Bill O'Brien says Patriots' start to Sunday's game was "ridiculous"

BOSTON -- Last week, the Patriots talked at length about "starting over." When the players on offense finally got a chance to take the field, they instantly committed two penalties.

Your reaction watching at home was likely similar to that of offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien.

"It's not good to start the game with two penalties. It's ridiculous," O'Brien said Tuesday morning at Gillette Stadium. "That falls on me, that falls on them. I know I say it every week, we're in it together. But there's a small margin for error, and we've gotta get better."

The penalties to start Sunday's game on offense were a false start by rookie Sidy Sow and an ineligible man downfield penalty on Trent Brown, which was declined. The Patriots promptly went three-and-out on that opening possession, and they went three-and-out on their next drive, moving backward instead of forward. A Hunter Henry holding penalty on the third drive negated a 74-yard touchdown reception by Ezekiel Elliott, and Mac Jones threw an interception on the team's fourth drive.

Eventually, the offense put together a couple of touchdown drives in the second half, but the operation under O'Brien remains a major issue for the 1-5 Patriots.

Still, O'Brien is maintaining a positive outlook.

"We have a chance to turn this thing around, but we all have to buy into it and wrap our heads around the fact that we have to pay attention -- coaches and players -- to the details better and get this thing done," he said. "And so that's what our mindset is right now."