New England Patriots ‘3 to Watch’ at Las Vegas Raiders: Mac Jones ‘Short Leash?’
The New England Patriots are hoping to avoid falling to 1-5, as they prepare to face the Las Vegas Raiders (2-3) in Week 6 of the 2023 NFL season. Kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. ET on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.
For the second straight week, the Pats are once again attempting to put a demoralizing loss behind them — this time, a 34-0 drubbing at the hands of the New Orleans Saints. Conversely, the Raiders are looking to extend their good fortune following an emotional 17-13 victory over the Green Bay Packers last Monday.
Though many Patriots players are expected to garner some attention during Sunday's matchup, here are three players that might raise an eyebrow when the Pats take the field against the Raiders.
Mac Jones and the Quarterbacks
In the wake of consecutive lackluster performances, New England’s offensive brain trust decided to stick with Jones as their starter. However, a Sunday morning NFL Network report indicates that Jones will be on “tight leash” against the Raiders. Through five games this season, the Alabama product has compiled 1,008 yards on 105 completions with five touchdowns and six interceptions. Still his struggles with decision-making and careless control of the football have Pats coaches keeping a watchful eye on the 2021 first-rounder. Should he falter early, the Patriots may go to Bailey Zappe, newcomer Will Grier — who is reportedly earning favor within the coaching staff — or rookie Malik Cunningham, who was signed to the 53-man roster on Saturday.
It appears to be Jones’ job to lose … for now. While some of the blame may justly be placed on an ineffective offensive line, as well as poor performance from his pass-catchers, Jones' inability to make sound decisions when most needed has caused an obvious regression — especially within the past two games. Having been under pressure on more than 45 percent of his throws on average, Jones has had insufficient time to operate. This has led to him forcing the ball into bad situations, especially with defenders taking away his preferred routes and targets.
Ultimately, Jones' discomfort in the pocket has led to a foundering of both his confidence and his mechanics. New England's coaching staff needed to prioritize their attempts to repair both his timing and process. If they were unable to do so, the Pats may have no choice but to make an in-game change at quarterback
New England Patriots QB Mac Jones
Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Verderian Lowe / Right Tackle
Despite the stress Jones will feel from his caches on Sunday, he is also subject to pressure from an aggressive Raiders defensive front. With the Raiders expected to dispatch premier pass rusher Maxx Crosby against the weaker right side of their line, New England must find ways to counter Las Vegas' defensive strength. While drawing the Raiders attention away from the troubled areas through savvy play-calling is one way of doing so, the Patriots may find that the most-effective way of keeping Crosby away from Jones is to chip him hard and often before he hits his stride.
Regrettably for the Patriots, the task has become more difficult. The absence of tackle/guard Riley Reiff, along with the limiting injury to right guard Michael Onwenu, place greater pressure on Lowe, their probable starter at right tackle. Lowe allowed a sack and four hurries last Sunday against the Saints. In total, the Pats newcomer has surrendered 25 quarterback pressures in four starts. As such, it would be appropriate —and perhaps, and understatement — to label Crosby versus Lowe as a “mismatch.” If the Patriots are unsuccessful in neutralizing Crosby early, that proverbial “leash” on Jones may tighten in a hurry.
Josh Uche
In addition to their difficulties on offense, New England struggled on defense to generate a consistent pass rush in their Week 5 loss. The Pats registered only two sacks on New Orleans quarterback Derek Carr; one from linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley and the other coming on a coverage sack from cornerback Myles Bryant. The Pats defensive front failed to generate any additional quarterback hits or tackles for loss. In short, the Patriots are clearly feeling the loss of linebacker Matthew Judon.
Against the Raiders, the Pats can reverse their shortcomings by getting pressure on quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The former Patriots ranks No. 32 among quarterbacks when passing under pressure, as graded (33.4) by Pro Football Focus. The task may be difficult without Judon, as the replacement unit of Uche, Anfernee Jennings and rookie Keion White generated only a 24.1 percent pressure rate last week.
The mission starts with Uche, who is likely to draw duties opposite Raiders right tackle Thayer Munford, against whom he should have more success than starting left tackle Kolton Miller. Uche used his speed, athleticism and system savvy to become a significant factor in the Patriots defense both as the Pats top edge rusher to help anchor New England’s defense against Las Vegas.
