Two Things To Look For In The Big Patriots’ Week Nine Game
Updated: Sep 10, 2023
Two major things to look for in the pivotal Patriots against Colts game.
Halfway through the season, the Patriots see themselves with four wins and four losses. The AFC was expected to be incredibly competitive this year. However, multiple teams have disappointed. Other than the Chiefs and Bills, New England has a chance to compete with anybody. This is a very pivotal game for New England to have, and it would go a long way in making a playoff push. Here are two things to look for in the Patriots Vs Colts game.
How Mac Jones Plays
Mac Jones has struggled so far this year, especially with taking care of the ball. Mac has thrown for less than 1,000 yards and has thrown seven interceptions. Even though New England was able to win last week, getting Mac Jones back on track is their number one priority. Ultimately how far New England is able to go is determined by Mac. The Colts have a very good defense, and seeing Mac have an efficient game against them would be great. The Colts don’t have much star talent on their offense, especially since they won’t have Jonathan Taylor. So, if the offense is able to get going, it would give them a massive advantage.
New England is already able to run the ball very effectively with Rhamondre Stevenson, and if Mac is able to get going, and New England is able to integrate pieces like Kendrick Bourne and Devante Parker more into the offense. The Patriots have the potential to be a very good offense.
Getting Mac Jones back into the system, running the offense smoothly is very important. The most important thing for this game is how Mac plays. Mac has regressed since his rookie year, in which he was able to throw for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns. He’s had a shaky start to this year, but that can also be because he has a completely new offensive coordinator and two new receivers. Mac Jones playing good against a talented Colts’ defense would be a great sign for the Patriots going forward.
Patriots’ Defense Against Michael Pittman Jr.
One of the biggest concerns heading into this season was how the Patriots’ secondary was going to be. New England lost their best cornerback J.C. Jackson, and to replace them, they drafted Marcus Jones and Jack Jones. Jack Jones has quickly emerged, with two interceptions so far, one being returned for a touchdown against Aaron Rodgers. New England had to play Tyreek Hill in week one, and they did a good job managing him. However, Tyreek didn’t truly break out till a few weeks later. New England did a great job against Amari Cooper, and they get another test here against Michael Pittman Jr.
Pittman is an explosive young receiver, and the AFC is filled with receiver talent. Seeing how Jack Jones or Jonathan Jones match up against Pittman would be a great indicator going forward. New England has a very young secondary, and so far they have done a good job limiting receivers. Limiting Pittman in this game would be a great building block moving forward. The Patriots have the potential to be an elite secondary, with the likes of Jack Jones, Jonathan Jones, Adrian Phillips, and Kyle Dugger, who is having a breakout year.
From how the Patriots are constructed, they are built on defense. Bill Belichick has made a big effort to re-tool the defense by getting younger and faster, and he’s done a great job. New England has a great mix of productive veterans and potential stars. Expect a big game from the defense, especially considering the Colts don’t have Jonathan Taylor, their best player, and they are starting a young quarterback. Which historically gives the Belichick’ defense a massive advantage.
Like Our Facebook Page. Follow StadiumRantHQ on Twitter. Check out our other articles @The Gillette Gazette. Are you an NFL fan? Have some takes you want to get out into the world? This is the place because we have plenty of opportunities at Stadium Rant spanning the whole NFL and more!