Patriot Maven Mailbag, Part II: Jonnu’s Revenge, Mac in the Cold and More – Sports Illustrated

The New England Patriots are once again in sole possession of first place in the AFC East, following a 25-0 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday. As the team prepares to host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, November 28 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, there is still much to be learned abou…….

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The New England Patriots are once again in sole possession of first place in the AFC East, following a 25-0 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday. As the team prepares to host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, November 28 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, there is still much to be learned about the Pats and their potential push for a spot in the 2021 postseason.

This weekend, Patriot Maven opened up our mailbag to answer your Patriots questions. Here are some of the week’s best questions for #MavenMike:

Q: Is this the game against his former team (Tennessee Titans) in which Jonnu Smith breaks out?

From: Miguel Benzan (@patscap)

This is a great question, Miguel, and one that is on the minds of many Patriots fans. Since Smith joined the Pats in March on a four-year, $50 million contract ($39.25 million guaranteed), he has been expected to provide exactly what the Pats lacked in 2021. At his best, the 26-year-old is a prototypical move tight end, best utilized as an effective target in the red zone. In his final season with the Tennessee Titans in 2020, he totaled 41 receptions for 448 yards and eight touchdowns. All eight of those scores came in the red zone. However, his Patriots tenure has not been overly productive to date. To be fair, Smith has been dealing with a shoulder injury that is likely to be limiting his effectiveness as an offensive target. Through ten games played in 2021, Smith has compiled 210 yards receiving with one touchdown. Surprisingly, he has been used more in run protection schemes. Though Smith is a more than capable blocker, one would think his talents would be better utilized as an offensive scoring weapon. Yet, in Thursday’s matchup with the Atlanta Falcons, Smith was deployed on only seven routes, while aligning on 22 run-blocking snaps. In Week Twelve, the Patriots will be facing an aggressive Tennessee defensive front. As a result, the 6-foot-3 248-pound former Titan might be poised for a breakout performance as a ball carrier, or as the red zone target for quarterback Mac Jones.

Q: How will Mac Jones play in bad weather? I have had this concern since day one. [Jones does not have] the strongest arm, and a quarterback does need some zip to play in the winter here or the chances for INT and incomplete passes go up.

From: LJ (@Show_1)

With winter fast approaching, this is a timely question, LJ. Anyone playing quarterback in New England during the winter months will tell …….

Source: https://www.si.com/nfl/patriots/news/patriot-maven-mailbag-part-ii-jonnus-revenge-mac-in-the-cold-and-more