Bill Belichick isn't the type of head coach to publicly identify scapegoats to the media but there are plenty of players who deserve blame for the Patriots' 1-4 start. The trick for New England is to identify the players most responsible for the team's struggles and craft strategies to put them in better positions to succeed.
That process might involve benching a few current starters but the roster doesn't have enough depth to accommodate wholesale changes. As such, Belichick and his staff will need to get creative to improve the team's performance at their weakest spots.
The following four players deserve the most criticism from Belichick and Patriots fans. No one on this list has done nearly enough to justify their place in the team's starting lineup.
4. Rhamondre Stevenson
Getting the ground game up and moving would do a lot to cure the issues plaguing the New England offense. The reality that Stevenson is only averaging 2.8 yards per rush on a team-high 68 carries shows just how listless the team's rushing attack is at the moment.
In fairness to Stevenson, he's not getting enough help from his offensive line. That doesn't change the fact that Ezekiel Elliott is averaging a full yard per carry more than he is behind the same group. If Stevenson doesn't find a way to improve his efficiency soon he may lose carries to his big-name backup.
Look for Belichick and his offensive staff to double down on the run game over the new few weeks. Stevenson will get plenty of touches to improve his production and he needs to take advantage of those opportunities.
3. Keion White
Matthew Judon's injury is a big blow to the Patriots defense. They did not have a ferocious pass rush with him in the mix and his absence only compounds the team's deficiencies when it comes to harassing opposing quarterbacks.
New England spent a valuable second-round draft pick on Keion White last season to take some pressure off of Judon. Instead of blossoming into a key contributor in his second season as a pro, the former Georgia Tech edge rusher is languishing behind Deatrich Wise on the depth chart.
His inability to turn his potential and speed on the edge into production is a big reason why the Patriots lack a quality pass rush in Judon's absence. The team might need to force-feed White snaps on obvious passing downs in the coming weeks to see if he will sink or swim as an NFL player. That's not the risk any organization wants to be forced to take with a second-round pick in their second season.
It's too early for New England to give up on White entirely, but this is his chance to step up and prove he's capable of playing meaningful snaps. If he can't fill some of the void created by Judon's injury then the word "bust" is going to be thrown around regarding the unproven edge rusher.
2. Vederian Lowe
Trent Brown is a rock as the Patriots' starting left tackle. Unfortunately for Belichick and his offensive staff, Vederian Lowe is a turnstile at the right tackle spot. His poor play has made the team's offense look dysfunctional at times through the first five games of the 2023 season.
Lowe's PFF average of 45.2 on the season tells a succinct story of just how bad he's been. It's hard to point at anything he's done right on the young season. In particular, his poor pass blocking has left quarterback Mac Jones running for his life on multiple occasions.
Unfortunately for New England, the options behind Lowe on the depth chart aren't overly appealing. He's going to get every opportunity to improve his play over the next few weeks to maintain his spot in the starting lineup. The prospect of replacing Lowe with someone like Calvin Anderson isn't likely to yield much of an upgrade.
At the absolute minimum, the Patriots need Lowe to improve his run blocking to the point where opponents can't overload the left side of the line due to his inadequacies. Lowe isn't the long-term answer for this team at right tackle but they need him to stop playing like one of the worst starters in the league. As long as that continues it's not going to matter what else New England tries to scheme on offense.
1. Mac Jones
The lack of support from his offensive line hasn't made things easier for Mac Jones this season. He's already been sacked nine times on the young season and he's thrown the ball away under pressure on numerous occasions. His inability to elevate the players around him is still a limiting factor for New England's offense that cannot be ignored.
Belichick might want Jones to play like a point guard, but he doesn't have the talent around him to enjoy that type of luxury. This version of the Patriots offense needs a quarterback who can force the issue and make plays off schedule. Jones lacks the dynamic abilities to make that happen for the Patriots.
Whenever an assignment is missed it forces Jones into an uncomfortable situation where he can't be successful. His mobility is average at best. His arm strength is below the standard required to make off-platform throws against pressure. The theory of Jones requires him to be an elite mental processor of the game to make up for his lack of physical gifts but that is not showing up on field this season.
Backup quarterback Bailey Zappe continues to get more and more practice reps for a reason. The Patriots' brain trust is not satisfied with what Jones is giving them. If he doesn't show marked improvement soon then New England may be changing their long-term plans at the game's most important position.
