Patriots have a lot of work to do after blowout loss to Packers

Earlier this week, Kevin Byard described this week's matchup against the Green Bay Packers as a "measuring-stick game."

Unfortunately for the Patriots, they failed to measure up, falling in a dominating, embarrassing 45-27 loss that left Gillette Stadium ringing with "Go Pack Go!" chants in the fourth quarter.

It was a game the Patriots were never really in, as they were outplayed and dominated in every phase.

Just four plays into the game, New England, which started with the football, was already trailing.

After an interception on the second play of the game (following a one-yard run and a declined illegal shift penalty), the Packers needed just two plays to find the end zone.

Green Bay found the end zone again just seven plays after forcing a three-and-out on a New England possession that ended with a nine-yard sack of Drake Maye. The scoring drive was aided by a miscommunication between Christian Gonzalez and Kevin Byard that led to a 49-yard catch-and-run from Matthew Golden, a defensive pass interference penalty on Gonzalez that negated an interception, and another blown coverage on third-and-goal from the five-yard line that resulted in an easy touchdown for Golden.

In a little over seven minutes, it already felt like the game had been decided. The Packers' lead never dipped below double digits.

Of course, there was plenty of blame to go around in a game in which the Patriots allowed 45 points, the most ever at Gillette Stadium and their most in a home game since 1970, when they surrendered 45 to the Buffalo Bills at Harvard Stadium. But the accountability starts with the team's best players, something Mike Vrabel made clear in his postgame press conference.

“When your best players don't play good, you don't have much of a chance in this league,” Vrabel said. “We expect a lot more. He expects a lot more. We need more from him and everybody else. It wasn't just him.”

Vrabel was specifically addressing Christian Gonzalez, who had the worst game of his professional career after signing a four-year, $135 million contract extension in September to become the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. According to PFF's initial charting, Jordan Love and the Packers completed 10 of 11 targets for 187 yards and a touchdown with Gonzalez in coverage, meaning 50.2% of Jordan Love’s 372 yards came with Gonzalez in coverage.

Packers wide receivers Christian Watson (seven receptions for 171 yards and a touchdown) and Matthew Golden (10 receptions for 164 yards and a touchdown) combined for 335 receiving yards. The Patriots, as a team, had totaled just 313 yards of offense before pulling their starters late in the fourth quarter.

A significant portion of that production came against Gonzalez.

According to NextGen Stats, Gonzalez allowed 7 receptions for 105 yards to Matthew Golden and 3 receptions for 82 yards to Christian Watson. Gonzalez's 187 yards allowed in coverage are the third-most by any player this season. He had allowed 196 yards in his first six games combined.

“Obviously, it is frustrating. I want to be who I am for the team, and everybody that knows what I am. But it’s football. I’m going to have a bad game. It’s this profession,” Gonzalez said. “There are things I messed up on, and I’ll be back to it next week.”

That may be true, but it's going to be tough for the Patriots to win when he plays that poorly. The same can be said about New England's best offensive player, quarterback Drake Maye.

Maye threw three interceptions in the first half, marking the second time this season, along with the Week 1 loss in Seattle, that he had thrown three interceptions in a single half. Those interceptions led to 14 points for the Packers.

“We haven't had a clean, turnover-free game yet,” Maye said. “It’s starting with me. It's one of the biggest differences between winning and losing football games.”

The only Patriot who caught more passes from Maye than the Packers' defense was DeMario Douglas, who finished with five receptions for 102 yards. Maye completed 21 of 38 passes for 299 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions, with his 17 incompletions marking a career high.

And that's part of the problem. Just look at what the Packers' wide receivers were able to do compared to the players Maye has at his disposal. The Patriots obviously planned for A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs to serve as his top two receivers. But until they return, it's a lot to ask Maye to carry this team with the weapons currently available to him.

There's no overlooking the impact of the injuries, but Sunday's loss was a reality check for a Patriots team that still has a long way to go on both sides of the ball.

The Packers entered Sunday with the same 5-3 record as New England, despite sitting in last place in the highly competitive NFC North. They're by no means world-beaters, which makes the Patriots' performance even more concerning.

The broader trends are just as concerning. The defense has allowed at least 30 points in three games this season, more than it did throughout all 21 games last year (once). It's also surrendered 400-yard performances twice this season after not allowing a single one last year.

On the other side of the ball, the offense has turned the ball over 19 times, tied with the Chargers for the most in the NFL. New England and Los Angeles are the only teams that have yet to play a turnover-free game. The Patriots have already surpassed their turnover total from last year's regular season, and they're only halfway through this one.

“Just frustrating. Losing's frustrating,” Vrabel said. “We're in this together. We are. I'm going to — we're going to get them back, and we're going to get ready to travel and figure out who's healthy and put 48 guys out there that care and that want to try to exhibit some sort of identity. We'll see how we respond.”

That's the question facing the Patriots now. Sunday's loss exposed just how far this team still has to go, and the issues extend well beyond one disappointing performance. With problems on both sides of the ball and a growing list of injuries, the Patriots have plenty to address before they can be considered a legitimate contender.