Patriots 2022 season in quotes from “The Office”

Just under a week ago, the Patriots’ 2022 season ended in Buffalo. For the Patriots community, the season was a roller-coaster ride filled with emotions. The Patriots’ defense carried them through 2022 while their offense regressed from last year. As a result, this season was filled with quarterback controversies, thrilling finishes, uncharacteristic mistakes, milestones, and player suspensions.

Questionable coaching led players to act out on the field and speak out in the locker room. Robert Kraft told the media last season he was “disappointed” the Patriots haven’t won a playoff game since the 2018 Super Bowl.

I decided to twist my end-of-season recap for the Patriots by combining two things I love; the New England Patriots and “The Office.” So below I take my favorite Office quotes and merge them with important moments that defined the Patriots season. This was a fun piece to write as the worlds of Matt Patricia, Mac Jones, and Bill Belichick combine with Michael Scott, Kevin Malone, and Dwight Schrute.

Without further ado, here is my Patriots season in review, using… “The Office” quotes.

Bill Belichick putting Matt Patricia and Joe Judge in charge of leading the offense:

“This is an environment of welcoming, and you should just get the hell out of here.” – Micheal Scott, Season 1, “Diversity Day”

The biggest storyline of the Patriots season wasn’t about the players but who would be leading the players. Before the season started, various reports indicated former Patriots defensive coordinator and Lions head coach Matt Patricia would be the de facto coordinator and call offensive plays for the Patriots.

Last offseason the Patriots lost longtime offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels when he departed to Las Vegas to coach the Raiders. Along with McDaniels leaving, the Patriots saw two offensive assistants head to Las Vegas, with Mick Lombardi (wide receivers) and Carmen Bricillo (offensive line). Meanwhile, longtime assistants Dante Scarnecchia (O-line coach) and Ivan Fears (running backs) left for retirement. This led to the worst offensive performance in recent years for the Patriots, and according to Football Outsiders, it was the least efficient offense since 1995.

The sophomore season is one of the more important development years for an NFL quarterback, and throughout the season, you could see the regression in Mac Jones. Last year, Mac Jones excelled under the Patriots’ offense in his rookie year and finished in the top 15 range in most stats. The 24-year-old finished 13th in passing yards (3,801), 8th in completion percentage 67.6%, and 14th in passing touchdowns (22). Jones’s success earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl and the NFL Networks’ top 100 player list of 2022. However, Jones hasn’t seen the same success this season and struggled at many points. The Patriots rank 29th on third down percentage (34.09%) and last in red zone efficiency (37.84%). Those two areas are arguably the most important areas to succeed. Unfortunately, the Patriots could not succeed in third down and the redzone.

During the summer, the Patriots tried an experiment to implement a new offensive scheme, shifting to an outside zone system, modeled by 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and Rams coach Sean McVay. This scheme attacks the open space instead of the players and offers lots of versatile play that stresses defenses on the field’s perimeter. This type of offense will force defenses to run horizontally and puts more pressure on the running back to make the blocking scheme of the offensive line. According to Football Outsiders 101, “Even if offensive linemen lose ground, the back can run off of those blocks and create positive plays that exploit fast-filling linebackers. With an outside track, linebackers and second-level defenders must respect the threat of the offense getting the edge. That can then open huge cutback lanes in the middle of the field for running backs to take advantage of” However the Patriots failed to succeed in this new system, and players seemed unhappy with the Patriots play calling at times.

While many people are blaming Matt Patricia, Bill Belichick should receive most of the blame for putting a defensive-minded head coach in charge of leading an NFL offense. It’s fair to say Matt Patricia won’t be calling more offensive plays in the future, and so it begins; Mac Jones will see his third offensive play caller in his first three seasons in the NFL. Not ideal.

Questionable Kendrick Bourne usage:

“I have a lot of questions. Number one, how dare you?” – Kelly Kapoor, Season 4, “Survivor Man”

Staying with the offense, one of the more questionable coaching decisions in 2022 was Kendrick Bourne’s playing time, which left many Patriots fans angry for answers. During training camp in the summer, Bourne was reportedly kicked out of practice twice, once for an equipment issue and once for engaging in a fight. As a result, Bourne didn’t start the first couple weeks of the season, but he usually made explosive plays when he was on the field. Despite playing fewer snaps than Nelson Agholor and DeVante Parker, Bourne finished with more receiving yards then Agholor and more receptions than DeVante Parker.

After coming off the best statistical season of his career last season, Bourne saw a drop in every category. Last season he finished with a career-high 55 catches and 800 receiving yards. In the offseason, the hope was Bourne would continue his dynamic play-making, including his ability to run the football. However, after playing 573 offensive snaps in 2021, Bourne saw 441 opportunities on the field in 2022. This season Bourne finished 35 receptions with 434 yards and one score.

Bourne will enter the final year of his two-year contract but has no intentions of requesting a trade, per Mass Live reporter Mark Daniels. After the season finale, Daniels asked Bourne if he intends to finish his contract in New England. He responded, “No, no, no…Just locking in. Talk to the coaches and see what they thought about me this year in the next meeting and then going from there and trying to go.” Bourne is set to earn $4.75 million.

2022 Special teams disaster:

“You know what they say about a car wreck where it’s so awful you can’t look away?” – Pam Beasley, Season 2, “The Dundies”

Teams across the league used to look up to the Patriots’ special teams unit as a role model, as Bill Belichick used to pride himself in special teams. However, this year the unit struggled, partly due to injuries but also because they were poorly coached and constantly executed poorly. Early in the year, long time specialist Cody Davis suffered a torn ACL, sidelining him from the rest of the season. Meanwhile, All-Pro punter Jake Bailey injured his back during the middle of the season and never returned.

Starting with the kickoff unit, which allowed three kick return touchdowns this year. During the 2022 NFL season, there were six kick return touchdowns, and the Patriots defended three. The Patriots hadn’t allowed a kick return touchdown since 2010, and the last time an opposing team returned an opening kickoff was in 2002. The first time the Patriots allowed a kick return touchdown was on Thanksgiving night against the Vikings, who beat the Patriots by seven. Then it all trickled down to the season finale, where the Patriots allowed two kickoff returns. The Bills beat the Patriots by 12, and the question is, could the Patriots be in the postseason had they not allowed the devastating returns in the season finale? The Patriots had trouble kicking the ball through the end zone, which set up large returns by opponents.

The punting unit had one of the worst seasons in Patriots history. Bailey was the starting punter at the beginning of the season but started shaky as he posted a career-low 35.2 net yards per punt. After Bailey got hurt, Michael Palardy handled punts. However, after a decent start, Palardy’s production started to trickle, as he only netted 37.3 yards per punt and often had 30-yard kicks. Bailey signed a four-year contract extension in the summer, but his contract is in jeopardy because of his suspension.

The only positive part of the Patriots’ special team’s play was rookie Marcus Jones. Jones averaged 23.8 yards per kickoff and 12.5 yards per punt return, the fifth in the league. Jones won the game for the Patriots in Week 9 when he returned an 84-yard punt for a touchdown in the closing seconds. However, the Patriots often committed uncharacteristic penalties, including roughing the kicker, which often gave the opposing team another first down.

Lastly, kicker Nick Folk’s consistent start at the beginning of the season started to deteriorate as the season went on, finishing 32 for 37 on FG attempts. Before the bye week, Folk made all 20 of his extra points and went 19/21 on field goals. However, he missed three extra points in the season’s final weeks. Folk is a free agent in 2024, and next year he’s scheduled to make a base salary of $1,690,000 and cost $2.6 million against the cap.

The Patriots literally throw the ball away in Vegas:

” NOOO, GOD! NO, GOD, PLEASE, NO! NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” – Micheal Scott, Season 5, “Frame Toby”

I never thought I would say the Patriots are a situationally bad football team in a million years, but this season has proved the once impossible. In Week 15, the Patriots lost to Josh McDaniels and Las Vegas Raiders on one of the most improbable and dramatic plays in NFL history. After trailing 17-3 going into halftime, the Patriots had to climb their way back, and they did just that, taking a late 24-17 lead. However, the Raiders got the ball back and converted a fourth-and-ten, tying the game.

The Patriots decided to call a draw play with seconds remaining on the clock. Stevenson found a game and rushed for 20 yards before LATERALING the ball to Jakobi Meyers, who decided to THROW ACROSS THE FIELD to Mac Jones. Chandler Jones then intercepted the ball, stiff-armed Mac Jones, and took the football to the house, winning the game as time expired.

Many fans compared the play to the Miami Miracle, which took away the first seed from the Patriots. This game will live as the game that cost the Patriots the playoffs, but if we were being real, did the Patriots really deserve a playoff spot? Chandler Jones, a former Patriot, said after the game, “We were in a desperado situation. We knew there was zero time left on the clock, and I think I saw Jakobi kind of spot up to throw it back –, and I was just looking for the nearest guy, and Mac Jones was right there,” Chandler Jones said. “I kind of just went up there and got it and broke a tackle and scored.” That play was just the second go-ahead defensive TD on the final regulation play in NFL history.

Bailey Zappe vs. Mac Jones quarterback controversy:

“Sometimes I’ll start a sentence and I don’t even know where it’s going. I just hope I find it along the way.” – Michael Scott, Season 5, “The Duel”

One of the NFL season’s biggest controversies occurred when Mac Jones got sidelined at the beginning of the season due to an ankle injury. When Jones was on the bench, the Patriots first turned to veteran quarterback Brain Hoyer to lead their team; however, it didn’t last long. Playing at Lambeau field against the Packers in Week 14, Hoyer suffered a concussion on the game’s second drive, and all eyes turned to fourth-round draft pick Bailey Zappe. The 23-year-old was active for the first time in Week 4 in the absence of Mac Jones. Zappe showed poise in his NFL debut, completing 10 of 15 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. However, the Patriots came short in a narrow 27-24 overtime loss.

Over the next couple of weeks, Patriots fans far and wide were divided between the injured Mac Jones and the thriving Bailey Zappe. Some fans caught a case of “Zappe fever”. Some New Englanders remembered the moment Drew Bledsoe went down and caused Tom Brady to make his debut. Could it be the same? The following week, Bailey Zappe earned his first win, this time in Foxborough. The Patriots shut out the Lions 29-0 in a thrilling home victory. Zappe remained strong, completing 17 of 21 passes for 188 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Is it Zappening? Well, the Patriots traveled to Cleveland with Bailey remaining the starter. The Patriots continued this success and scored the most points of any game this season in a 38-15 victory. The Western Kentucky product looked like a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback throwing for 309 yards and two touchdowns while completing 70% of his passes, earning himself a 118 quarterback rating. Zappe was the first quarterback to post a 100+ quarterback rating in his first three games.

Maybe the most anticipated week in the “new” Patriots era arrived as Mac Jones was ready to suit up and play. Many were split on who should be the starting quarterback, leading to many analysts speaking out. However, Belichick dodged questions throughout the week, and no one knew the quarterback leading up to game time. NFL insider Adam Schefter reported two hours before kickoff, the Patriots would alternate quarterbacks, and that was the case for the most part. Jones got the start, but it didn’t last long as he tossed an early interception to put his team down 14-0 in the first half. Gillette stadium rang with “Put in Zappe” chants, and the crowd got what they wanted. Bailey Zappe replaced Mac Jones at quarterback. Immediately after coming in the game, Zappe led the offense 55 yards down the field in four plays. The “Zappenator” found Jakobi Meyers for a 30-yard touchdown. Then the Patriots’ defense came alive and gave the ball back to the offense, which scored another touchdown. However, it didn’t last long, as the Patriots didn’t score again in that game.

Patriots fans remained divided throughout the following weeks about the starting quarterback situation. Eventually, Mac Jones finished the season, but he was often put on a short leash and didn’t get a chance to excel in the new offensive system.

Marcus Jones’s triple threat ability:

“My mind is going a mile an hour.” – Micheal Scott, Season 6, “Whistleblower”

Marcus Jones’s 2022 season was electrifying. Jones contributed to the Patriots on offense AND defense, AND special teams. The third-round draft pick scored on every unit for the Patriots this season and constantly gave the Patriots a spark.

Jones won the game for the Patriots in Week 9 when the rookie ran 84 yards to score off a punt return in the final seconds. Jones was only one of three NFL players to score a touchdown off a punt return and led the league in punt return yards, even with not returning a punt the first three weeks of the season. In Week 13 against the Bills, the All-Pro recorded a 48-yard receiving touchdown off a screen pass which sent Gillette Stadium into a frenzy. Finally, in Week 16, Jones continued his athleticism, recording a 69-yard pick-6 against Joe Burrow. With those three touchdowns, Jones joined Deion Sanders as the only players in NFL history to score a touchdown on offense, defense, and a punt return for a touchdown of at least 40 yards each.

Marcus Jones was the only Patriots player who was selected to get selected to the Associated Press “All-Pro first team.

Bill Belichick’s “day to day” rant on Mac Jones’s injury:

“And I knew exactly what to do. But in a much more real sense, I had no idea what to do.” – Micheal Scott, Season 5, “Stress Relief”

If one thing is certain Patriots head coach Bill Belichick hates the media. When Mac Jones suffered a high ankle sprain, it led to lot’s of questions, which warranted fans and reporters wanting answers ASAP. Well before the Packers game, Bill Belichick used the phrase “day-by-day” to describe Mac Jones’s ankle. Here’s the transcript:

Q: Do you expect Mac [Jones] to start on Sunday for you guys?

BB: Take it day-by-day.

Q: When you go through the process of preparing the game plan and you have that level of uncertainty at quarterback, what impact does that have on that process as you start to put the game plan together?

BB: Not too much. Brian’s [Hoyer] got a lot of experience. He’s done everything that we would want to do. Mac [Jones] would be able to do it with I think minimal practice if that is what it was. So just take it day-by-day. We’re not really doing anything differently.

Q: Is the plan for Mac [Jones] to have any kind of procedure to help with the process here?

BB: Day-by-day Phil [Perry]. Day-by-day. That’s the plan. Day-by-day.

Q: Are you and the team on the same page as Mac [Jones] and his team when it comes to the injury on how to progress and move forward?

BB: Yeah, I’m not really sure what the nature of that question is. Day-by-day it’s getting better. See how it goes. Day-by-day.

Q: Does he have a high ankle sprain?

BB: Day-by-day. What do I look like? A doctor. An orthopedic surgeon. I don’t know. Talk to the medical experts.

Q: What do the medical experts on staff say to you?

BB: Day-by-day. We’ll evaluate him. What difference does it make to me? What do you think? I’m going to read you the MRI? That’s not my job.

Q: But it’s there and they talk to you about it right?

BB: Yeah, it’s getting better day-by-day. We’ll see how it is tomorrow. It’s a lot better than it was yesterday. We’ll see.

I mean c’mon, right! Eventually Mac Jones earned his first start in Week 8 against the Packers, four weeks after this press conference.

Belichick passes George Halas for all time career wins:

“Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.” – Michael Scott, Season 2, “The Fight”

Bill Belichick continues to add to his long and impressive NFL resume, as he passed former Bears coach George Halas and took sole possession of second place on the all-time wins list when the Patriots beat the New York Jets 22-17 on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Belichick currently has 329 all-time wins and is chasing Don Shula’s 347 leading victories. However, Belichick would have to do the seemingly impossible and win 19 games next season to pass Shula. The Hall of fame coach is set to return to his 23rd season coaching the Patriots and his 29th year of coaching in the NFL. Belichick turns 71 in April.

Belichick’s overall coaching record is 324-157. He has won 67% of his games , which ranks seventh among the 104 NFL coaches who have won at least 50 regular-season games in their careers.

Mac Jones’s questionable dirty plays continue:

“Whenever I’m about to do something, I think, ‘Would an idiot do that?’ And if they would, I do not do that thing.” – Dwight Schrute, Season 3, “Phyllis’ Wedding”

Quarterback Mac Jones had his fair share of questionable aggressive plays against opportunities, which put NFL defensive players on notice. The sophomore also had outbursts on the bench, whether directed at coaches, players, or both. Let’s look at the Mac Jones dirty plays/outburst timeline.

Week 9 vs. the Panthers, 2021

Notoriously known as the Brian Burns incident, Mac Jones began a quarrel with Panthers defensive end Brian Burns. Burns striped-sacked Jones, and when both players tried to recover the ball, the quarterback held on to Burns’s leg by the ankle and twisted it, bringing Burns down. The Panthers star would suffer a sprained ankle, while the rookie quarterback wouldn’t be fined. NFL player Hasson Reddick spoke on the accident, saying, “I actually saw and witnessed the play while it was happening. At first, it felt like he was trying to trip or kick Burns. And the next thing you know, I saw him tugging on Burns’ ankle. I thought it was completely dirty. Hopefully, it’s something the league addresses.”

Week 7 vs. the Bears, 2022

When Mac Jones returned to play after being injured, Jones began his “dirty” play antics again when he kicked two Bears players in places you don’t want to be kicked.

Week 16 vs. the Bengals, 2022

Maybe the worst of all, Mac Jones found himself in the middle of controversy again. In Week 16, Bengals cornerback Eli Apple recovered a fumble (later ruled incomplete) and ran to the Patriots’ end zone, trying to put the game out of reach. However, when Jones was pursuing Apple, he tried diving at the Bengals cornerback’s legs. Eli Apple spoke after the game, stating “I thought it was a dirty play. He’s done that before, I’ve seen it,” The NFL agreed, fining Jones $13,367 for the play.

The Patriots keep scoring on defense.

“Oh my God, it’s happening! Everybody stay calm. Stay f*cking calm!” – Michael Scott, Season 5, “Stress Relief”

The Patriots’ defense found opportunities to make opposing offenses pay the price if they turned the ball over. As a result, the Patriots had an NFL-leading seven touchdowns. Defensive back Kyle Dugger leads the team with three touchdowns. Jakobi Meyers was the only pass catcher who found the end zone more than three times. In 2003, the Patriots had six touchdowns on defense, but New England never had more than six defensive scores. The NFL record is seven touchdowns accomplished by the 2022 Patriots and the 2017 Jaguars.

The defense often kept the Patriots’ competitors in many games and constantly put points on the board. Even with Pro Bowler J.C. Jackson leaving the Patriots in free agency last season, the Patriots found a way to turn their defense into a top-5 unit in the NFL.

Jack Jones and Jake Bailey’s suspension:

“I Do Not Apologize Unless I Think I’m Wrong, And If You Don’t Like It, You Can Leave” – Stanley Hudson, “The Deposition”

When was the last time an NFL team suspended two players on the same day for two reasons? It’s never happened. When the Patriots moved CB Jack Jones and P Jake Bailey to the reserve/injured list, it brought questions to the Patriots’ organization. The two suspensions were not warranted by the NFL, but Bill Belichick decided to suspend the players.

Reportedly Jack Jones was suspended because of missed rehab assignments. The sixth-round selection had seen disciplinary issues before, as he was arrested during college for a breaking charge. However, the cornerback caught many Patriots fans’ eyes as his ball-hawking superior was one of his best traits. Jones played 454 defensive snaps and had 30 tackles, one forced fumble, one recovery, and two interceptions. Unfortunately, rookie cornerback Jack Jones was placed on the injured reserve list on New Year’s Eve due to a knee injury he suffered in Week 14 against the Cardinals. Jones hasn’t been active since saying “he feels fine” after the prime time match up in Scottsdale. The 25-year-old will end his rookie campaign with 30 tackles, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble, two interceptions, and one pick-six. The fourth-round draft pick made his time valuable in New England by playing 454 defensive snaps this season and starting two games. Jack Jones’s agent released the following statement:

“Jack is focused on recovering and getting back to help the Patriots as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the suspension appears to be due to miscommunication regarding Jack’s rehab process. I’m hopeful we’ll reach an amicable resolution for both Jack and the Patriots.”

Meanwhile, per ESPN Patriots insider Mike Reiss, punter Jake Bailey has been suspended due to a disagreement on when he should return to game action after suffering a back injury. Bailey was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2020 but struggled at the beginning of the year for the Patriots, averaging 42.1 yards a punt. The veteran was placed on the injured reserve in the middle of November and returned to practice on December 21st. Players have 21 days to get activated after they start practicing, and Bill Belichick told reporters Friday morning, “Bailey’s window closed.” Both players’ guaranteed money will likely be voided, which may lead to Jake Bailey’s release. Bailey signed a 3-year, $9.1 million extension this summer but is last in most punting statics. The Patriots could cut Bailey in the offseason and create $55K in cap space. Jake Bailey’s agent released the following statement on behalf of Bailey.

“While Jake Bailey was on (injured reserve), he never missed a single treatment, meeting or practice,” Hendrickson said, “He was hoping to come off IR to play last weekend, but Jake was informed he was being suspended these last two games. This comes as a surprise, given his full participation during injury reserve. We have filed a grievance to fight this unknown suspension.”

After the news came out, Belichick had an awkward press conference with reporters, asking about Bailey.

Q: Jake had been your kickoff person, and he’s not available to you, he’s on the suspended list. But his agent put out a statement saying that he hoped to come back and he was surprised by the suspension. I’m curious if you see it the same way?

BB: No.

Q: Could you elaborate how you see it?

BB: He wasn’t … he is not eligible to play.

Q: His agent said he felt like he was ready and he was surprised when he was told that he [was being suspended.]

BB: He was on designated for return, and he wasn’t able to play. So … I mean the suspension, it’s a whole ‘nother thing, but he wasn’t able to come back from the DFR.

Q: So he wasn’t unavailable because of the suspension, is what you’re saying?

BB: He was unavailable. That’s the bottom line.

Q: Because of the IR?

BB: He was unavailable.

Matthew Judon and Josh Uche dominant performance:

“Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?” – Kevin Malone, Season 8, “The Incentive”

Two players stood out for the Patriots on defense, edge rusher Matthew Judon and linebacker Matthew Judon. Starting with Judon, the Pro Bowler had 15.5 sacks and often gave opposing quarterbacks pressure. Meanwhile, Josh Uche had 11.5 sacks in 2022. The third-year linebacker only played 32% of the New England defensive snaps this season and was even an inactive player early on in the year. Both players will look to their continued success in 2023.

Patriots throwbacks making a return:

“There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn’t that kind of the point?” – Michael Scott, Season 9, “The Finale”

Nearly a decade after they were last worn, the New England Patriots saw the return of their “Pat the Patriot” red throwback uniforms. The Patriots were 9-3 when wearing the uniforms before facing off with the Detroit Lions. The Patriots would end up defeating the Detroit Lions in a shutout, but when they wore their uniforms a second time, they lost to the Bills. Many fans want to see the return of the Pat the Patriot uniforms in the future, and many players agree.

If you made it this far, I sincerely appreciate it. Well, all hands are on deck, this offseason, and the Patriots are expected to make changes. Make sure you subscribe below and follow me on all socials.

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