Patriots heartbreaking loss to Colts highlighted by these six takeaways
FOXBOROUGH, Mass – The New England Patriots came so close to the win yet again, but fell just short in Sunday's matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. With just over five and a half minutes remaining, the Patriots had a seven point lead. But the Colts drove down the field (very slowly) on a 19 play […]
FOXBOROUGH, Mass – The New England Patriots came so close to the win yet again, but fell just short in Sunday's matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.
With just over five and a half minutes remaining, the Patriots had a seven point lead. But the Colts drove down the field (very slowly) on a 19 play drive that resulted in a touchdown and then a successful two-point conversion.
They left just 12 seconds on the clock for the Patriots, and quarterback Drake Maye made two quick throws put Joey Slye in position for a 68-yard field goal attempt. But it was unsuccessful.
"We just need to be more consistent," head coach Jerod Mayo told reporters after the game. "Our red area offense I think we were 1 for 6. Our red area defense, we weren't able to stop them there. That's really the game."
So on that note, let's get into the top takeaways from today's game. And we'll start with the red zone struggles.
1. What's Going Wrong In The Red Zone?
The Patriots offense was working well together. And they were able to get down the field numerous times throughout the game.
It is telling that New England's first punt of the game came with just under six minutes remaining.
However, despite six red zone trips, the Patriots only found the end zone twice.
"It was tough down there. It was tight. Tight windows. Tight throws. I have to give our guys some chances. I think that's probably the biggest thing. And penalties – I think one of them was penalties. We got back into, like, a first and goal from the 20," Maye said. "Just can't settle for four field goals in the red zone and expect to win ball games.
2. Big Games from RB Antonio Gibson and TE Austin Hooper
Hunter Henry has proven to be Maye's most reliable target, while much of the run game this season has gone through Rhamondre Stevenson.
But there are two others on the roster who have emerged in the past few weeks.
Austin Hooper has quickly become a fan favorite. He scored his first touchdown of the season last week in the loss to the Dolphins, finishing the game catching all four targets for 59 yards.
And then this week, he made an impressive grab, getting into the end zone to put the Patriots ahead before halftime.
After any big plays by the tight end, the fans at Gillette Stadium yell out, "Hoooooop."
Now let's talk about Gibson.
The Patriots have really begun utilizing him in recent weeks, giving the offense more of that one-two punch in the run game.
Stevenson led the day with 18 carries for 73 yards, but Gibson was not far behind. He had seven carries for 62 yards, and scored the Patriots only other touchdown of the day.
3. Defense Had No Answer For Colts Run Game
The Colts were running all over the Patriots for a large portion of Sunday's matchup.
With a running quarterback in Anthony Richardson and talented threat in Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis relied on that to get their offense moving.
There were high expectations for the Patriots defense coming into the season, but they have not lived up to those. There have been some injuries, but opposing teams have certainly found all the weaknesses and do a good job of exploiting those.
Today was no different.
4. Patriots Run Game Gets Going
The New England Patriots finished the day with 31 total carries for 200 total rushing yards.
For a team that couldn't get the run game going at all for a few weeks there, having this kind of success was huge.
Along with having Stevenson and Gibson, the Patriots have Maye, and the quarterback has proven that he's not afraid to scramble for some extra yards.
5. The Final Play
With only one second on the clock, the Patriots sent out Joey Slye to attempt a 68-yard field goal. It would have been an NFL record had he made it, but the kicker was short.
While some questioned if the team should have allowed Maye to attempt a Hail Mary, Mayo detailed why he ultimately made the decision.
"That was 100% me. Look, [Joey] Slye was hitting it well in pregame, and I felt that that was the best thing to do to help our team win the football game," the head coach said. "Not sure what the numbers are on Hail Marys versus the field goal there, but that's what I felt was right.
6. The Patriots Still Have Drake Maye
Despite all the struggles, it's very clear that the future is bright for New England.
Maye has proven himself, going above and beyond during his rookie season. And he had another great day on Sunday.
The rookie quarterback went 24-of-30 for 238 passing yards and one passing touchdown, along with five carries for 59 rushing yards.
That brings his season total up to 148-of-226 (66.5%) for 1,485 passing yards and 10 passing touchdowns, along with 33 carries for 286 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.
And he didn't even start Week 1.
