The New England Patriots just got smoked 35-10 by the Detroit Lions in Munich, capping off a brutal stretch where they have dropped three of their last four games and reigniting the alarms about a defense that looks completely lost. There was hope after a historically poor performance against the Green Bay Packers last week, that the trip to Germany would spark some cohesion. Even with Christian Gonzalez and Kevin Byard grabbing picks off Jared Goff, those turnovers did little to hide the glaring defensive issues still plaguing New England.
Tackling? What Tackling?
Head coach Mike Vrabel and Byard called out “execution” as a problem area last week, and holy cow, did it show up again. The Patriots defense looked like it forgot how to tackle, with assignment breakdowns and pathetic efforts all over the field. Yeah, the pass rush got Goff twice in the first half, but that defensive line was left hanging out to dry by the guys behind them right from the Lions’ opening drive. Jacas sacked Goff, backing Detroit up to a second-and-16, and then Amon-Ra St. Brown takes a quick-out, jukes Gonzalez right to the turf, and just slices through the entire defense for a 56-yard touchdown. Defenders looked like they were allergic to committing to a tackle.
It only got worse. Jahmyr Gibbs absolutely feasted, breaking loose for huge gains again and again, all thanks to that lackluster tackling. On one drive, Gibbs leaked out of the backfield, trailing down the right sideline for 50 yards. Byard rushed over, but hesitated, giving Gibbs an extra 15 yards to chew up. Near the goal line, Gibbs put Cory Durden on skates behind the line of scrimmage, cutting back inside for an easy walk into the end zone. By halftime, this Lions offense, one of the most dynamic in the league, had racked up 312 yards and punted only once. Even Byard’s end-of-half interception couldn’t fully mask the chaos; the Lions still drove 39 yards in 30 seconds, threatening to score. Gibbs wrapped up the game with an insane 252 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns.
Championship Aspirations on Life Support?
This team was in the Super Bowl nine months ago, fighting for a title, and Vrabel laid it out plain: “There’s a lot we have to fix. [If] you play good teams in this league and you don’t play well, you have no chance. And again, we know that, and there are glimpses of good defense. [We] gave up too many [explosive] plays, too many missed tackles and too many clean pockets for [Goff].” That’s the cold, hard truth. Championship teams show resistance against high-scoring offenses. That’s what the Patriots did last season. They’re not doing it now.
Even though Detroit’s offensive production finally dipped a bit in the second half, the defensive gaffes from New England kept coming. Early in the third quarter, St. Brown lined up wide, looking like he was blocking for a screen, then cut inside, followed his lineman downfield, and slipped between the seams. Byard failed to wrap him up, and two Lions players literally pushed St. Brown into the end zone against two Patriots defenders. It’s truly embarrassing stuff. The Patriots need to find answers, and fast, if they want any shot at being a championship-level defense again this season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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