However you want to slice it, it’s been a frustrating season for the New England Patriots. With just three games remaining, the 7-7 Patriots — fresh off the dumbest possible loss at the hands of a disrespectful Chandler Jones’ stiff arm — sit on the outside of the playoff picture and will likely need a lot of help just to sneak into the postseason.
One of the bigger reasons for the Patriots’ inconsistent foibles this year has been a putrid offense. On Football Outsiders’ DVOA efficiency basis, the Patriots’ offense is 25th. Their outlook isn’t much better on a total yardage (25th) and scoring (17th) standard. While there are a variety of reasons that could explain their futility — Matt Patricia is in over his head as the play-caller, the receiving and offensive line groups are some of the NFL’s worst — much of the Patriots’ struggles can be explained away by Mac Jones’ second-year struggles at quarterback.
