than move him back inside to his old guard position.
However, that plan may no longer be accurate. As offensive line coach Scott Peters said on Friday, after all, Onwenu would be a guard under ideal circumstances.
“In a perfect world, Mike is a guard,” Peters said. “He can play tackle. He’s a rare athlete that way that can move. But if you had your way, you’d like to see Mike at guard, just with the power inside and keeping the pocket firm there. He understands that and wears a lot of hats, but you want him to be able to really dig into something and in a perfect world you like to see him at guard.”
Onwenu joined the Patriots as a sixth-round draft pick in 2020, but despite seeing most of his action at Michigan as right guard was used all across the board since his arrival in the pros: he started games at left guard, right guard and most recently right tackle over his four-plus seasons in New England
Him lining up at right tackle at the moment mostly seems to be tied to issues at that particular spot in the lineup. Onwenu, after all, started the summer at guard but was moved in light of no starting RT from the pack.
Patriots still searching for their right O-line combination: Onwenu is seemingly entrenched at right tackle for the time being, but New England is not yet done moving its pieces around. This week’s practice was proof of that, with recent practice squad promotion Michael Jordan seeing increased reps at left guard.
While some of that might have to do with Sidy Sow’s recovery from an ankle injury that cost him the first three games, it also might be the team preparing for more changes. Starting right guard Layden Robinson, after all, has struggled mightily in pass protection so far and additionally is hampered by ankle and wrist ailments himself.
Could the team be preparing an interior of Jordan, stand-in center Nick Leverett, and Sow? Maybe another configuration? Time will tell.
The only thing we know is that the Patriots have not yet found that top-five they were hoping to have established by the start of the season. Injuries played a big part in that, but performance issues also contributed to the issue remaining in Week 5 and with no end in sight.
Jeremy Springer takes ‘less is more’ approach to coaching Joey Slye: First-year Patriot Joey Slye has been a welcome surprise after beating out incumbent kicker Chad Ryland in training camp. The career journeyman has made 12 of 13 combined field goals and extra points so far this season, with his lone miss a block in Week 2.
He also made a franchise-record 63-yard field goal against the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday. All in all, Slye is off to a promising start — one that was made possibly by his coach taking a rather passive approach.
“He’s about as locked in as can be. He’s a pro’s pro,” explained Jeremy Springer. “What I try to do as a coach, I try to manage him but not give him too much. He’s so dialed in on his technique and what he needs to do to take care of his body. If he misses, there’s not a lot I’m going to say to him because he probably already knows why he missed.
“And so it’s just me reeling him in from an emotional standpoint and mental standpoint, get him to stay locked him, and get him to stay poised. Just being there and having an extra voice — a positive voice — is what he needs out of me versus a, ‘Hey, your foot was here, your shin’s here.’ He already knows that.”
Patriots’ injuries start reaching concerning levels: As of Sunday morning, the Patriots have 10 players on injury-related reserve lists. While the quantity does not stand out compared to other teams such as the Dolphins, Cleveland Browns or Detroit Lions, the quality of names currently sidelined is significant.
At the moment, the team is without two starting offensive linemen (David Andrews, Cole Strange), its best defensive lineman (Christian Barmore), and its No. 1 linebacker (Ja’Whaun Bentley). In addition, 12 players were listed on Friday’s injury report — nine of them starters on paper.
Even a team more talented than these Patriots would have a hard time overcoming injury woes like that. For a squad coming off a 4-13 season and in the first phase of a rebuild, that burden might be too big to bear.
No, Bill Belichick did not criticize Jerod Mayo’s plan: Appearing on the Pat McAfee Show early in the week, former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was asked about his ex-club. His answer created quite a bit of stir, and saucy-sounding headlines about him “taking a dig” at the team, “unleashing” on his successor, or “ripping into” Jerod Mayo.
Problem is, Belichick did none of that. What he did do, was give an answer that is as standard as one would expect out of him.
“I got to be honest with you, I have no idea what the plan is so I don’t know, I can’t comment on that,” Belichick said. “If Mayo says he’s got a plan, then I guess he’s got one. And we’ll have to wait to see what it is.”
Belichick did go on to list some real issues plaguing the team at the moment, some of which can be traced back to when he was still in charge as head coach and general manager. None of that, however, was as drastic a criticism of Mayo or the Patriots’ plan as some of the stories posted in the aftermath presented it to be.
In what is a to a large degree a click-based media economy, something like that is unfortunately bound to happen. We can only speak for ourselves here at Pats Pulpit, but our goal is not to operate in that fashion.
Checking in with ex-Patriot Kyle Van Noy: While we are first and foremost focused on the Patriots around these parts of the internet, the scope of our view at the NFL expands every now and then. That happened again this week, when the league sent out a press release informing about the AFC’s and NFC’s Players of the Month.
A familiar name made the cut: former Patriot and current Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who was recognized as the AFC’s top defender of the last few weeks.
Van Noy was with the Patriots from 2016 to 2019, and then again in 2021. Since his final departure from the team, he spent time with the Los Angeles Chargers and — since 2023 — the Ravens. He is playing some of his best football ever since arriving in Baltimore.
In 2023, Van Noy registered a career-high nine sacks. Through four games this season, he already has six to his name as well as eight tackles and a forced fumble. As a result, the 33-year-old has now been named an AFC Player of the Month for the first time in his career.
Setting up the week ahead: The Patriots are working on a 1-1 schedule: their game against the Dolphins on Sunday will be at 1 p.m. ET, as will their upcoming contest against the visiting Houston Texans in Week 6. As a consequence, the week ahead will be of the “business as usual” variety: media sessions with Jerod Mayo and some select players on Monday; off-day on Tuesday; practice plus injury report and more media availability Wednesday through Friday; walk-through plus practice squad elevations Saturday.
From a non-football perspective, another item on the calendar is David Andrews’ Strikes for Tykes charity bowling tournament on Monday, Oct. 7 at Kings Boston Seaport. Guest check-in will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET. Proceeds from the event will be used to support Boston Medical Center Pediatrics.