Punchless New England Patriots Offense Can't Win with Just Schemes

After my ears were assaulted by over 142 red-and-yellow decibels, my eyes had to endure another predictable performance from the 2014 New England Patriots offense.

One can't point to a single factor in the debacle; the full coaching staff and offensive unit can share in the fault. That said, both kudos and blame trickle downhill, and nobody should get more of the latter than head coach Bill Belichick, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and quarterback Tom Brady.

An offense predicated on deception, misdirection and multiplicity isn't going to succeed each and every week. McDaniels only has so many rabbits he can pull out of his hat. Without the ability to win one-on-one battles with physical prowess—rather than scheme—this offense can only go so far. Pundits often point to Belichick playing chess while his opposite number plays checkers. In this case, Andy Reid elected to sweep the pieces from the board and knock Belichick on his butt.

In reality, this game was a long time coming. Other than Julian Edelman, the Patriots lacked a receiver who could consistently get open on his own. Travis Kelce—not Rob Gronkowski—was the dynamic, playmaking tight end that defenses fear. The other Patriot receivers needed picks, exotic formations or play action to even stand a chance. The two receivers that best resemble an outside receiving threat—Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins—were both inactive for the game.

John Minchillo/Associated Press

If Dobson's absence from the field can't be traced to a lingering concern about his foot, his inability to break into the lineup is puzzling at best. He has the plus-size and speed that the Patriots need on the field. Even if he can't get open, his ability to stretch the field is needed. It was amazing watching the safeties creep up near the seven-yard box time and time again, daring the Patriots to throw the ball deep. No such threat would ever materialize.

Therefore, you get Tim Wright, Danny Amendola and others listing about while Brady floated the ball around the field with a sense of ennui. New England's abject lack of an "X" receiver instantly eroded any chance it had of consistently moving the ball.

That didn't preclude McDaniels from having one moment of prestige. A long gain on a screen pass to Shane Vereen was set up perfectly over the last three weeks, building on the jet sweep run by Edelman in each of the first three games. Instead of the quick handoff, Brady threw back against the grain and caught the Kansas City Chiefs defense off guard.

Brady and the coaches can't shoulder all of the responsibility. The new-look offensive line still didn't meet expectations. Without the aid of replay, rookies Bryan Stork and Cameron Fleming looked average—a decent compliment for such green players—but Nate Solder continued to struggle. Over his last four games, Cameron Wake, Khalil Mack and now Tamba Hali have all had success in swatting Solder's hands down and blowing past the once-promising left tackle.

Rookie quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was able to spark the flagging offense with a late touchdown against a somewhat softer Chiefs defense. Garoppolo finished 6-of-7 passing for 70 yards and a touchdown, but those stats only tell part of the story. The precision on his ball placement hearkened back to a bygone era of Brady. Garoppolo helped receivers keep leverage, fit the ball into tight windows and made something out of nothing. These were the same plays, but the jersey of who was executing them had been changed from No. 12 to No. 10.

Garoppolo probably isn't the answer at this point, no matter how great he looked in garbage time. Infusing the offense with younger, more physically gifted players, however, is the right tack to take. Dobson and perhaps even Brian Tyms—who is eligible to return from his four-game suspension in Week 5—need to get on the field, no matter how little they can contribute on special teams.

Belichick and McDaniels have combined for many a miracle—think the comeback over the Denver Broncos last season—but convincing the NFL that the Patriots haven't disappeared from relevance might be their greatest trick yet.

Stats and figures courtesy of NFL.com