Here are some half-baked thoughts and knickknacks (AKA NickNacks) I came up with while watching the first half of the New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Rams on Sunday:

— The ghost of the Tuck Rule descended on Gillette Stadium Sunday and haunted Drake Maye. The rookie quarterback was hit on a play that was a near-carbon copy of the famous non-fumble by Tom Brady during the 2021 Divisional Game against the Raiders (AKA the “Tuck Rule Game”).

— The Patriots offensive line, which remains an issue, was befuddled when the Rams ran a stunt. As a result, center Ben Brown failed to get a hand on defensive end Braden Fiske, who came on to smoke Maye. The rookie quarterback lost the ball as he was pulling it down following a pump fake. Under the “tuck rule,” the play would have been ruled incomplete instead of a fumble.

— Bad news for Maye: The NFL eliminated the “tuck rule” in 2013. While the Patriots may have been bailed out on that snowy day in January 2002, Maye and the Patriots were stuck with a strip-sack. The Rams scored a few plays later to take a 14-7 lead.

— Here’s the scariest part of this entire story: Maye was born seven months after the Tuck Rule game even happened. The 2001 AFC Divisional Game at old Foxborough Stadium was played on Jan. 19, 2002. Maye wasn’t born until Aug. 30, 2002.

— There was good news: More than any other game this season, this was the one where I found myself saying, “Oh, that’s a neat play design.” So, good on you, Alex Van Pelt. The offense did a great job of getting the ball to Pop Douglas in space.

— It didn’t take long for Christian Barmore to see the field in his first game back. He sat the first three plays before playing back-to-back snaps and helping to force a punt. It was encouraging to see him play select snaps in his first game back since he was diagnosed with blood clots over the summer.

— Kyle Dugger had a rough day in his first game back from injury. Normally one of the team’s surest tacklers, the safety whiffed in a couple of big spots in the first quarter, resulting in big plays for the Rams.

— Puka Nacua is a problem — one the Patriots didn’t have an answer for in the first half. The Rams’ rising star caught 6 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown before halftime.

— Jimmy Garoppolo was back in town on Sunday, this time as a backup to Stafford. He’s only played in one game at Gillette since the Patriots traded him away. That was in 2020 when the 49ers came in and stomped his old team, 33-6.

— Credit to columnist Matt Vautour (who sits next to me in the press box) for noting this: The Patriots’ first play was a pass to Kendrick Bourne. It sure seemed like a symbolic move for Maye to immediately look in Bourne’s direction and fire a pass to the veteran receiver, who was benched last week to make space for the younger players at the position.

— Another plus for Bourne: He caught the Patriots’ opening touchdown of the game, catching a crisp pass from Maye on a nice slant route at the goal line.

— Rookie Javon Baker had a strong kick return out of the gate. He took the knee to grab the ball on a weird bounce before finding a seam to take the ball out to the 45-yard line.

— More key drops from the receivers. This time it was Kayshon Boutte on a slant that had a chance to convert a third down in Rams territory. Maye’s pass was a little high. But it was still a very catchable ball. That turned a borderline scoring drive into a punt.

— Linebacker Christian Elliss started the year as a special teams guy. But he’s really come along as a key rotational player in the front seven. He did a great job coming around on a stunt to force an incompletion by Matthew Stafford on a third down.

— Former Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale was spotted on the field before the game. Sale was traded the to Braves ahead of the 2024 season and went on to win MLB’s Comeback Player of the Year award. He’s under contract for two more seasons in Atlanta.

— Doink! The Rams missed out on taking a touchdown lead when Joshua Karty missed a 26-yarder on the final play of the first half.