Even after a victory, there is some concern

Welcome to the Week 4 Patriots mailbag. Things are a little more upbeat after Sunday’s win over the Jets, but there are still plenty of questions about the state of the offense, the play calling late in Sunday’s game, the personnel in the secondary, and much more. Let’s get to it.

Why did the Patriots go for a long pass play toward the end of the game when they only needed 6 yards for a first down, when they haven’t been successful all year at that?

— Paul, Maine

Paul, I had to go back and double-check the fourth-quarter play-by-play to make sure it really happened: After the Matt Judon sack, which should have sealed the game, the Patriots had two three-and-outs that gave the Jets some late life.

I’m assuming your specific play call was the third-and-3 pass attempt to JuJu Smith-Schuster right after the two-minute warning. On a day where I thought most of the offensive play calling was pretty good (we finally saw some real play-action!), that stuck out like a sore thumb. If you get a first down from Ezekiel Elliott there, you can pretty much run out the clock.

What has happened to Jalen Mills? It looks like he got 0 snaps against the Jets. He’s gone from starting to a hybrid CB who doesn’t play.

— Alan Davidson, Boston

A few different things at play here, Alan. 1. Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger have become the two lead safeties at this point, leaving Mills (and Adrian Phillips) on the outside looking in. 2. Christian Gonzalez has led a group of surprisingly good young corners, and when Jonathan Jones comes back, they could be even better. All that adds up to less playing time.

For the record, Mills has played 45 snaps this season, or 23 percent of the time on defense. He played 23 snaps against the Jets, a season high.

Do you think the Pats are on the right track to compete with all the good teams they have on their remaining schedule?

— David Faria, Chicago

Depends on the team and the time of year. If they had to play Buffalo or Miami on the road right now, not by a long shot. Honestly, the Jets were the right team at the right time for a team that just needed a win to try and jump-start some momentum.

But as we’ve seen over the years, there’s always room for growth on both sides of the ball, and there’s been just enough flashes of good this year to suggest that they could be competitive with some of the AFC’s elite down the road.

This season, more than ever, it’s been a work in progress on offense, particularly along the offensive line. They get some consistency and continuity up front, good things will happen for the offense.

What adjustments need to be made on offense for them to score more points and avoid three-and-outs?

— Ken Matias, via Twitter

Start fast, Ken, and make first down matter. If you are ineffective on first down, it leads to second- and third-and-long situations, and it drastically cuts down on your options. If you can consistently pick up 4-plus yards on first down, that’s a good first step in the right direction.

As previously mentioned, you’re also going to see offensive success if/when the line is able to develop real consistency and continuity. There have been many great offensive lines that are made up of five mediocre players, but they all find a way to work well together. That’s the goal with this group.

Is there any shot of Kayshon Boutte getting snaps over Parker or JuJu Smith-Schuster? The team desperately needs wideouts that finish their routes and have any sort of semblance of athleticism.

— Mace, via Twitter

Mace, I wrote before Sunday’s game that Boutte could be in line to be this year’s redshirt rookie. There is some positional redundancy when it comes to Boutte and Parker. Parker is a little bigger — Boutte is 6 feet while Parker is 6-3 — but they are both receivers who flourish more on the boundary than in the slot. That means the opener, where Boutte was up and Parker was inactive because of an injury, could ultimately end up being a bit of an outlier.

Ultimately, Boutte could be bound for that redshirt role that many have played over the years (Shane Vereen, James White, Trey Flowers, etc.). There’s also the very real possibility that Tyquan Thornton could play a role at this spot as well before the season is through.

I have noticed something ain’t clicking with the timing with Mac & JuJu Smith-Schuster. Is it lack of reps?

— Mark A. Rufo, via Twitter

Both sides are saying the right things. SmithSchuster keeps expressing optimism that a breakout is coming as he continues to put his time in, while Belichick publicly remains in his corner. (“He’s been great. I love working with him. Tough kid, really smart,” Belichick said on WEEI Monday morning.)

But something is just not clicking for the 26year-old, at least to this point. In three games for the Patriots, he’s had 10 catches on 16 targets for 66 yards and no touchdowns. Sunday against the Jets was the first time since 2021 that he failed to catch at least two passes in a game. Certainly a situation worth keeping an eye on.