What happened to the running game?

Defensively, we seem to lack enough pass rush to give problems to our opponents and allow them to get off the field. A high motor guy like Chase Vinovich will eventually get there, but like our DB, make sure to cover more than 5 seconds in every play while the QB is standing in a clean pocket. Asking is not sustainable. In the off-season, do we need to prioritize top pass rushers who can get consistent pressure? Pass rushers, tight ends and wide receivers seem to be areas we really lack.
Alex Mar

I agree with your overall rating, only I will add quarterbacks to your long list of urgent needs. Undoubtedly, this team needs to find a player who can win a one-on-one match and put pressure on the quarterback. I understand that Deshaun Watson was afraid to play out of his pocket, but that’s because the defense front approaches him on most passes, especially for the two backups on the left. Does not mean that you were not allowed. .. The Patriots require a bit of speed and athletic ability from the edge, and they are usually players available early in the first round. At this point, Patriot seems to be picking the upper half of the round, so it’s definitely a position to pay attention to.
Paul Perilo

I am very disappointed with this defeat against the Texans. I thought I saw the Patriots winning the Ravens, but I saw the Patriots winning the Jets. Why did the coaching staff decide to go heavy against the NFL’s worst rushing defenses?
Vincent Cacurini

I think there were several factors that influenced the game plan. First, the Patriots didn’t move the ball very effectively after a great opening drive. Damien Harris carried five times in 25 yards, touched down on the opening drive and seemed to be heading for a big day. However, the Texans adjusted a bit and limited him to just 18 yards with the next six carries. At the same time, the Houston attack dominated the game and sprinted to the 21-10 lead, forcing the Patriots to catch up throughout the second half. I thought there were some opportunities to run the ball that New England chose to throw. An example came in the second half of the first half, which was still 14-10. The Patriots stole the ball with about four minutes remaining, throwing the ball in two out of three plays, three outs, and forced a punt. However, the overall Harris was stopped after a quick start, and the Patriots had to move the ball through the air. Ultimately, they couldn’t do so consistently enough to elicit a victory.
Paul Perilo

Realistically, does the Patriots have a shot that goes into the playoffs with a record of 10-6? I know you don’t have a crystal ball, but if Pat wipes out the dolphins and defeats Bills next time, can we still sneak in? Or is 10-6 records not enough?
Dave Gera

I would say a 10-6 record would definitely put the Patriots in the playoffs. The problem with that is that I think the Patriots are pretty unlikely to end up on a 10-6 record. Due to the inconsistency on both sides of the ball, we cannot see the six consecutive wins at the end of the season at this time. New England is 1-4 on the road and will go on a three-game expedition within two weeks. Expecting to beat all three (Chargers, Rams, Dolphins) seems like a pretty daunting task. But if Patriot manages to get things done and finish 10-6 with six straight wins, I’m sure that’s enough to qualify for the playoffs.
Paul Perilo

Field Goal separates the Patriots from the NFL’s worst team, the Jets. Does Bill Belichick get a free pass for this performance from ownership? If so, will he get it next year?
Stan C.

I don’t know how ownership feels about this season or Belichick in general, but if he has a free pass, I think he deserves it based on his excellence over the last two decades. Tom Brady isn’t here anymore, and patriots are clearly about to begin a transitional period that begins here quite rocky through 10 games. But that doesn’t mean that Belichick should be feeling the heat. This is to be expected and most of the rest of the NFL’s life. Let’s take a look at how the Patriots will rebuild in the future, and after a while, what things will look like, and then give us time to understand if Belichick feels like the right person for the future. But given the six titles and all the wins over the last two decades, Belichick deserves far more rope than this.
Paul Perilo

Can you shed some light on what happened to Devin Ashi Ashi and Dalton Keane this year? Neither has participated in the game and both appear in the injured list. Why are the two highly regarded newcomers, who play very little for the Patriots, more or less continuously participating in IR?
Edward Diner

Both players played in the game and then both were injured. Keane was actually out of the training camp and was injured and was not available at the beginning of the season. Then he returned to join the game, apparently injured again and placed in the IR. Ashi Ashi was playing weekly to start the season, but was a bit more confused because he was inactive when Keane returned and eventually missed the game for personal reasons. Shortly thereafter, he was put on the injured list and Belichick explained that it was due to an injury, but it is unknown what the injury was. But the injury did happen, and this was just the year of the red shirt for both the rookie tight end, which was a big disappointment.
Paul Perilo

When does the Patriots wear a red uniform? I really like the red throwback in Pat’s helmet.
Corey give up

The Patriots have no plans to wear these throwback uniforms this season, and helmets haven’t been worn for years since the NFL enacted rules requiring players to use only one helmet throughout the season. .. Therefore, under these restrictions, the use of the PatPatriot logo becomes more difficult.
Paul Perilo

What is the status of JJ Taylor? Why didn’t we really meet him after the strong start of the first week? The other RBs were good, but he seemed to have amazing potential.
Steve stewart

Taylor played in the first three games and contributed on limited occasions. He did show some flash of abilities during those games. With Damian Harris as the lead ball carrier, Taylor’s need is reduced. Taylor also dealt with a private illness along the way, which also took him some time. Taylor has been declared in the last seven games, but perhaps a Rex Burkehead injury could give him more chances to move forward evenly.
Paul Perilo

I think the number and quality of COVID opt-outs the Patriots are experiencing this season continues to limit the playoffs outlook, while forcing young players to develop very quickly. If you had a “normal” opt-out number, do you think the season would be significantly different at this point?
John Gawienovsky

I’m not sure what the “normal” amount of COVID opt-out is, but I don’t think the situation will change much. The Donta High Tower clearly helps defend in positions where the team is severely scarce. Will it lead to more victories? It’s certainly impossible to know, but he would have helped. Patrick Chan would have helped, but Adrian Phillips, Terence Brooks, and Kyle Dagger played well for him. Therefore, these two opt-outs may have made a difference, but as I said, it is difficult to quantify it in terms of victory. Others are actually non-factors, with one possible exception – Marqise Lee. Depending on how Lee adapted to his new environment, he may have offered another option in the attack with a wide receiver. But that’s a big deal, given how difficult it is for recipients to immediately intervene and contribute. Losing a player with COVID certainly didn’t help, it’s true.
Paul Perilo

What do you think of the QB situation for the 2021 season? Obviously, it depends on how Cam Newton does for the rest of the year. Do you think Belichick saw enough to commit to Cam in the long run, or because the Jets probably seem to draft Trevor Lawrence, they either up / draft QB or veterans like Sam Darnold. Do you want to chase?
Keith Nelson

This seems to have emerged as the biggest question surrounding the team at this time. You don’t really have to see what happens the rest of the way to make a decision. I’ve seen enough, but whether it’s a veteran free agent or a rookie draft, there’s another option in quarterbacks. Obviously, there’s no way to know for sure which quarterbacks will be available, but I don’t think Newton is a viable answer in the future. He consistently puts pressure on the defense and doesn’t throw the ball with enough precision to put points on the board. He relies on powerful running games and excellent pass protection. Otherwise, he really has a hard time putting together a positive play. Therefore, for these reasons, we hope to see another option, especially for younger options.
Paul Perilo

This season is the third quarter and I think it’s safe for Newton to stay on the team next year. I personally don’t think so because he wants a big deal and Bill doesn’t care about it. If so, will Jarrett Stedham be an option for next season’s starter or someone else in the draft?
Alexis

Another question related to Newton, I have to say that the size of the contract has no effect on my opinion. He was able to agree on an affordable deal, and I still want to go ahead and find someone else. Based on what I’ve seen, I’m not sure if Stydam is happy to be a man. He trembles in his pocket, is unstable, and is prone to turnovers. Stydam is probably around to compete with the ones they decide to bring in, but in my view I don’t want anyone to be Newton.
Paul Perilo

I’m a big Patriots fan and I just wanted to say it’s hard to win if you keep playing like Baltimore. But my question is that the attack sparks when N’Keal Harry breaks out and gives us what we knew he had been in him all the time.
Stacy Red

This came before the Houston match, so obviously there’s a different slope now, but my answer wouldn’t have changed that much. The Patriots generally play hard and find ways to hang out and compete in the game, but lack the ability to play enough to win a tight game, which has been a problem all year round. I will. From Harry’s point of view, he doesn’t really see any indication that he has a lot of chances to move forward, as the route looks a bit stiff and there is no burst to create and play a consistent separation. Overall, the Patriots will struggle to create the consistency needed to keep the wins together.
Paul Perilo

N’Keal Harry hasn’t been very interesting for the past two years, but was impressed with his blocking ability when he saw him play against Ravens. Do you think Josh McDaniels might consider turning Harry into some sort of H-Back or straight tight end to take advantage of his skill set that suits what Josh wants to do?
Johnny Keef

Harry is a big wide receiver, but at 225 pounds it has a very small tight end. Despite some of the work he showed to Baltimore, I don’t see him as a great blocker. He wasn’t very good at the division against Houston and was asked for some penalties, and he would have to give some weight to be a good option in that position. I don’t object to giving it a shot because I feel I don’t have much to lose at this point. Perhaps he is a tight end of pass catch that can take advantage of playing against smaller defenders. Again, it’s worth a blow.
Paul Perilo