What is the story about?
Brady
and Gronk were back in the building, capping off what was supposed to be an awesome weekend of celebrating all-time great Patriots players… and then this happened.
This was the kind of loss that has you heading for the exits before Gillette Stadium stops selling booze. Just a complete disaster from start to finish that has you wanting to put the game behind you as quickly as possible.
- At the end of the day, there are two ways you can look at this loss. I suppose you could dip into the old glass half empty vs. half full adage, but I think more than anything it’s more what your relationship to this team is.
- The first way to see this game is that the Patriots just kind of laid an egg. They weren’t prepared, they got thoroughly outplayed and outcoached, and made zero adjustments. Guys looked lost out there, and there wasn’t any fire to this team. Drake Maye didn’t play well and the defense had its worst outing of the season. That happens sometimes, and when it happens against a good team as opposed to a mediocre-to-bad one, the result is a complete blowout.
- The other way to see this game is that it’s indicative of where the 2026 Patriots are in the NFL as a whole, which is a decent team very far behind the real contenders. In a season in which the NFC is running circles around the AFC in terms of talent and team strength, the Pats just aren’t in the category of serious contenders. They can only go as far as Drake Maye will take them, and when Maye isn’t at his best, everything falls apart. They can still go 10-7 and make the playoffs, but not having to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl this year might be a blessing.
- I know that this team is all kinds of banged up. I know that they have very little top-tier talent on the field for the offense right now. But injuries alone aren’t responsible for what we all had to see yesterday.
- On the plus side, most of us missed the only parts of the game where the Patriots were still in it courtesy of some amazing bonus coverage of Colts vs. Cowboys. If there’s one thing Boston sports fans would rather see than their favorite team, it’s a Colts-Cowboys game.
- I’d make some comment about how paying an obscene amount of money for NFL Sunday Ticket should mean that you’d have the chance to watch whatever game you wanted in case a game went to OT and there was some kind of contractual obligation to keep showing it, but that would also mean that the NFL would have to show even the slightest bit of common sense or concern about the happiness of the fans. And since that isn’t ever going to happen, I’ll just move on.
- The plus side of this game being pretty much over before most fans at the game made their way through the beer line is that it doesn’t sit with you very long. I reached the acceptance part of the grieving process by halftime and got right on with my day.
- And yes, I know that the Patriots were only down 10 at the half, through some combination of miracles. But anyone who thought that Green Bay wasn’t going to march right down the field and score on the first possession of the third quarter represents the smart folks who weren’t really paying attention.
- You have to give the Packers credit, as they found a great way to exploit New England’s defensive weakness. They opted to target an all-pro shutdown corner currently playing on one of the largest contracts in the NFL. Sheer genius.
- Christian Gonzalez not only had his worst game as a pro yesterday, but he is the first DB in almost 10 years to give up 80-plus yards to two different receivers. Matthew Golden and Christian Watson netted a combined 10 receptions for 187 yards yesterday. That would have represented a pretty decent day for Year 2 Mac Jones during his tenure here. And Gonzalez also had trouble tackling. And staying upright. And looking even remotely interested in being there.
- As soon as I got into college, I didn’t do a single lick of work for the second semester of my senior year of high school. Didn’t see much point in it, as I already had what I wanted. So I have a unique perspective on people who have what they need and are just kind of playing out the string going forward. And while I won’t go so far as to say that Gonzo has checked out on the game of football now that he has his bag, I certainly don’t see him playing with the same intensity as he had last year. As a man who will never pass up the opportunity to slack off on the job, I highly respect the move… but as a fan of a team that wants to see players try their hardest, I’m not overly happy.
- Again, I don’t think Gonzalez is a bust or anything like that. He had a bad game, and he’s allowed. But I have sensed a marked lack of urgency in his coverages across several games now and it’s worth noting.
- At the same time, outside of Elijah Ponder, pretty much nobody on the defense showed up yesterday. And this unit is more or less healthy. 129 yards on the ground, 372 yards through the air. Surrendered four scoring drives of 70 yards or more. Forced two three-and-outs. Just a dud all around.
- Should I even bother talking about the offense? I mean there were some moments. There were some nice throws. And the game was within 10 at one point, even though I never once thought that the Patriots were going to dig themselves out of the early hole. So I don’t know if I should even bother breaking down any individual plays. People seem to be either very down on Drake Maye today or looking to absolve him of all blame, when (as with most things) the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I’ve already said that this team will go as far as he can take them. And the only entity working so hard to hold it all together right now is my belt. But he’s still making completely horrendous decisions and trying to do too much with too little. We all know that not all interceptions are created equal, and the ones he has been committing can be picked up at any Dollar Store.
- He’s still a young kid. He’s still growing into the game. And I still have faith in him. I just wish there wasn’t so many massive swings in both directions. 2026 Drake Maye is the city of New Haven, CT; you walk past some of the most beautiful architecture you’ll ever see as you admire the ivy-clad walls of one of the world’s finest universities, but then you make a left at the next block and the odds of you getting out alive just dropped by 75%.
- Do I think that the Patriots are going to be OK? Honestly, yes I do. I think they can get over this loss and bounce back. I don’t know if it’s going to be some kind of 2014 Kansas City moment for them or not, but we’ll find out very soon. They need to put this nonsense behind them and get ready for Detroit. There’s a massive difference between 6-4 and 5-5, particularly with the bye week looming. You don’t want to go into a week off on back-to-back losses.
- This is still a playoff team. I’d take them over a lot of teams in the AFC. The Bills look strong, but the Patriots beat the Bills in Buffalo. Kansas City might be in a ton of trouble depending on the severity of Mahomes’s injury. The Ravens are done and the Bengals are inconsistent. Denver seems like a team that needs every second of every game to squeak out wins regardless of who they’re playing. So who the hell knows what the second half of the season will bring.
- Good for the Packers. Better players, better gameplan, better coaching. I know we’re not used to our coaches getting mind-melted by the guy across the sidelines around these parts, but it has happened on a few occasions now. Mike Vrabel is a good coach. He’s not the best coach in the league. Goor coaches with good quarterbacks seem to know how to put one over on him and he doesn’t adjust as well as others. I’ll still take him over most of the other coaches in the league.
- I told my friends that the Patriots had to win one of these two games with the Packers and Lions in order to really make a strong push into December. I honestly thought that win would come yesterday. Oops. That means they need to take care of business more than ever.
- In Germany. At 9:30 in the morning. Yay?
