New England put together an incredibly efficient afternoon offensively, scoring on four consecutive drives to open the game — a first for the franchise since Jan 2, 2022, against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s probably the best game that unit has played in the last two seasons, but there are still way too many things to tidy up in all three phases.
It’s never going to be easy with this roster, which is evident in a 25-24 loss in which you essentially gave things away, but that’s perfect for this exercise. Let’s take a look at the studs and duds from Sunday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts:
STUDS
Drake Maye
Maye made his typical mistake, throwing an interception in the low red area, but he was otherwise incredible.
The Patriots rode a balanced attack to victory, which the rookie signal-caller had a hand in curating as he posted 238 passing yards and 59 rushing yards on the afternoon. Maye’s ability to find seams in the running game has been crucial to offensive success — and it also helps that he can sling it.
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Christian Gonzalez
It’s nice having an All-Pro cornerback, huh?
Gonzalez did his best to end it with an interception in the fourth quarter, and although things ended terribly, it felt like a dagger.
Antonio Gibson
Gibson has proven to be a worthy reserve throughout the season, typically popping when given the opportunity. The Patriots relied on Rhamondre Stevenson to carry the load (18 carries, 73 yards), but it was Gibson who made the most of his limited opportunities with 62 yards on seven carries — oh yeah, and what should have been the game-winning touchdown.
New England should consider getting him more touches down the stretch.
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Hunter Henry
Maye and Henry have become famous friends over the last several weeks, and their chemistry showed itself yet again on Sunday. Henry had seven catches for 75 yards and is now approaching a career-best in receptions (58), yards (610) and first-down conversions (34).
DUDS
Davon Godchaux
The Patriots got gashed in the running game, and we’re going to primarily blame the guy who got paid to specifically stop that from happening. The Colts got whatever they wanted on the ground, averaging 5.1 yards per carry before being forced to throw the ball while trailing in the fourth quarter.
Mike Onwenu
New England’s entire offensive line should probably make this list, but they all settled in after an ugly first half full of pre- and post-snap penalties. Onwenu still finds his way into this section due to being responsible for negative-yardage plays on each of the offense’s first three possessions.
You can’t be the only guy getting paid and still make routine mistakes.
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Red-Zone Offense
The Patriots had an opportunity to score on nearly all of their offensive possessions but somehow finished 2-for-6 in the red area. Who do you blame? Maye? Alex Van Pelt? Joey Slye?
It’s tough to find one particular name, so we’re going to divvy things up across the entire operation. Van Pelt’s decision-making at the conclusion of the first half was puzzling, which led to a chip-shot field goal attempt that Slye ultimately missed. Maye threw yet another interception on the ensuing offensive possession, which probably should have been caught by Henry.
Jerod Mayo
The Patriots needed just one stop to win the game.
Mayo had an opportunity to call a timeout and reset his defense on a two-point point conversion, but elected to let things play out. Anthony Richardson plunged into the end zone, giving Indy the win after a nine-play, 80-yard drive.
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It’s an imperfect game, but those mistakes are inexcusable.
