Will the Patriots offense get better? Jon Gruden thinks so!


Did anyone else curl up into a ball listening to the Five Stairsteps famous song, "Ooh Child" (Things are Gonna Get Easier) after watching last night's game? Oh I guess I was the only one! Listen I am not going to sit here and waste your time reflecting about what happened last night. I think we have all been tortured enough. The real question is will the Pats offense get better in the next few weeks?

ESPN NFL Insider Mike Sando spent time with Jon Gruden prior to last night's game to discuss what's happening with the Patriots offense. Let's take a look at Gruden's thoughts and I will provide my reaction.

Gruden's thought:
The strength of the team is no longer in the skill group of the Patriots

I couldn't agree more with this statement. My dad said the same exact thing while watching last night's game. We have been fortunate to have great seasons in the last several years. Winning can sometimes distract you from what is really going on. During the last few offseasons, the "Patriot Way" of acquiring talent has failed us. Don't believe me? Let me break it down for you. Our two most skilled players are a tight end in Rob Gronkowski that is on limited snaps to protect him from injury and a reception monster in Julian Edelman. We overpaid for Danny Amendola, Brandon LaFell has shown flashes, and we haven't had a deep threat since Randy Moss. At the running back position, we have a player that is trying to get out of Belichick's doghouse in Stevan Ridley and a finesse back that is not a true between the tackles runner in Shane Vereen. Mix this with a shaky o-line, a pressured QB that has no time to throw, a offensive coordinator with rather questionable play calling, and you have the recipe for whatever last night's performance was called.

Long gone are the days of blowing teams away with a potent offense. Until the Patriots office open up their wallet and pays for talent, we will continue to see the same struggles.  Here is something to ponder, the Patriots miserly ways cost us a shot at signing Emmanuel Sanders, DeSean Jackson, Steve Smith (who is killing it right now!), and James Jones.  Brady wants developed players.

Gruden's thought:
Gronkowski is not himself yet, but I have a feeling he is going to get back into form

The Patriots do seem to be rather cautious with their Pro Bowl tight end. Over the course of the season, we have seen his snap count slowly rise. I get that you have to slowly get him acclimated to the pace of the game or risk another injury. However, week 5 is upon us Coach Belichick and at what point do you release the kraken and let the big dog eat? Not sure if it makes sense to let Gronk play the majority of snaps against Cincinnati, who has one of the stingiest and most physical defenses in the league. But hey, I am just a spectator and not a coach. Regardless, I have to agree with Gruden again that Gronk's increased role will help the Patriots. Whenever that day comes!

Alright, I am going to go rapid fire and just rattle off some quick fixes to the offense

  • Pick up the damn phone and sign Richie Incognito!  The lack of protection is killing me Smalls!  
  • I have 6 words for Josh McDaniels - Slants, Screens, Shotgun, No Huddle Offense!  Tire out the defenses by picking up the tempo.  If they are tired then they can't pressure the QB as much!
  • Brady needs to find a rhythm.  I know that having time helps but if he can get 4 or 5 completions going on the first possession, it will help Brady's confidence.
  • Bring in Mikel Leshoure for a tryout.  Leshoure is a bruiser that doesn't shy away from contact.  The Pats desperately need a grinder for a change of pace.
Do I think the Patriots offense gets better?  The Captain Obvious answer is of course, because they can't get any worse.  We have another tough opponent in the Bengals this week before we have a divisional game against Buffalo.  If things keep going this way, I expect to see subtle improvements against the Bengals.  However, they will be moral victories since the Patriots will more than likely lose the game.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images


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