GLENDALE, Ariz. — Sunday’s 30-17 loss served as a worst-case scenario for the Patriots coming off of their bye week.
A team desperately looking to build for the future, the Patriots laid an egg on the road to the Cardinals.
Those expecting the Patriots to look any different coming out of their Week 14 bye against the Cardinals on Sunday were sorely mistaken and apparently haven’t watched this team all year.
The Patriots fell to 3-11 on the season in Sunday’s loss. The offense could barely move the ball for most of the game, and the defense let the Cardinals walk all over them.
Rookie quarterback Drake Maye took matters into his own hands late with an exciting six-play, 75-yard drive that saw him hit Kendrick Bourne on a 37-yard deep ball and DeMario Douglas on a 3-yard, scrambling, shovel-pass touchdown, but it was too little, too late to make a significant difference. The Cardinals scored on their ensuing drive to make the score 30-10. Maye cut into the lead again on a 5-yard scramble for a touchdown. The Cardinals recovered the Patriots’ onside kick within the two-minute warning to put the game away.
The Patriots were moving the ball well on their first drive before rookie guard Layden Robinson was called for his third holding penalty in two games. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt got conservative with his play-calling on third-and-10, and kicker Joey Slye missed a 53-yard field goal attempt. The Patriots signed a kicker, John Parker Romo, to their practice squad this week.
The Cardinals went 26 yards on six plays before settling for a 49-yard field goal from former Patriots kicker Chad Ryland to take a 3-0 lead.
After a three-and-out from the Patriots, the Cardinals took a 10-0 lead when wide receiver Greg Dortch fumbled the ball after getting a handoff on an end around. Offensive tackle Jonah Williams landed on the ball before it could go out of bounds for the touchdown. The Patriots let up a 53-yard run to running back James Conner to begin the drive.
The two teams traded punts before Slye redeemed himself with a 50-yard field goal after a 12-play, 48-yard drive. Cornerback Marcus Jones saw a snap on offense and took a screen for 18 yards.
The Cardinals finished the half by going up 13-3 with a 35-yard field goal by Ryland. Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez prevented a touchdown by breaking up a deep pass to Marvin Harrison Jr. in the end zone. It wound up being a 4-point play since the Cardinals had to settle for the field goal.
The Cardinals settled for another field goal coming out of the half. Gonzalez broke up another pass in the end zone on third down to force the 40-yard field goal from Ryland.
The Patriots made it down to the Cardinals’ 4-yard line and went for it on fourth-and-1 but got stuffed, turning the ball over on downs. They should have wound up with a takeaway on the Cardinals ensuing drive, but Anfernee Jennings was called for a late hit after Murray threw an errant pass to Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones for an interception. It was a ticky-tack call on Jennings.
Maye threw an interception on the Patriots’ next drive, though it was of no fault of his own. The pass hit off wide receiver Kayshon Boutte’s hands and into cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting’s waiting arms for the turnover. It was the second straight week Maye hit a wide receiver in the hands on a play that resulted in an interception.
The Cardinals increased their lead to 23-3 after Conner plunged forward for a 1-yard score after a nine-play, 55-yard drive coming off Maye’s interception.
TAKEAWAYS
Polk starts, then…: Patriots rookie wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk drew the start but wasn’t even targeted against the Cardinals. A bad rookie season is being made worse weekly with a lack of production. Polk doesn’t have a multi-catch game since Week 4. He has two receptions from Week 7 on.
Kicker woes: The Patriots brought in competition for Slye this week, signing Parker Romo. Perhaps we could see him next week against the Bills after Slye missed a 53-yard field goal in the first quarter.
Meanwhile, Ryland was a perfect 3-of-3 on field goals and 1-of-1 on extra points against this former team.
Poor O-line play: In the first half alone, left tackle Vederian Lowe let up a sack and tackle for loss, left guard Layden Robinson was penalized for holding and center Ben Brown had two bad snaps. It’s no way to play on offense and wrecked an efficient first half for Maye, who was 10-of-10 for 71 yards.
An offensive spark: Cornerback Marcus Jones got one snap on offense but took a screen pass 18 yards. He looked a step more explosive than the rest of the Patriots’ offensive players. It might be worth giving other cornerbacks a try on defense to allow Jones more time on offense.
UPS
CB Christian Gonzalez: Easily the Patriots’ best player Sunday, Gonzalez broke up three passes intended for Harrison, including two in the end zone. Gonzalez is one of the best cornerbacks in football and stands up each week despite a difficult matchup against the opposing team’s best wide receiver.
Patriots’ run game: It didn’t matter or result in meaningful points, but the Patriots ran the ball 24 times for 116 yards, averaging 4.8 yards per attempt.
QB Drake Maye: Once again, it didn’t do much for the Patriots’ ineffective offense, but Maye was 19-of-23 for 202 yards with a touchdown and scrambled four times for 14 yards with another touchdown. He threw an interception, but it wasn’t his fault. His 37-yard completion to Bourne was a beauty of a throw.
DOWNS
Run defense: The Patriots let up 164 yards on 31 carries with two touchdowns. Hopefully, head coach Jerod Mayo doesn’t say, “Look, take out the 53-yard run from Conner and it looks a lot better” after the game. Because you can’t take that play away, it happened.
WR Kayshon Boutte: The stat sheet says Maye threw an interception. Reality is that Boutte dropped a pass and inadvertently batted it into a Cardinals’ defenders’ hands.
Offensive line: They didn’t allow a ton of pressure in this game, but the bad snaps, missed blocks and Robinson’s holding penalty all added up.