FOXBORO — For the second time in three weeks, a Patriots comeback attempt ended on a Drake Maye interception.
There appeared to be some miscommunication as Maye dropped back and chucked it deep to wide receiver DeMario Douglas, who never looked for the ball as Rams safety Kamren Kinchens hauled in the pass like a punt return.
The Patriots’ Week 9 loss to the Titans also ended with a Maye interception.
The Patriots forced the Rams to punt with 2:22 left in the fourth quarter and started their final drive from their own 10-yard line with 2:14 on the clock. They went 15 yards on five plays before Maye’s pick clinched the 28-22 Rams win.
Maye finished 30-of-40 for 282 yards with two touchdowns, an interception and a lost fumble.
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo will likely have some second thoughts after the loss.
Should he have settled for field goals when the Patriots were inside the red zone twice? Should they have attempted a 54-yard field goal instead of punting early in the second quarter? Should they have at some point adjusted their coverage plan to put cornerback Christian Gonzalez on one of the Rams’ star wide receivers? Should they have gone for two instead of having an extra point blocked early in the fourth quarter?
A first-year head coach like Mayo inevitably will face more doubts than a veteran decision-maker.
The Patriots got on the board first with a 10-yard touchdown pass from rookie QB Drake Maye to wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, who was benched last week, on their second drive. The Patriots drove 77 yards on seven plays. Wide receiver DeMario Douglas picked up 42 of those yards on two long catch-and-runs.
The teams traded punts before the Rams scored on a 5-yard pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford to wide receiver Cooper Kupp after a nine-play, 80-yard drive. The Patriots had no answers for wide receiver Puka Nacua or running back Blake Corum on the series.
Maye was strip-sacked three plays into the Patriots’ ensuing drive, and the Rams recovered at New England’s 12-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Stafford hit Nacua for a diving touchdown catch.
Some sloppy defense from the Rams allowed the Patriots to cut the deficit to 14-10 with a 32-yard field goal from Joey Slye after a nine-play, 57-yard drive. Fifteen of those yards came on Rams penalties.
The Rams immediately scored coming out of the half on a 69-yard pass from Stafford to Kupp. The Patriots sent seven on an all-out blitz, and Jonathan Jones slipped in coverage, allowing Kupp to walk in for the score.
The Patriots cut the Rams’ lead to 21-13 with a 25-yard field goal from Slye. Fans were not happy that the Patriots trotted out the field goal unit from the Rams’ 2-yard line on fourth-and-goal.
It didn’t take long for the Rams to score their fourth passing touchdown of the game when Stafford hit tight end Colby Parkinson for a 19-yard score over linebacker Christian Elliss late in the third quarter. The seven-play, 72-yard drive took just 3:32 off the clock.
Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt showed some creativity on the Patriots’ second touchdown of the game. Maye hit left tackle Vederian Lowe, who was declared eligible on the play, for a 2-yard reception. Sidy Sow came in as the extra blocker on the play but lined up at jumbo tight end on the right side. So, the Patriots had an unbalanced line.
Trailing 28-19, there was a case that the Patriots should have gone for a two-point conversion. Instead, they attempted an extra point, which was blocked.
The Patriots’ defense forced a three-and-out. The offense was able to manage a 42-yard field goal from Slye to cut the Rams’ lead to 28-22. The offense was going to go for it on fourth-and-1, but rookie wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk was flagged for a false start.
TAKEAWAYS
Perplexing plan for Gonzalez
The Rams had two wide receivers to cover: Kupp and Nacua. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez shadowed neither and instead stuck on the boundary, where the Rams intentionally kept their best pass-catchers away from the top cornerback.
How did that go for the Patriots? Nacua caught seven passes for 123 yards with a touchdown, and Kupp caught five passes for 102 yards with two touchdowns.
Barmore returns
Defensive tackle Christian Barmore was diagnosed with blood clots in July and notched just one practice before returning to the gamefield in a surprisingly large role. He finished with 19 snaps and tallied two tackles.
No pressure
The Patriots’ pass rush laid an egg after last week’s nine-sack performance. The defense registered just six total pressures and zero sacks.
UP
TE Hunter Henry: The veteran tight end is Mr. Dependable. He caught six passes for 63 yards from Maye.
WR DeMario Douglas: Expected to be the Patriots’ most dangerous pass-catcher this season, Douglas had a solid performance with four catches for 59 yards.
WR Kendrick Bourne: One week after being benched, Bourne responded with a touchdown reception. He caught five passes for 70 yards as the team’s leading receiver.
DOWN
CB Jonathan Jones: The veteran cornerback let up two catches on three targets for 81 yards and two touchdowns. He did have a key pass breakup late in the fourth quarter on a third-down target to Nacua.
WR Ja’Lynn Polk: The rookie second-round pick played a considerable amount of snaps but wasn’t targeted. He was penalized for a false start in the fourth quarter.
RT Demontrey Jacobs: Jacobs had been a bright spot in recent weeks, but he led the team in pressures allowed, including a sack.
INJURIES
Patriots linebacker Curtis Jacobs suffered a head injury on a kickoff and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Left guard Michael Jordan also got banged up on the blocked extra point.
INACTIVES
ILB Marte Mapu (neck), OLB Ochaun Mathis, QB Joe Milton (3rd QB), WR K.J. Osborn, G Tyrese Robinson, NT Jaquelin Roy (neck) and DE Deatrich Wise (foot)
Mapu is the most interesting from that group, since his neck has been listed on the injury report since Week 7, and he’s played through it. The Patriots’ safeties were Kyle Dugger, Jaylinn Hawkins, Dell Pettus and cornerback Jonathan Jones.
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