The Patriots' seven-game win streak is over.
Trailing 20-0 early in the third quarter, the Patriots showed life and made it a game in the fourth, but it wasn't enough as the Colts came away with a 27-17 win Saturday night.
Mac Jones certainly wasn't great, especially in the first three quarters, but neither was the rest of the team.
Jonathan Taylor iced the game with a 67-yard touchdown run right before the two-minute warning.
New England is now 9-5 on the year, while Indianapolis improves to 8-6.
Here are 10 quick thoughts on the game.
1. Jones finished 26-for-45 with 299 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Colts defense seemed to confuse him with some different looks, especially in the first half. There were a few plays in particular that he looked like a rookie that didn't know what he was seeing. With that being said, he deserves credit for fighting back in the second half when he and the offense very well could have folded. Some said they wanted to see how Jones would handle adversity within a game -- well, he handled it as well as he could have besides pulling out the win.
2. Over the seven-game win streak, the Patriots played all those games on their terms and rarely trailed. That wasn't the case Saturday night, as the Patriots trailed the entire game, and mostly by double-digits. This forced the offense away from the running game and being in obvious passing situations did not help Jones against the Colts defense. A game like this shows the importance of playing from ahead for this Patriots team.
3. The first half was a disaster, as they trailed 17-0. The Patriots had a punt blocked returned for a touchdown in the first quarter, which was the third punt the Patriots have had blocked this season. That is an incredibly high number, as only nine teams in NFL history have allowed more than the Patriots’ three this season.
4. Prior to Saturday, the Patriots had scored points in 89 straight first halves. The last time they did not was October of 2016 against the Bills when Tom Brady was serving his four-game suspension and rookie Jacoby Brissett was under center. The red-zone interception at the end of the half by Jones was obviously a killer.
5. The special teams had another bad error in the second half when they jumped offsides on what turned out to be a missed field goal by Michael Badgley. He made the next kick, making the penalty costly. Special teams mistakes are inexcusable by every team, but even more so for the Patriots given how much capital and time they devote to them.
6. Overall, the Patriots defense did a solid job against the Colts offense. Aside from the second drive of the game when the Colts averaged 10 yards per carry and the long Taylor run at the end of the game, the unit held their own. Factoring in the blocked punt returned for a touchdown, the defense only allowed 20 points. After a slow start, the unit figured things out and had a solid night.
7. Penalties killed the Patriots in this one. New England finished with eight for 50 yards, while Indianapolis had just two for 13 yards. Taking away penalties and special teams, this was a much closer game, which the Patriots can potentially take away as a small positive.
8. There were double-ejections in the third quarter when Kyle Dugger and Michael Pittman Jr. got into a skirmish after a play. Dugger may have thrown a punch and also ripped off Pittman Jr.’s helmet. The Patriots typically keep their composure, but that certainly wasn’t the case there. Dugger seems likely to be fined by the league.
9. Hunter Henry had his best game as a Patriot, finishing with six receptions for 77 yards and two touchdowns. He now has nine touchdowns on the year, which are a new career-high. Henry and Jones have developed some terrific chemistry over the course of the season and it's paying off.
10. The loss drops the Patriots to 9-5 on the year and puts even more importance on next week’s game against the Bills, provided Buffalo takes care of business and beats the Panthers on Sunday. It certainly does not mean the Patriots are overrated, etc, it just says they are not the best team in the AFC like some thought over the seven-game win streak.
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