The New England Patriots have plenty of issues to address following their Week 9 loss to the Green Bay Packers, but the one that stands above the rest is turnovers.
New England's inability to protect the football proved to be costly in the loss to Green Bay. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye threw three interceptions in the game, while running back Rhamondre Stevenson lost a fumble. Those mistakes put additional pressure on New England and made it difficult for the team to keep pace with Green Bay, as it disrupted the team’s offensive rhythm, making an already challenging matchup even more difficult to navigate.
Maye's interception problems appeared to disappear over the course of the previous four weeks, as he only threw one in that span, showing
improved decision-making and better ball security.
However, his latest performance suggests that those issues have resurfaced. Stevenson, meanwhile, has long struggled with fumbles, making his continued ball-security problems another concern for New England to deal with.
Cleaning up the turnovers will be especially important for the Patriots heading into their next matchup against the Detroit Lions. New England will be disadvantaged in the event that they give another talented team like the Lions extra possessions. If the Patriots want to remain competitive and build momentum for the rest of the season, protecting the ball must become their biggest priority.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: One thing Patriots must fix ahead of Week 10 game against Lions
