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Have we officially hit rock bottom?
Just when you thought the Patriots might send Sunday's game to overtime and give themselves a chance to win, rookie kicker Chad Ryland missed a 35-yard field goal attempt wide left, sealing the win for the Giants.
New England is now 2-9 as they enter their final six-game stretch of the 2023 season.
Here are five immediate thoughts from Sunday’s game:
5 - Punting from your opponents 37? Maybe the Patriots are tanking.
With the game tied at zero at the 5:03 mark of the first quarter, the Patriots had the ball at the Giants 37-yard line on 4th and 7. A would-be 54-yard field goal attempt.
They punted.
Now, granted, they do have themselves a weapon in rookie punter Bryce Baringer who pinned New York at their own nine yard line. But they also have Chad Ryland, a rookie kicker they drafted out of Maryland in the fourth round who supposedly has a big leg. According to MassLive’s Mark Daniels, Ryland made 54-yard field goals from both ends of the stadium prior to Sunday’s game.
But they punted. A strange decision, to say the least.
4 - Mac Jones’ time with the Patriots is, officially, all but over.
After reportedly outplaying backup Bailey Zappe in practice this week, Mac Jones remained the Patriots starting quarterback on Sunday… at least to start the game.
Just three drives in, however, he thew yet another mind-boggling, back-breaking interception. His 11th of the season.
With pressure coming up the middle, Jones scampered backwards and threw off his backfoot into triple coverage while trying to find wide receiver Demario Douglas.
Spoiler alert: he didn’t find him. Instead, Giants rookie cornerback Deonte Banks picked it off.
Then, when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, Jones then threw another interception. Again trying to find Douglas, this time he threw it directly into the chest of linebacker Bobby Okereke who returned it 55 yards. The Giants defense then punched it into the endzone on the ensuing drive to take a 7-0 lead.
The result? Bailey Zappe played the entire second half for the Patriots offense. He finished the contest 9-14 passing for 54 yards and, you guessed it, an interception.
I’ve never seen worse combined quarterback play in an NFL game before.
3 - In-fighting a whole new level of bad for New England.
Following Jones’ second turnover, NESN’s Dakota Randall reported from MetLife that wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and position coach Troy Brown got into a heated argument on the sideline. The pass catcher then reportedly slammed his helmet and went to plead his case to captain Hunter Henry before eventually standing on the sideline, alone, away from his teammates.
He ultimately returned to the game.
Look, the Patriots are bad this season. We know that. At 2-9, they’re at the bottom of the AFC standings and have no clear path to the top. But in-fighting in the middle the game like that? That’s a whole ‘nother layer of brutal from New England this 2023 campaign.
2 - Patriots pass rush finds a groove against Giants struggling offensive line.
The one positive to take out of Sunday’s game for New England is that, for the first time since Matthew Judon left their Week 4 contest against the Cowboys, they consistently got after an opposing quarterback with their pass rush.
Not only did rookie Keion White notch his first career sack, but linebacker Josh Uche (despite never taking him down) was constantly in the face of Giants’ signal caller Tommy DeVito while Christian Barmore, Anfernee Jennings, Jabrill Peppers, Ja’Whaun Bentley, and Deatrich Wise Jr. all tallied sacks as well.
In total, the Patriots took down DeVito six times in the loss. Something they can hopefully build off of down the stretch.
1 - The Patriots’ quarterback play since March 2020 is inexcusable.
I’ll go further in-depth on this week on WEEI.com, but for now, here’s a short look at the cluster you-know-what that Patriots have had at quarterback since Tom Brady jet-setted to Tampa Bay in March 2020:
Cam Newton. Jarrett Stidham. Brian Hoyer. Mac Jones. Bailey Zappe.
And don’t forget the carousel of No. 19’s this season: Trace McSorely, Matt Corral, Ian Book, Will Grier.
You live and die by your quarterback in the NFL, and it hasn’t been good enough since the GOAT skipped town.
And it all, I mean all, lies on Bill Belichick. Don’t believe me? Take his word for it:
“Ultimately,” Belichick said just last season when asked about the performance of his offense. “I have responsibility for everything that happens on the field.”
You sure do.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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