Four Ups, Four Downs from Patriots' home loss to Commanders
BOSTON -- The New England Patriots are not very good. Not at all.
That much was known by many before Sunday's game, but it's known to even more people now that the Patriots couldn't win a home game against the Washington Commanders.
Now at 2-7, the season has reached a new depth for Bill Belichick and Co.
In this one -- a 20-17 Commanders win -- there were some ups ... and there were more downs. Here's an accounting of those plays and moments.
Four Ups
Mac Jones' TD Pass
We'll start with the positives, because it won't take long to buzz through them.
Mac Jones had a subpar day, but he did have a highlight when he hit Hunter Henry for a picture-perfect 14-yard touchdown pass.
Jahlani Tavai's Forced Fumble
The Patriots got off to an awful start in this one, falling behind 10-0. It might have been worse if not for Jahlani Tavai forcing the ball free from Brian Robinson, a turnover which led to the Patriots' first scoring drive of the game.
Davon Godchaux recovered the loose ball.
Rhamondre Stevenson
The third-year back broke off the longest run of his career, sprinting for 64 yards up the gut for a touchdown to give New England a lead in the second quarter.
He finished with 87 yards and the touchdown on nine carries while also catching four passes for 42 yards.
Kyle Dugger's INT
It wasn't a good day for the Patriots' secondary, but Kyle Dugger offered a highlight with an interception in the end zone before halftime. The ball was thrown right at him, but Dugger at least secured the pass to keep Washington off the board in the waning seconds of the second quarter.
Four Downs
JuJu Smith-Schuster
The receiver had finally started stacking some positives, making a sure-handed play to haul in a catch on a fourth-and-4 on the Patriots' final drive of the game. He was up to six catches on six targets for 51 yards, and he had a 20-yard reception earlier in the game. Unfortunately for him, he was targeted a seventh time, and he didn't catch it.
A catch in that spot, and the Patriots would have been able to attempt a game-tying field goal, and they would have had time to take a couple of shots into the end zone before that kick, too. But the drop led to the pick, which ended the game.
Sam Howell's 24-Yard Scramble
A third-and-23 against Sam Howell shouldn't be a problem for an NFL defense. But it was for the Patriots, who led the QB run wild for a 24-yard gain in the second quarter. Adrian Phillips missed a tackle, as did Jalen Mills. Those two Patriots ended up boxing out Myles Bryant from being able to try to make the tackle, and Howell took off for an additional eight yards.
It ended up not mattering, technically, as Dugger made the aforementioned pick to kill that drive. But it was representative of a Patriots defense that is having issues.
Mack Wilson And All Of Special Teams
Mack Wilson jumped offside on a Washington punt on fourth-and-2 with 2:41 left in the game. Either that, or he lined up offside. It was unclear. Regardless, the Commanders were able to keep the ball, drain some extra time, and force the Patriots to use their final two timeouts because of that penalty.
But that wasn't the only special teams miscue on the day. It wasn't even the only miscue on that play, as Ty Montgomery was flagged for holding, which would have negated a 19-yard punt return by Demario Douglas. Speaking of Douglas, he had a negative punt return to set the Patriots up at the 5-yard line earlier in the quarter.
Special teamer Brenden Schooler also got flagged for holding on the punt after the Wilson penalty, and on a touchback no less. Schooler also had a facemask penalty on another punt return in the fourth.
Mac Jones
He had the nice touchdown, and the final pick wasn't really his fault, and he threw a deep ball that bounced off Jalen Reagor's hands ... but Mac Jones didn't have the greatest game. He completed just 54.5 percent of his passes, and he threw several passes off his back foot (a recurring issue), which was responsible for a third-down incompletion to an open Rhamondre Stevenson in the fourth quarter.
Jones also missed a wide-open Tyquan Thornton on a fourth-and-3 in the first quarter, which ended the opening drive after 45 yards.
With Trent Brown out due to injury, the offensive line (with Conor McDermott at left tackle) held up pretty well.
J.C. Jackson, Jack Jones And The Secondary
Bill Belichick denied after the game that J.C. Jackson and Jack Jones were benched to start the game. Nevertheless, they were benched, with Shaun Wade getting the start on the outside with Myles Bryant in the slot. The Commanders scored 10 points on their second and third drives of the game.
Jackson and Jones did end up playing, but it didn't really matter.
Howell threw for 325 yards, with four receivers logging more than 40 yards. And on one of the biggest plays of the game, Bryant was beaten by a full two steps by Jahan Dotson for a touchdown.
The Commanders won the time of possession battle by keeping the ball for 37:10, and the secondary's inability to get off the field or force more than the one interception was the driver for that.
Bonus Downs
We're well past four so let's keep going. Jalen Reagor dropped a deep ball on a pass that went straight through his hands. ... Hunter Henry committed offensive pass interference on a third-and-3. ... Bill Belichick opted to play Tyquan Thornton over Kayshon Boutte, and the second-year receiver didn't exactly reward him for that faith. Thornton had one catch for seven yards and also ran a lazy route on a third-and-5 incompletion thrown his way on New England's second drive. ... And last but not least, the officiating crew earns a nod. For one, they assessed a roughing the passer penalty that never should have been called. And they missed a blatant facemask penalty committed against Demario Douglas on a catch-and-run in the second half.
