1. Over the seven-game win streak for the Patriots, how they were able to win was very clear: play from ahead, run the football and play good defense. That was confirmed as the identity of the team. While some Patriots teams from the past could adapt and win in different ways, it seems like that's not the case for the 2021 Patriots. They suffered their first loss since Oct. 17, 27-17 in Indianapolis Saturday night where they trailed 17-0 at the half and 20-0 early in the third quarter. Despite Mac Jones and the Patriots' best effort to come back, they still came up short. “We fell behind and once they had control of the game they played it on their terms,” Devin McCourty said to reporters after the game. “Against Indy, that’s tonight, but really any team you play, you don’t want to play the game on their terms. Defensively, I think that made it even tougher for us. The way the game flowed, they were able to control the game and do what they needed to do. … We have to get off to a better start across the board as a team.” The Patriots are now 0-4 and are averaging 15.75 points in games when Jones attempts more than 36 passes this season. This is not necessarily a poor reflection on Jones, rather the Patriots are much better when playing from ahead and able to play the game on their terms, which is focusing more on the run game. Playing from behind naturally means more passing attempts and clearly that is not the path to success for the Patriots. Over the final three regular-season games and postseason, it will be vital for the Patriots to get off to better starts than they did Saturday night.
2. Josh McDaniels received a lot of criticism for his play-calling during the game Saturday against the Colts. Sure, there were some play-calls that deserved second-guessing, but it’s also worth keeping in mind the players need to execute on the field. An example was the fourth-and-1 roll out when Jones threw an incomplete pass, but FOX’s Greg Olsen noted Hunter Henry was open early on, but he did not turn around to look for the football. It’s easy to second-guess McDaniels, but just remember he isn’t the only one to blame when things go wrong.
3. Want some perspective on the three blocked punts the Patriots have allowed this season? Only nine teams in NFL history have allowed more than three in a single season, and no other team in the league has more than one this year. This is inexcusable for any team, but even more so for the Patriots who invest so much into special teams.
4. Speaking to reporters during the week, Jakobi Meyers was asked what the biggest difference has been from his rookie season to now, and the third-year receiver gave an interesting answer. “Just being able to help my teammates,” he said. “I feel like I was a real independent contractor my first year. Just showing up, doing what I was supposed to do, going home as soon as (Bill Belichick) let us out. Now, I feel like I bond with my teammates more, just talking to them more if they need something. ‘Cause I’ve been the one receiver here, outside of N’Keal (Harry) and Gunner (Olszewski).” Independent contractor? “I feel like, first year, I just kind of realized that I was really, just, kind of going through the motions, not really talking to anybody, not really being a great teammate,” Meyers said. “So, I knew my goal was to come back and just do more for the team and just help out, talk more.”
5. We’ll see what happens over the final three weeks, but if things continue like they are going, the Chiefs will be the best team entering the playoffs. Their defense is playing much better of late and even though the offense isn’t the same as it’s been in the past, they still have Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill and can put up 30-plus points against any defense on a given week.
6. Although it’s early in the process, it seems like this will be a year with not many head-coach openings available. This could be a good thing for McDaniels staying with the Patriots. From this perspective, it’s important for him to remain with Jones and continue to develop the young quarterback.
7. Next Sunday’s game against the Bills at Gillette Stadium will be extremely important. A win puts the Patriots in a very good position to win the division, but a loss likely means they need to win the final week of the season in Miami. That’s the last thing people want to hear given how games late in the season in Miami have gone of late. Buffalo takes on Carolina this week, which will likely be a get-right game for them.
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