The Patriots looked surprisingly competitive over the first two weeks of the season, but all of their good fortune ran out in Week 3’s loss to the Jets.
They face a tough opponent this week on the road in the 49ers. For the Patriots to keep this game close or improve their record to 2-2, these six players need to step up in Week 4.
QB Jacoby Brissett
Brissett told the media this week that during the Patriots’ long break from last Thursday’s loss to the Jets to preparing for the 49ers that he spent time reflecting on his career, which started in 2016 with the Patriots.
Now in his return to the Patriots as a starter, Brissett’s grip on the QB1 job could be slipping. Brissett is 1-2 as a starter, and he has yet to throw for 150 yards in a game.
Is that all Brissett’s fault? No. Is it even half Brissett’s fault? Also no. But it is a fraction.
And the Patriots have a very talented rookie breathing down his neck on the quarterback depth chart in 2024 third overall pick Drake Maye.
Head coach Jerod Mayo said this week that “you want to get a guy like that, obviously, on the football field.” Mayo would be the person to make the decision to get Maye on the field, and nothing is stopping him.
The Patriots have what seems to be a relatively easy matchup next week against the Dolphins. It feels fair to say that if Brissett struggles again Sunday against the 49ers that there will be more of a push to get Maye on the field before the 2024 season slips away. The schedule gets easier in the coming weeks with the Dolphins in Week 5, the Jaguars in Week 7, the Titans in Week 9 and the Bears in Week 10. Those are four potential wins.
This is a long way of saying that Brissett faces a formidable opponent this week, but at some point he has to direct the Patriots’ offense to a serviceable passing attack.
RB Rhamondre Stevenson
Among 41 running backs with at least 20 carries this season, Stevenson ranks 12th with a 74.8 PFF rushing grade and 40th with a 26.6 fumbling grade.
That will happen when you fumble three times in three weeks. He has the third-most missed tackles, the fifth-most yards after contact and he ranks ninth in yards after contact per attempt.
He’s a very good running back, and he’s been the most productive offensive player on the Patriots’ roster. But he also needs to stop fumbling.
Bill Belichick was an incredible coach for a lot of reasons, and one of those is that he put the fear of God into players not to fumble. Stevenson’s career-high is four fumbles in 2022, when he had 210 rushing attempts. His three this season have come on 52 attempts.
LT Demontrey Jacobs
It’s completely understandable if you just said, “who?!” aloud.
Jacobs was claimed off waivers from the Broncos on Aug. 28, and now he’s projected to be the Patriots’ fourth starting left tackle in four games. Jacobs replaces Caedan Wallace, who replaced Vederian Lowe, who replaced Chukwuma Okorafor.
Jacobs is tall, long and athletic. But he’ll need to be more than that to block 49ers all-world defensive end Nick Bosa, who led the NFL in total pressures last season.
Consider this a tryout on a major stage for Jacobs. Lowe should get the starting job back when he’s healthy. But if Jacobs can slow down Bosa? At that point, it would be worth keeping him in the starting lineup.
LG Sidy Sow
Sow spent all summer as the Patriots’ starting left guard but suffered an ankle injury in their preseason finale. Speaking to the Herald on Thursday, he blamed the injury on bad technique.
But now he’s healthy enough to practice, and the Patriots need him after his replacement, Michael Jordan, also suffered an ankle injury.
Sow will share the left side of the line with Jacobs, where he can chip in against Bosa. Expectations are high for Sow this season. He can’t completely fix the Patriots’ offensive line, but he can provide a stabilizing force.
DE Keion White
White has been the Patriots’ best defensive player this season, but he was critical of his performance Thursday night against the Jets, believing that he was overpursuing at times as a pass rusher.
He has a chance to bounce back Sunday against the 49ers.
Defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery praised White’s intelligence and versatility this week.
The second-year pro ranks sixth among edge defenders with a 91.0 pass-rushing grade this season.
CB Christian Gonzalez
Gonzalez has spent the first three weeks of the season shadowing the opposing team’s best receiver. That would be 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk, whom the Patriots attempted to trade for this offseason.
But after 49ers slot receiver Jauan Jennings caught 11 passes on 12 targets for 175 yards with three touchdowns last week against the Rams, it might not be a bad idea for the Patriots to switch up their defensive gameplan, put Gonzalez on Jennings and have Jonathan Jones or Marcus Jones cover Aiyuk with help.
The Patriots also might need to worry about Deebo Samuel, who’s questionable with a calf injury.
Jennings, who’s 6-foot-3, 212 pounds, is a tough matchup for 5-foot-8, 188-pound Marcus Jones in the slot. And Aiyuk hasn’t looked great so far this season after skipping most of training camp.
It could also catch the 49ers by surprise.
