Questions surround Pats after loss
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — For most of Bill Belichick’s New England coaching tenure, the final week of the regular season has been a time to rest and tune up for the playoffs.
Not this year.
In yet another sign of what has been a disorienting 2020, the Patriots trudge into the final week of the regular season with nothing left to play for but pride following a 38-9 loss to the Bills on Monday night.
The setback guaranteed New England’s first losing season since 2000 and marked its worst home loss under Belichick.
With an offseason looming that promises a multitude of changes, the only remaining question is whether Belichick will bench quarterback Cam Newton in favor of backup Jarrett Stidham in Sunday’s finale against the Jets.
Newton finished 5 of 10 for 34 yards passing on Monday night before being pulled in the third quarter for Stidham. Newton’s 34 yards passing were the fewest by a Patriots starting quarterback since 1993.
He said after the game that the most frustrating part of this season has been that the extra time he’s put into preparing hasn’t paid off.
“It’s extremely frustrating, knowing what you’re capable of, having belief in yourself, it’s just not showing when it counts the most,” Newton said.
“I try to be the best teammate I can possibly be. That’s what I will continue to do. I will keep getting better each and every week, getting more comfortable in this offense for the last week that I possibly can. Let’s see where it gets me.”
Belichick acknowledged the passing game’s shortcomings against the Bills and that he chose to insert Stidham because of the offense’s ineffectiveness. But he also said Newton wasn’t the source of the problems and brushed off a question about who will be the starter next week.
For his part, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels
he said, before somewhat sarcastically adding, “Excuse me about the mask coming down. I’m sorry, I’ll try to do better.”
In fact, Hurley may have a “mask change” for Wednesday’s bout with DePaul (9 p.m., CBS Sports Network) at Gampel Pavilion. He won’t reveal the secret and said he’ll try to wear it during afternoon shootaround first to see if it’s viable for the game.
“It will give me a better chance not to have to tug at it,” he offered. “It would be a tone-setter, and I think it’s practical.”
More importantly, UConn (3-1, 0-1 Big East) will look for its first Big East win in nearly eight years, following a 10-day break in game action and in only its second game in nearly a month. The Huskies dropped their Big East opener to Creighton in overtime on Dec. 20.
“We’re excited, hopefully, to go into a stretch of games where we can get some consistent practices and some consistent games on our schedule, and actually feel like we’re actually into a season,” Hurley said.
After Wednesday, UConn isn’t scheduled to play again until Jan. 5 at Marquette. That kicks off a three-game trip through the Midwest in the span of six days, and is the first of nine games the Huskies are scheduled to play in January.
Of course, don’t tell DePaul coach Dave Leitao about a crazy schedule and
a lack of game action. The Blue Demons had 10 games canceled or postponed over the first month of the season before finally playing their first game on Dec. 23. DePaul (1-1, 0-1 Big East) played its first conference game Sunday, losing a double-overtime heartbreaker at Providence.
“I told my team in the locker room, ‘There are 19 more of those coming, starting with Wednesday,’ ” Leitao said.
Indeed, any Big East coach will take any conference win in any way possible.
“Just to win one of these is tough,” Hurley said.
No masking that reality.
RIM RATTLINGS
Hurley said that Akok Akok, who suffered a season-ending torn Achilles injury in February, is “close.” That doesn’t mean Wednesday night, but could it mean one of those three games in the Midwest (Marquette, Butler, DePaul) from Jan. 5-11?
“I think he’s got a shot there,” the coach said. “I kind of want 2020 over with. Just want to get him away from 2020, it’s been brutal.”
Hurley added Akok has had a couple of practices out of the Huskies’ five since Christmas when the coach thought “This guy
may be ready.”
“I think that’s realistic for him in January to get in the mix,” Hurley added.
⏩ Freshman forward Andre Jackson, who suffered a broken left wrist during practice on Dec. 21, will be out for a minimum of six weeks, per Hurley.
Hurley revealed that he didn’t wear a Santa hat during the Huskies’ Christmas Day practice. He considered wearing a Snoop Dogg Christmas T-shirt, but his wife, Andrea, nixed that idea.