Three Critical Mistakes From Patriots First Loss
The New England Patriots were just a few key plays away from a 2-0 start to the NFL season. In a back-and-forth matchup with the visiting Seattle Seahawks, the Pats could not get the job done. The Seahawks narrowly edged past New England in overtime, kicking a game-winning field goal to leave Foxborough with a 23-20 win.
“You’ve gotta be able to play well to close out games in the 4th quarter in this league,” said former Patriots coach and future Hall of Famer Bill Belichick.
The Patriots had this game within their grasp but just could not make enough key plays down the stretch. A few critical mistakes can be the difference between a win and loss in this league like New England displayed Sunday.
DK Metcalf Touchdown Miscommunication
Things were going well for the Patriots early on Sunday. They were up 7-0 following a Jacoby Brissett touchdown to rookie receiver Ja'Lynn Polk. 13 minutes of the first quarter had expired, and the Patriots defense had limited the Seahawks to a slow offensive start.
A split-second decision in the NFL can change everything, however. A simple miscommunication between safety Kyle Dugger and cornerback Christian Gonzales left Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf uncovered streaking down the field. The play would result in a 56-yard touchdown for the former All-Pro receiver.
“We were in max blitz coverage, just a bad read by myself,” Dugger said. “And they caught us in a call that was kind of problematic, their offensive call vs. our defensive call.”
That touchdown pass from QB Geno Smith to Metcalf might have been what finally woke the Seattle offense up. Following the 56-yard score, the Seahawks had a successful, 11-play drive resulting in another touchdown.
While blown coverages do happen in the NFL from time to time, the Patriots don’t have much room for error. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett struggled to push the ball down the field on Sunday, finishing with only 149 yards through the air. Giving up that early 7-0 lead to Seattle only put more pressure on the Patriots offense.
Poor Clock Mismanagement To End Half
The Patriots had a chance to go into halftime on Sunday with a lead but failed to execute properly down the stretch. After Patriots kicker Joey Slye hit a field goal to make it 14-13 Seattle, the Pats kicked off with 2:31 remaining in the half.
Seattle would go three-and-out, chewing up only 54 seconds of game clock. New England got the ball back deep in their own territory and also went three-and-out. They were only able to gain two yards before punting it back to Seattle, allowing them ample time to get down the field for a field goal. Just one first down would have brought the game to halftime with the Patriots not having to punt again.
A clock management blunder left Seattle enough time to go down and kick a field goal to make it 17-13 at the half. The Patriots cannot allow their opponent to get the ball back in that situation. With Seattle receiving the second-half kickoff as well, New England has to ensure that they end that first half with the ball or with no time remaining on the clock.
“We saw several games this weekend where that was really a factor, certainly the New England-Seattle game where Seattle scored right before the half, ultimately took it into overtime," said Bill Belichick. "That was a big three points they picked up there with some, let’s say, questionable clock management.”
4th and 1 Punt In Overtime
The Patriots were playing with house money. They hadn’t played up to their standard but still held a 4th quarter.
New England failed to score with under a minute remaining in regulation and the game tied 20-20. They went three-and-out after getting the ball back with 55 seconds remaining and holding onto one timeout.
After stalling out at the end of regulation, the Patriots still had a chance in overtime as they received the ball first. Faced with a 4th and 1 to go on their first possession of overtime, Jerod Mayo opted for the Pats to punt.
Knowing the Seahawks only would need a field goal to secure the win, not going for that 4th and 1 was a questionable call by Mayo. A conversion for the first down would’ve been a momentum boost to start overtime for the offense.
This team hadn't played great, but the opportunity was still there to make it a great day. A 4th down conversion in that spot could've inspired the team to go the length of the field for the win. More importantly, they would be taking their destiny into their own hands.
Instead, the Patriots defense was asked to hold up the Seahawks offense once again. Geno Smith led Seattle down the field on an eight-play, 71-yard drive. Jason Myers converted the 31-yard chipshot field goal for the Seahawks 23-20 victory.
It felt like Jerod Mayo and the Patriots coaching staff were playing not to lose instead of trying to win the game. The game was right there, the outcome in the balance. They just had to go out there and take it. In the end, they chose to trust their defense to get one more stop that day.
The Patriots aren't going to make the playoffs this season. This is a building year for the future. Why not go all out for the win early in the season, instead of playing not to lose? A 2-0 start to the season was on the table, but the Patriots just couldn't make enough key plays down the stretch.
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