- Outclassed in every facet. This is the long story short from the Patriots’ 45-27 loss to the Packers at Gillette Stadium. It was humbling and concerning (more injuries and secondary carved up) for the team on a day veteran safety Kevin Byard III had previewed as a “measuring stick” situation.
- It was shocking to see how aggressively the Packers attacked CB Christian Gonzalez with success. It looked to me that some of Gonzalez’s struggles were detail- and technique-related (e.g. – opening up his hips in his backpedal early and too easily giving up out-breaking routes as a result; playing up at the line and failing to re-route his assignment etc.). Gonzalez has to get back in the lab this week to iron things out and get his edge back, which is what the best do. I’d also identify communication as the other key to his nightmare day. There were multiple plays in which Gonzalez and other DBs weren’t on the same page and you could see how they were stressed by the Packers’ quick pace and/or alignments. While Gonzalez is an easy target for below-the-standard performance, I thought there were multiple times Byard vacated his area and also put the D in a compromising position.
- Drake Maye had said his focus on owning the difference between the big play and right play was critical in helping him snap out of an early-season slide … and he regressed in that area against the Packers. His first of three interceptions, on the second offensive snap of the game against a three-man rush with what looked like a spy concept, contributed to putting the team in an early hole. Maye showed resolve and good in-the-pocket fundamentals as the game progressed and things around him were disintegrating at times, but the turnovers are tough to overcome (11 INTs after 8 all of last year). Turnovers have been one of the stories of the season – the Patriots’ 19 giveaways are tied for most in the NFL with the winless Chargers. They also don’t create enough of them (8). With a minus-11 turnover differential, the Patriots are tied for last in the NFL with the 2-7 Colts.
- The Patriots didn’t make any trades at Tuesday’s deadline. Getting some injured players back will have to serve as reinforcements for them. WR A.J. Brown would be a big one, and on Monday, coach Mike Vrabel said the plan was for Brown to travel to Germany this week. While Vrabel said no decision had been made on Brown’s travel, it was taken as a positive sign here that there is a chance Brown is close to a return.
- This was really the first time this season I thought the Patriots weren’t ready to go at the start of the game from an energy/execution standpoint and didn’t handle sudden change well defensively. An illegal shift on the first offensive play – which was part of having a developing rookie, TE Tanner Arkin, in that spot – contributed to setting that tone.
- Asked if the game was not a reflection of who the Patriots are, WR Mack Hollins said in the post-game locker room: “You are what you put on tape. This is who we are this week. If there’s guys on this team that are OK with that, I’m sure there are 31 other teams they can go to and they could live like that. We’re trying to get stuff done. But this week, we just got our ass kicked. And if you’re not willing to come to work tomorrow, Tuesday and Wednesday and get on that plane and work all this week, you’re probably not meant for this team.”
- The Patriots have seven defensive offside/encroachment penalties in the last two games. DT Cory Durden, OLB Dre’Mont Jones and OLB Gabe Jacas have two apiece, and DT Joshua Farmer has the other. Vrabel might have to consider taking offenders off the field if it continues, which isn’t part of his usual approach. And if you’re Lions QB Jared Goff this week, you’re hunting for free yardage with the cadence until the Patriots prove they can clean it up.
- Former Patriots special teams coordinator Cam Achord, in the same role for the Packers, triple-teamed gunner Brenden Schooler on the Patriots’ first punt (1Q/11:58) and that was Schooler’s last play of the game (hamstring). That’s big-time respect, and of course, Achord knows Schooler well from their time together in New England (2022-2023). Schooler had landed on the injury report last Thursday and was trying to play through it.
- Silver linings: Safety Craig Woodson’s run support … Punter Mitch Wishnowsky with four attempts inside the 20 … Rookie CB Karon Prunty, gunner on the punt team, with good field awareness to help down the ball at the 2 … Good push from DT Daquan Jones with fellow DT Christian Barmore keeping his motor running to record a sack (2Q/12:39) … Hard-charging running from Corey Kiner.
- Not-so-silver linings: LB Christian Elliss out of position on QB Jordan Love’s 13-yard TD run (1Q/13:29) as the four-man rush (Jones, Williams, Durden, Ponder) gets way out of its rush lanes … WR Kyle Williams stopping on his ‘go’ route that could have been a TD (1Q/5:31) … Multiple times the OL struggled to sort out which Packers were rushing/dropping, which led to missed assignments … RB Rhamondre Stevenson’s lost fumble … TE Eli Raridon’s red-zone drop late.
- The Patriots have a different schedule this week due to Sunday’s game against the Lions being played in Munich. Players were off Monday, then had meetings Tuesday, with the first traditional practice set for Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. on the game field. They’ll travel that night, have a light walkthrough Thursday in Munich, then another practice Friday. One point Byard made after losing to the Packers is that players couldn’t allow one bad loss to turn into two. It all sets up the top question of the international week: How do they respond?
