Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images This week’s Patriots mailbag answers questions about tanking, Mac Jones’ future, and more. On the NFL Network broadcast last Sunday night, Kurt Warner relayed a message from New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones: “If we’re gonna go home, we want to take everyone with us.” It was a message that echoed Jabrill Peppers’ comments from two weeks ago after the team was officially eliminated from playoff contention. “You can ruin some people’s offseason as well,” the safety said. “ That’s definitely in the back of my mind.” After all but taking the Denver Broncos home with them after a 26-23 victory on Christmas Eve, the Patriots next opportunity to play spoiler will come this Sunday against their AFC East foe Buffalo Bills — who currently hold the sixth seed in the AFC with nine wins. But while wins are still sweet for New England’s players and coaches, they may be hurting the organization in the long run. After securing their fourth win on Sunday, the Patriots slid back to pick No. 4 in the NFL Draft. So, why keep winning? Let’s break that down and more in this week’s #PostPulpit mailbag. Why are they still winning these games?!?!? - Evan M. I understand the frustration, but the players in that locker room do not tank. Neither do the coaches. They do not care about a higher draft pick — heck, Bill Belichick might not even be here to use it. Everyone on that sideline is playing for their career and next contract. Putting out bad film is not in their best interest. Also, it’s still good to see the locker room is full of competitors. Those are the types of guys you want to build this back up through. While I understand that a higher draft pick is best for the future, you don’t want losing to start being engrained in the culture. And on the draft pick, the Patriots still sit at the No. 4 pick where we stand right now. I get the higher you are the more opportunities are open to you, but they should still have their shot at one of the top three quarterbacks (who we’ll touch on soon). They could also move back up the board throughout these final two weeks. Let’s wait to truly freak out until this is all set and done. @TomeTrosanina From a business standpoint what do the patriots do if Mac is no longer viewed as QB1? Cut? Trade? Or let him ride it out as a backup? I have a tough time envisioning Mac Jones being back with the Patriots next season. I think it’s in both sides’ interest to part ways and would not be surprised to see a team (Minnesota? San Fran?) throwing a late-round pick New England’s way for a former first-round draft pick still on a manageable rookie contract. @pats300levelpod How far is the drop off from Jayden Daniels to Michael Penix as a QB prospect? Is the fact that Penix is a lefty a significant hindrance or is that historically overblown? For me, pretty significant. Drake Maye and Caleb Williams are the consensus top two quarterbacks in this class, but Jayden Daniels has certainly been on a trajectory to catch them. As of now, I think all three may be gone within the first five selections. From there there is a drop off for me. I like Penix as a player — he may have the best deep ball in the class and could just be described as a dawg — but there are some clear concerns. Beyond the obvious ones of age and injury history, he has occasional accuracy issues and while he can create out of structure at times he isn’t the athlete as the other top quarterbacks. And while it may sound silly, being a lefty could certainly scare some teams off. While all it takes is one team to think differently, I wouldn’t pick Penix until day two. Securing one of the top three options with the Patriots first selection would be my preference. Credit to Ryland for making that big kick but are we supposed to have confidence in him all of a sudden? He still has missed a ton of kicks and I don’t see it getting better - Mike D. He’s all the way back, Mike. But seriously, if his issues were mostly mental then one kick like that certainly could snap him out of his funk. It’s also important to remember that rookie kickers are also historically spotty accuracy wise. Adam Vinatieri missed eight kicks his rookie season. Stephen Gostkowski missed six. We saw Sunday night that Ryland has the talent — also at Maryland where he went 19-of-23 during his final collegiate season that featured making 16-of-17 within 50 yards — so perhaps this helps him get back on track. A strong finish in these final two games would also go a long way. We get they need lots of help on offense but any underrated need or player signing they could make in free agency? - Mark Nobody wants to hear it, but this team may need new players to cover kicks. Matthew Slater seems set to retire. Brenden Schooler has taken a significant step back this season. Cody Davis will be 34 years old and an unrestricted free agent. And the only time we hear Chris Board’s name is when he’s committing a penalty. All of it has resulted in some back-breaking returns against and a bad special teams unit that may need an overhaul. Will Rodney finally get in the hall of fame? Feel like its long overdue but not sure if he’ll get the recognition - AJ He should, but I feel pretty similar to you, AJ. With only five players being selected I, unfortunately, have a tough time seeing him getting voted in. I’d also love to see Devin Hester get in, but think he may fall with Rodney on the outside looking in. That’s all for this week’s #PostPulpit mailbag. If you have questions you’d liked to be answered next week, submit them on Twitter using #PostPulpit. Make sure to be following @iambrianhines and @PatsPulpit as well. Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/2023/12/29/2 ... ning-games
