The New England Patriots laid an absolute egg on Sunday, getting stomped 35-6 by the Jacksonville Jaguars, and honestly, the final score barely scratches the surface of how dreadful this defeat really was. Poor fundamentals and straight-up garbage execution were the story of the day, and if you dive into the numbers, it paints a picture of a team that just completely fell apart.
Red Zone Nightmare Fuels Season-Long Scoring Struggle
Talk about a gut punch. The red zone has been a disaster for the Patriots all season, and Sunday against Jacksonville was no different. Their offense got within 20 yards of the end zone three times and came away with zero points. That’s right, 0-for-3. This isn’t just a one-game fluke either, it’s a huge reason why New England is tied for last in the entire NFL, averaging a measly 12.0 points per game. When they actually get a chance to score, they just can’t punch it in, ranking dead last, 32nd overall, in scoring percentage at a pathetic 23.3%. Meanwhile, the Jaguars made it look easy, going a perfect 5-for-5 in their own red zone opportunities. It’s night and day, and it’s killing this team.
Maye Stuck In The Middle, Run Game Stuffed Early
We all tend to focus on the quarterback, and yeah, Drake Maye had his struggles. But let’s be real, Jacksonville absolutely owned the middle of the field against the Patriots. Every single passing touchdown from Trevor Lawrence? Right up the gut, where he completed 12 of his 15 attempts. Maye, on the other hand, couldn’t buy a break in that area, throwing only seven passes, completing four for a measly 38 yards. The Jaguars brilliantly forced Maye to throw outside, where he made multiple mistakes, including both of his interceptions. Remember that one along the left sideline to Kyle Williams? Cornerback Jarrian Jones totally overran the route. Oof.
And honestly, if the run game had been even remotely productive, maybe Maye wouldn’t have felt so pressured to force those throws. The Patriots averaged a pathetic 3.2 yards per carry. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels loves to run the ball on first down, passing 2.2% below expectation on 1st-and-10. It didn’t work against Jacksonville, and it hasn’t really worked all season. They’ve run the ball on first down nearly 57% of the time this year, which is the ninth-highest rate in the NFL. In Week 3, Treveyon Henderson, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Corey Kiner combined for 13 carries and only 41 yards on designed first-down runs, averaging 3.15 yards per carry. Seven of those runs went for two yards or less, and not a single one picked up a first down. These constantly stuffed runs lead to second-and-long or third-and-long situations, which forces Maye to throw, setting the stage for those bad decisions we saw.
Flags Keep Piling Up
It wasn’t the cleanest game for either squad, but it really felt like the Patriots’ mistakes just kept snowballing, killing any chance they had to gain momentum. New England racked up nine penalties for 68 yards, while Jacksonville had seven for 56. When you’re struggling as badly as they were, you just can’t afford to shoot yourself in the foot with flags.
Look, this was a brutal loss, and the numbers don’t lie. The Patriots have some serious fundamental issues to sort out if they want to turn this season around. The scoring struggles, the ineffective run game, and the constant penalties are just a recipe for disaster.
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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