The New England Patriots suffered another blowout loss, falling to the Detroit Lions 35-10. The Patriots once again struggled on both sides of the ball, as key injuries affected the offense and poor discipline contributed to the defense’s underwhelming performance. Over the last two weeks, they have been outscored by 43 points, raising questions about the team’s ability to compete against quality opponents. With New England’s defeat in Week 10, Mike Vrabel’s team has damaged its playoff chances while exposing concerns that may be more problematic down the stretch.
Patriots’ Offense Declines As Drake Maye Exits
The Patriots’ offense started the game strong, as Drake Maye led the unit 72 yards down the field in eight plays to Detroit’s 3-yard line. After this impressive opening, the offense was flagged twice for a false start and delay of game, moving them back 10 yards. Then, Maye was sacked for two yards by Aidan Hutchinson, suffering an ankle injury on the play and exiting the game. From that point forward, New England’s offense completely fell apart.
With Maye out, the Patriots’ offense could only record 29 total yards on their preceding six drives in the first half. Through the entire game, the offense totaled 151 yards with a yards-per-play of 2.7 and 10 points. Even though he only played the opening drive, Maye was responsible for 39.1% of New England’s total yardage. Although Maye’s injury undoubtedly had a massive impact on the offense, the unit’s performance shows that it might’ve struggled even with him out there.
“I don’t think Drake being in there or not would’ve really [mattered]; I mean, it may have, but I would highly doubt it,” said Vrabel. “We’re 0-0. We’re heading into the bye. We got to get some things fixed and changed and corrected and figure out ways to win as opposed to what we’re doing right now, which is not giving ourselves enough of a chance.”
Maye was replaced by Tommy DeVito, who had a difficult time getting into the flow of the game. He threw for 81 yards on 12-of-24 passing, with one touchdown and an interception. DeVito looked uncomfortable in the pocket, as he faced much pressure and was sacked four times. The Patriots’ passing game was disappointing, with the receivers lacking the ability to get open and come down with the ball. A.J. Brown didn’t make the most of his opportunities in his return, catching two of his six targets for 27 yards.
“Offensively, we just never really got going,” said DeVito. “Not really able to get into a rhythm to get drives going. Too many three-and-outs and kind of just hard on ourselves. Even on the one drive we had that resulted in a touchdown, it took 16 plays, and there were still errors that happened, so we just need to be better at sustaining drives.”
The Patriots struggled to run the ball against the Lions’ defense. They only recorded 64 rushing yards, with Corey Kiner leading the team with 25 yards on 10 carries. The ground game was also affected by injury, as Rhamondre Stevenson was questionable entering the game, only receiving six carries for four yards. TreVeyon Henderson was also placed on IR, making Lan Larison the last available running back, earning 17 total yards and scoring the team’s sole touchdown.
Ball security remains an issue for New England. Though they only turned the ball over once against Detroit, the team struggled to protect the football. Reggie Gilliam fumbled during the game, but Brown managed to recover it. After consistently giving the ball away this season, these mistakes are a costly concern that could affect the Patriots as they enter the second half of their schedule.
New England Defense Struggles Against Detroit’s Stars
New England’s defense entered Week 10 looking to bounce back from its disappointing performance last week, but it struggled to contain Detroit’s offensive playmakers. While the secondary showed some improvement, Jared Goff and the Lions’ receivers found opportunities to exploit the defense. Goff recorded 303 yards on 20-of-31 passing with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Amon-Ra St. Brown was one of his top targets, recording 98 yards on five receptions with two touchdowns.
Following his showing last week, Christian Gonzalez was under a microscope in Week 10. He had a costly mistake against St. Brown, where he missed a tackle on a play that resulted in a 56-yard touchdown pass. Gonzalez would respond to this play, intercepting one of Goff’s pass attempts to St. Brown. Though the Patriots intercepted Goff twice, with Kevin Byard recording the other, they couldn’t keep up with Detroit’s targets, consistently allowing many yards after the catch.
“[St. Brown] made a play, and I came back and made a play,” said Gonzalez. “I mean, obviously, we want to win. It’s not about me getting an interception or somebody scoring or things like that. We went out there two weeks in a row and played bad, so we just got to get to the drawing board and be ready [in] two weeks.”
Along with their struggles against the passing game, the Patriots’ defense failed to contain the Lions’ ground game. Jahmyr Gibbs was dominant in the backfield, recording 252 yards from scrimmage, with seven yards per carry. Detroit totaled 191 rushing yards, making it the second straight week that New England has allowed at least 125 yards on the ground.
Completing tackles has been a major issue for the Patriots’ defense. It was a big concern entering Week 10, as the Lions have explosive offensive firepower that can turn short gains into home runs. Detroit took advantage of this weakness, as they had nine plays over 15 yards, including a 50-yard run by Gibbs. With New England failing to finish plays when relatively healthy, its tackling woes could become more costly as injuries continue to affect the team.
“Just go to make those tackles in space,” said Gonzalez. “Receivers are going to make catches. Running backs are going to break free. Obviously, that is going to happen; that’s the NFL, but at the same time we have to make the tackles and not let something short turn into a big play. Obviously, that starts with me; I can’t miss that tackle. We’ve got to get back to practice and trust our fundamentals.”
End Of My Patriots Rant
In Week 10, the Patriots’ loss to the Lions revealed two things that could affect the team in the second half of the season. If Maye has to miss extended time, the offense could struggle significantly, as they lack reliable alternatives to replace his production. On defense, they lack the ability to contain the opposing team’s top offensive playmakers, as they are vulnerable through the air and on the ground. Though the team falls to 5-5, they have a bye next week, giving them an opportunity to address these issues and prepare for the challenges ahead.
