Hurley: There's really nothing enjoyable about this Patriots experience

BOSTON -- Did you watch the football game on Sunday? The one involving the free-falling Patriots? The one featuring the team with no hope and no prayer at the most important position in sports? The one where it was unclear if either team really wanted to win?

Did you have fun? Did you?

If you did, you might need to see a doctor. Because there is nothing -- N-O-T-H-I-N-G -- enjoyable about the experience of the New England Patriots right now.

Nothing. At. All.

Specifically related to Sunday's 10-7 loss to the Giants:

--After two weeks of mystery and intrigue, Bill Belichick just rolled with Mac Jones as his starter. The quarterback with disintegrating confidence did not reward the faith of the coaching staff, throwing two picks -- both of them bad -- and fumbling in his one half of work. He was benched for the fourth time in his 11 starts this season.

--Bailey Zappe, unfortunately for him and the Patriots, isn't any better. While he completed a number of screen passes at or behind the line of scrimmage on his first drive (a touchdown drive), he threw an interception (just as bad as Jones' first interception) on one of his only downfield passes of the day. He threw for 54 yards in his two quarters of work.

--This all came after Will Grier was released on Saturday. The fact that Will Grier -- who hasn't played in an NFL game in four years, and who has thrown four interceptions and no touchdowns in his career -- became a real talking point in this region really speaks to how far the Patriots have fallen at the quarterback position since losing Tom Brady. Most people expected a drop-off, because that's inevitable. But nobody could have imagined it falling this far.

--With a chance to try to kick a 55-yard field goal late in the first quarter of a scoreless game, the Patriots opted to punt. The Patriots shouldn't be concerned about potentially missing a kick and giving the ball to the NFL's worst offense near midfield, but they were in this game. It didn't help them much.

--Similarly, facing a fourth-and-inches at their own 39-yard line, the Patriots tried and failed to dupe the Giants into jumping offside, with Hunter Henry barking out calls as a fake quarterback before motioning out wide, opening the door for Ezekiel Elliott to give some fake calls as a shotgun back. It didn't work. The Patriots burned a second-half timeout. And they punted. It looked and smelled like a lack of desire to win the football game. Or, worse, a lack of belief in their ability to win the football game. Either way, the Patriots clearly have nothing to lose, but Belichick isn't coaching as if that's the case.

--The Giants wouldn't have scored their lone touchdown if Jonathan Jones could have made an open-field tackle.

--After Rhamondre Stevenson rumbled 13 yards to get to the Giants' 22-yard line late in the game ... the Patriots appeared content to settle for the game-tying field goal attempt. They ran it inside on the ensuing first down, Zappe threw incomplete on what was basically a throwaway on second down, and a jet sweep to Tyquan Thornton (??) on third down went for just 3 yards. There was no real attempt to get the ball into the end zone. Again, when you're 2-8, why not try to win?

--And of course, the cherry on top: Rookie kicker Chad Ryland missed a kick that no NFL kicker should be missing.

The understated tweet from the NFL put the misfire in proper context.

The Patriots, you'll recall, traded up to draft Ryland in the fourth round this year. He's now 12-for-18 on field goals, and 3-for-5 in the 30-39-yard range.

Perhaps Ryland will go on to have a splendid NFL career. But for right now, in this environment, he's bad, just like so much around him.

It's all just so, so lousy.

And with many New England fans (including Julian Edelman) rooting for the Patriots to lose on Sundays, the atmosphere around this team is bleak. The experience is largely joyless, and with six games left until the season reaches its merciful end, it's challenging at this moment to see any light at the end of this tunnel.