If Dana Carvey’s “Church Lady” was a Patriots fan, she surely would have found Sunday’s game vs. the Packers “special.” It broke records, made history and twisted our insides in ways we hadn’t felt in ages, or perhaps ever. So how did the non-fans, the experts take it? Not quite as bad as I thought. The most any expert dropped his ranking was by 5 spots. The fewest was by 1. The average was a slip of 3.5. As a former Patriots philosopher was famous for saying, “It is what it is.” Now we can move
on.
This week has the Patriots traveling to Germany to play the 6-2 Detroit Lions, who hold second place in the NFC North. That division is on fire and so far New England has an 0-2 (Bears, Packers) against them. It’s hard to try and sugarcoat the tough task ahead for the Pats in Week 10. The injured list grew last week and the team will be without two more starters in Ben Brown and Rhamondre Stevenson. The Lions are favored by 2.5 points, which seems low considering the state of the patchwork roster. Frankly, I would be happy to see a good solid effort all around. Hoping for a win, but not feeling too confident unless the offense can limit turnovers and the defense can return to form after a bad week. There’s always a chance.
GO PATS!!
AFC East:
Buffalo Bills (7-1) at New York Jets (2-7)
New England Patriots (5-4) at Detroit Lions (6-2)
Miami Dolphins (1-7) at Indianapolis Colts (2-7)
AFC Matchups:
Denver Broncos (7-2) – Bye Week
Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2) at Tennessee Titans (2-7)
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) at Cincinnati Bengals (6-2)
Kansas City Chiefs (6-2) at Atlanta Falcons (3-6)
Cleveland Browns (5-4) vs. Houston Texans (3-5)
Las Vegas Raiders (4-5) vs. Seattle Seahawks (5-4)
Baltimore Ravens (4-5) vs. Los Angeles Chargers (0-8)
11th – Nate Davis (USA Today): No Patriots team had ever allowed 45 points at Gillette Stadium. No Patriots team had ever allowed 45 points at home … since 1970. And these guys are supposed to be known for their defense. [-1]
12th – Pete Prisco (CBS Sports): That was an awful showing all the way around against the Packers. They can’t turn it over the way they did in that game and expect to win. [-1]
14th – NFL Nation (ESPN): Most important game of the second half: Week 13 vs. the Bills. It was tempting to pick Week 10 against the Lions in Munich based on how poorly the defense played in a shocking blowout loss to the Packers at home Sunday. But the Patriots are 3-0 in the AFC East, so welcoming Josh Allen & Co. to town could ultimately determine if they still have a shot at the division crown. The Patriots haven’t won back-to-back AFC East titles since 2017-18. — Mike Reiss. [-3]
14th – Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports): Christian Gonzalez is a good cornerback who had a horrific game against the Packers. He allowed 105 yards to Matthew Golden and 82 to Christian Watson, according to Next Gen Stats. He’s the first player to give up 80 yards to two different players in the same game since at least 2018, according to Next Gen Stats. He had allowed only 196 yards in coverage over his first six games combined, according to NGS. [-3]
14th – Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk): The regression continues. [-4]
14th – Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News): The Patriots, in their five wins, have seen Drake Maye throw a combined two interceptions. In their four losses, he has thrown a combined 9 interceptions. He’s starting to press and force the issue in the passing game as the defense keeps struggling, not a good formula. [-4]
15th – Nick Shook (NFL): When Christian Gonzalez — New England’s star corner — is getting cooked in coverage to the tune of 10 receptions for 187 yards and a touchdown, per Next Gen Stats, and Drake Maye is throwing three interceptions, we might finally be arriving at a point of agreement: Perhaps these Patriots are just a middling team that could sneak into the playoffs but won’t come close to the AFC title run they went on last season. [-4]
15th – Ralph Vacchiano (FOX Sports): We always knew this season was going to be more of a struggle for the defending AFC champions than last season was. The tougher schedule guaranteed that. And while the Patriots secured a big signature win in Buffalo a few weeks ago, they’ve really fallen flat other than that. They have now played six teams that have winning records and seem likely headed towards the playoffs and they’ve gone just 2-4 against them. And they looked terrible on Sunday at home against the Packers. That was especially true of QB Drake Maye, who was picked off three times. Stat To Know: The 45 points allowed by the Patriots in Sunday’s loss to the Packers are the most points New England has ever allowed in a game at Gillette Stadium (opened in 2002). [-5]
15th – Conor Orr (SI): I am always fascinated by why a coach will all of a sudden try and pick on one of the best players in the NFL, like the Packers did with Christian Gonzalez on Sunday. What did Matt LaFleur see on film that made him so vulnerable, when Gonzalez had done little but show he was one of the most elite corners in football? [-1]
16th – Ian Glendon (Full Press Coverage): New England was overwhelmed 45-27 by Green Bay, with Drake Maye throwing three interceptions and absorbing relentless pressure. Injuries to the offensive line and backfield, including Rhamondre Stevenson’s knee issue, are making an already uneven offense more fragile. A winning record is no longer enough to protect the Patriots’ position. [-4]
AVG RANK: 14.0 [-3.5]
