Patriots
New England’s offense only gained six first downs at a snowy Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots’ 2023 season came to a merciful end on Sunday afternoon at a snowy Gillette Stadium, with miserable conditions setting the stage for a 17-3 loss to the Jets.
Bailey Zappe (12-of-30, 88 yards, two interceptions) and the Patriots’ offense generated just 120 total yards of offense.
In what might be Bill Belichick’s final game coaching the Patriots, New England saw its 15-game win streak against the Jets come to an end.
The Patriots close out the 2023 season with a 4-13 record, while the Jets end the year at 7-10.
Here are a few early observations from the Patriots’ final game of the 2023 season:
Patriots offense stalls out in snowy conditions.
For the first time since a memorable 59-0 trouncing of the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 18, 2009, the Patriots took to the field at a snow-swept Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
And with the conditions deteriorating just ahead of kick-off, it should come as little surprise that two lackluster offenses in the Patriots and Jets labored moving the ball with any sort of regularity on Sunday.
No, New England wasn’t knocked for four first-half turnovers on Sunday, as was the case last week against the Bills. But Bailey Zappe and Co. struggled to generate any sort of sustained drive against the Jets.
New England only gained six first downs and 120 total yards of offense on Sunday.
The first half was a brutal slog for New England, with the Patriots only gaining two first downs and 69 total yards over seven total drives. New England did not move the chains until Jalen Reagor reeled in a 33-yard catch with 12:43 left in the second quarter.
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, New England’s two first downs over the first 30 minutes of play were the fewest in a first half since the Patriots gained just two in a 16-0 loss to the Bills in 2016.
New England’s offense during Zappe’s tenure as QB1 has usually featured sustained surges of strong play during at least one half of game action. But as the weather continued to worsen, any hopes of a Patriots comeback slipped away as players struggled to snag balls and gain traction on the gridiron.
New York and quarterback Trevor Siemian didn’t fare much better on Sunday. But the Jets did enough to land a few punches against New England, with Greg Zuerlein connecting on two field goals and Breece Hall gaining 174 rushing yards.
New England did put themselves in a position to orchestrate one final, game-winning drive in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter.
After Zappe’s pass was picked off by Jets safety Ashtyn Davis, the ball was knocked loose by Mike Gesicki — with Vederian Lowe recovering the ball to convert on what was a 2nd-and-26 play.
But just a few plays later, Zappe was intercepted again (this time by Tony Adams) to end the drive. Hall put the nail in the coffin with a 50-yard touchdown run with 1:47 to go in the game.
Yes, the snowy conditions sure didn’t do the Patriots any favors in their season finale. But as noted by NESN.com’s Zack Cox, Sunday marked the sixth time under Belichick that the Patriots have finished a game with 10 or fewer first downs. Four of those games have come this season.
New England is now 11-1 during snow games at both Gillette and Foxboro Stadium in its franchise history.
Patriots secure a top-3 pick in 2024 NFL Draft.
The bad news? The Patriots saw their extended winning streak against the Jets come to an unceremonious end on Sunday.
The good news? New England did lock itself into at least a top-three pick in the 2024 NFL Draft as a result of their 4-13 record.
As a result, the Patriots will be in a position to potentially draft a blue-chip quarterback like UNC’s Drake Maye or LSU’s Jayden Daniels, or even a No. 1 wideout like Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr.
New England will need to see how a few more Week 18 games play out before officially determining its draft position. There stands a chance that the Patriots could potentially leapfrog the Commanders and earn the No. 2 pick.
Washington could swap spots with New England if the Commanders managed to upset the Cowboys on Sunday evening, as unlikely as that might be.
A potential swan song for Matthew Slater
It remains to be seen if Sunday will stand as the final game that Bill Belichick coaches from the Patriots’ sideline.
But the writing does seem to be on the wall that New England’s season finale against the Jets marked the final game of Matthew Slater’s impressive football career.
Even though Slater has not officially announced his retirement entering Sunday afternoon, the three-time Super Bowl champion and longtime captain has been reflective of his legacy in the days leading up to today’s game.
Bill Belichick called the five-time All-Pro a “Hall of Fame candidate” in December, while his teammates donned custom hoodies during warmups Sunday that detailed Slater’s impressive resume over his 16 seasons in Foxborough.
He also received a social-media shoutout from Tom Brady.
Slater, who embraced his parents ahead of kick-off, was regularly honored on the Gillette Stadium video board by way of several custom signs that fans showed off from the snow-covered stands.
The emotional core of New England’s locker room for close to two decades, Slater’s absence will be impossible to replace at Gillette Stadium.
What’s next?
As for Belichick, the waiting game begins when it comes to his future in Foxborough.
Unlike Slater, there were no sweeping gestures or any other tributes put forth by the Patriots that might have signaled an end to an era in New England.
If Sunday is Belichick’s final game with the Patriots, it’s unfortunate that it came on the same day that New England came up short against Belichick’s most-reviled franchise in the Jets.
There’s plenty to look ahead to in what stands to be a seismic offseason in Foxborough. New England has the means to significantly overhaul its roster, especially with that top-three pick and a boatload of cap space.
But before New England can start crafting a stronger roster for 2024, Robert Kraft and the Patriots’ ownership need to make a call on who’s running the show.
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LIVE UPDATES
4:08: Final: Jets win, 17-3. Patriots end the 2023 season with a 4-13 record.
3:56: Zappe is picked off for real this time. Jets take over.
3:52: Quite the way to convert on a 2nd-and-26. Vederian Lowe recovers the ball after Zappe throws a pick.
3:50: Jets are stopped on 4th down. Patriots take over on their 40.
3:45: Pharaoh Brown is trying to fight about 10 Jets players.
3:39: Zuerlein connects on another field goal.
9-3 Jets with 8:08 left in regulation.
3:30: Patriots go for it on 4th and 1, but Brown can’t reel it in. Jets take over on the 45.
3:27: 17-yard pickup by Reagor on a reverse.
3:23: End Third: Patriots trail the Jets, 6-3.
3:22: Garrett Wilson is being evaluated for a concussion.
3:09: Another PBU by Wilson, but Peppers is flagged for unnecessary roughness.
3:01: Of the 15 total drives that the Patriots and Jets have had today, 11 have ended in punts. 10 3-and-outs so far.
2:55: Quinnen Williams is feasting against New England’s O-line.
2:42: In case you wanted to know how the game is going.
2:28: Halftime: Jets lead, 6-3.
2:24: Zuerlein’s 49-yard kick is no good. Still a 6-3 game with 21 seconds left in the first half.
2:18: At the two-minute warning, New England has a whopping two first downs.
2:06: Snow conditions continue to get worse here in Foxborough.
2:01: New England’s defense does stand tall. But Zuerlein does connect on a 40-yard field goal.
6-3 Jets.
1:47: Garrett Wilson beats Shaun Wade for a 29-yard pickup.
1:52: Gesicki nearly reels in an impressive touchdown catch from Zappe, but Tony Adams breaks it up.
Ryland does connect on a 30-yard field goal. 3-3 game.
1:47: Jalen Reagor picks up a first down with 12:43 left in the first. Nice pick up from the wideout for 33 yards.
1:45: New England picks up a first down on run from Elliott, but it’s wiped out due to a holding call against Pop Douglas.
1:38: End First: Jets lead, 3-0.
1:37: New England now has -7 yards of offense on its first four drives. Yikes!
1:31: Zuerlein connects on a 21-yard field goal.
3-0 Jets.
1:24: A shanked punt from Baringer sets up New York in Patriots territory.
1:22: First team to three points might win today. Two of Zappe’s first five throws have nearly been picked off.
1:18: Four straight 3-and-outs to start this one.
1:15: The Patriots have -10 yards of offense through their first two drives.
1:13: Quinnen Williams gets a third-down sack against Zappe — then opts for a snow-angel celebration.
1:07: Patriots and Jets trade punts to start this one.
1:05: A hospital ball from Zappe there to Elliott.
1:04: Zappe’s first pass is nearly picked off.
1:00: Jets win the coin toss. They opt to defer. Zappe and Co. get the ball first.
12:50: James White rings the bell atop the Gillette Stadium lighthouse.
12:28: Here’s a look at New England’s projected O-line today.
12:17: Tom Brady showing some love for Matthew Slater on social media.
12:12: A live look-in at warmups.
12:01: Snow is really coming down now.
11:37: Wow, Mac Jones is inactive tonight.
11:35: Interesting.
11:20: Greetings from a snowy Gillette Stadium.
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