The Patriots sit at 1-2 in the early part of the 2023 season and while there’s still plenty of time to catch up in the AFC playoff race, there’s one thing that standing in New England’s way: offensive production.
Through three weeks, Bill O’Brien and Mac Jones’ unit has scored just 52 points total, an average of 17.33 points per game, which ranks 26th in the NFL.
The Patriots travel to Dallas this weekend to take on the Cowboys, and our partners at FanDuel Sportsbook don’t have much confidence in their offense getting any better. They currently have the fourth most likely odds to score the lowest amount of points on Sunday:
Lowest Scoring Team – (Sunday Only)
Arizona Cardinals +650
New York Jets +900
Washington Commanders +1200
New England Patriots +1300
Baltimore Ravens +1400
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +1400
Tennessee Titans +1500
Houston Texans +1700
Atlanta Falcons +1900
Chicago Bears +2100
Despite being 26th in scoring, New England’s offense actually sits in the middle of the pack in terms of yards gained. They’re 13th in total average yards per game (342.7), 14th in average rushing yards per game (107), and 11th in average passing yards per game (235.7). They’re also 6th in red zone percentage (71.4%).
So what’s the fix? Limiting turnovers, perhaps, but even on Sunday they didn’t cough up the football and only scored 10 points.
Offensive line play? Jones wasn’t sacked once this weekend and the team rushed for 157 yards on 40 carries.
The answer is simply finishing drives and getting in the endzone. You’re not going to compete with the Kansas City’s, Cincinnati’s, and Buffalo’s of the world if you can’t consistently score alongside them. For starters, New England needs more chunk plays and more production from the playmakers they brought in this offseason. This weekend, against a Trevon Diggs-less Cowboys, could be the start of their journey over the hump.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick and head to FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook, for all of your sports wagering.
