The New England Patriots are absolutely not playing their best football, man. After getting absolutely smoked in their season opener right here in Seattle, they went 0-for-2 in prime time games last Thursday against the Chicago Bears. It wasn’t even like they didn’t have chances to win, but they kept shooting themselves in the foot with some bad timing and couldn’t make a big play when it mattered most down the stretch. We gotta dive into the film and see what went wrong, and what, if anything, went right.
Maye’s Mixed Bag: An A-Grade Despite the Interception?!
Listen, their third-year QB Drake Maye kinda took us back to his rough Week 1-3 form when he threw a brutal pick into the end zone, trying to hit tight end Eli Raridon in the second quarter. That was a *huge* moment in a game that was super tight, like, just one possession. But here’s the wild part: besides that one massive screw-up, the dude actually balled out. Seriously! Even with the turnover, which was the second most impactful play of the night according to expected points added or lost, he still finished with the exact same EPA per play as Chicago’s Caleb Williams, a solid 0.34. It’s like he just kept doing his thing, making crazy tough throws look easy, extending plays with his legs, and dodging pressure like a magician even when blitzes were coming from everywhere. You gotta give him an A- for that kind of mental toughness, even with the blunder.
Stevenson’s Dominance Can’t Save the Skill Positions
While Maye was out there trying to do it all, running back Rhamondre Stevenson was right there with him, basically dragging the Patriots into competitiveness. The veteran back put up a career-high 93 receiving yards, including this insane 48-yard touchdown that capped off the first half! He was busting his butt behind some seriously meh run blocking and even looked good protecting the passer. But that’s where the good news for the run game stops. TreVeyon Henderson, the second-year guy, is still super inconsistent in pass blocking, and his vision for run lanes is a major work in progress. And Corey Kiner? Yeah, not much better.
Then you look at the wideouts. A.J. Brown didn’t have the drop issues he had against the Jets in Week 6, which is good, but his impact was still pretty limited. He did move the chains on all three of his catches, but he just wasn’t finding that open space. He looked a bit slow at times, probably because he played 101 snaps in four days after being on injured reserve for four weeks. Still, even with only three catches, he was their most productive receiver. The other guys, DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism, Kyle Williams, they were all quiet in their rotations. Maybe it was planned, with backs and tight ends getting more targets, but those guys just didn’t give Maye reliable options. Hunter Henry, on the other hand? Mr. Reliable at tight end, always there.
It’s clear the Patriots are in a tough spot. They’re making way too many mistakes and can’t seal the deal. Their season, after that opener in Seattle and now two primetime duds, is definitely trending in the wrong direction. They’ve gotta figure out how to put a complete game together and make those big plays when it counts.
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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