Patriots who need to step up over final eight weeks of regular season

FOXBORO -- Through all the ups and downs of the first 10 weeks of the season, the New England Patriots are still a playoff team. At 5-4 on the season, New England is currently hanging on to the final Wild Card spot in the AFC.

To stay there -- and to go beyond last year's first-round exit -- they're going to need a bunch of players to step up over the final eight weeks of the season. With the toughest remaining schedule in the NFL, the Patriots really need everyone to do their job the rest of the way.

We all know where this is going. The offense, plain and simple, needs to be eons better than what we saw out of the group since the start of camp. That side of the ball is not holding up its end of the bargain, and the only thing the offense has been consistent at is giving up the football. It's been rough.

On the other hand, the defense has been pretty great and is the main reason the Patriots are 5-4. New England has forced 17 turnovers, just one off the Eagles and Vikings, who lead the NFL with 18 each. Matthew Judon is a DPOY candidate with his NFL-best 11.5 sacks, and he's also making plays against the run and in coverage. The secondary has been phenomenal, led by corners Jalen Mills, Jonathan Jones, and rookie Jack Jones.

But then there's that offense, which looks like it would be confused by most college defenses at times. Heck, some high school defensive schemes may even give this Patriots offense fits.

New England's 17 giveaways on offense are just two away from the league lead, and coughing the ball up that many times is the reason the Patriots are 5-4 and not better. Rhamondre Stevenson and Jakobi Meyers are the only two players consistently contributing on offense this season.

So as we look at which players need to really step it up in the second half, it's no shock that the list is made up nearly entirely of guys on the offensive side of the equation. These are the players that really need to get rolling -- and quick -- if the Patriots want to remain in the postseason hunt.

Mac Jones

Mac was supposed to take a leap in Year 2. Whenever he's tried to get off the ground though, opposing defenses have been right in his face and thrown him down.

Jones has a lot working against him this season. The offensive line isn't that good. The offensive play-calling isn't that good. His tight ends aren't doing anything. Receivers not named "Jakobi" aren't doing much of anything, either.

But Mac has to be better himself. His decision-making needs to be better, evident by his seven interceptions (to just four touchdowns). He's holding on to the ball for too long and taking too many sacks, with 15 in six games. He ranks 33 of 38 in quarterback rating this season, and is 28th in ESPN's QBR.

The Patriots have made it clear that Mac is the quarterback going forward. But he needs to be better over the next two months. A lot better.

Matt Patricia and Joe Judge

Patriots coaches usually put their players in the best position to succeed. Patricia and Judge are new to coaching offense, but they should try doing that.

The Offensive Line

Not having David Andrews for the last two games didn't help, but the offensive line let Jones get sacked 10 times against the Jets (6) and the Colts (4) in the two games ahead of New England's bye week. For the season, Patriots quarterbacks have been sacked 22 times in nine games, with Jones getting taken down 15 times in his six games.

The offensive line has been a mess for much of the season. Isaiah Wynn leads the NFL with eight penalties and hasn't looked good in any spot the Patriots have tried to play him. Rookie Cole Strange started the season strong but has been benched in back-to-back weeks. 

For the offense to really get going, the guys up front need to let the run game get going to set up some play-action. The guys up front need to give Jones and his receivers time to let a play develop (receivers in turn need to get open downfield, something that also hasn't been happening), but too often Jones has had to take off on his own to buy those extra seconds.

If the line can get right, it should have a trickle-down effect on the rest of the offense. 

Tight Ends

The Patriots do employ two tight ends, Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry. You may have forgotten about them, because we haven't heard their names too much this season.

Henry has just one touchdown this season, after he was tied for the league lead in tight end touchdowns last season with nine. He's caught just two of his eight red-zone targets on the year.

Smith has been MIA since signing his four-year, $50 million deal with the Patriots ahead of last season. In his eight games in 2022, Smith has just 16 catches for 154 yards and no receiving touchdowns.

A little something -- heck, anything -- out of tight ends would greatly help Jones and company in the second half of the season.

Jake Bailey

Special teams as a whole has been a giant positive for the Patriots. Nick Folk is making another run for team MVP, and rookie Marcus Jones has been a great return man to start his career. Matthew Slater continues to make plays, and so does UDFA Brenden Schooler.

But Bailey, on the other hand (or foot?), has been rough. Real rough. He is last in the NFL in net punting average at just 35.3 yards, which will happen to a guy that has a SEVEN YARD PUNT. Just 12 of his 37 punts have been downed inside the 20.

It has been quite the fall for Bailey, who was a First Team All-Pro just two seasons ago.