The historical context of the Patriots’ recent ‘one-sided’ performances

The New England Patriots' last three games have all looked somewhat similar. They lost 10-6 to the Indianapolis Colts heading into their bye week, followed by a 10-7 loss to the New York Giants last week. This week, it was a 6-0 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

So no, these games haven't been 'one-sided' in the sense that they've been blowouts. They're 'one-sided' because only one side of the ball is making plays.

READ MORE:

--Patriots suffer fifth loss in a row
--Ups & Downs from the loss to the Chargers
--Why the Patriots' quarterback change came this week

Just how 'one-sided' have these efforts been? Following Sunday's loss, a few eye-popping stats came to the forefront.

To start, the Patriots are the first NFL team to lose three games in a row despite allowing 10 or fewer points in each since the 1938 Chicago Cardinals. They Cardinals ended up losing a record four such games in a row that year, and finished the season 2-9, good for fifth place in the NFL's Western Division.

Catching up to more modern times - the Patriots have allowed a total of 26 points over the last three games. They are the first team to have such a stretch this year, which the defense deserves credit for. Sure, they played lesser offenses in two of those three games and the Chargers' eighth-ranked offense had to visit Gillette Stadium in a rain storm, but it's not like the Patriots are the only team to have bad offenses on their schedule. Statistically, this has been one of the best stretches of defensive football in 2023.

How do these stretches usually go? In the last 10 years, there have been 34 instances (including this Patriots stretch) of a team allowing 26 or fewer points in a three game span. Of the previous 33, 30 went 3-0. The remaining three had one slip-up, and went 2-1.

The Patriots, allowing the same number of points in the same span, just went 0-3. Not only that, their 13 collective points scored on offense during that time is a new low number among all 34 of those teams. The previous low was 56 by the 2018 Ravens, who went 2-1 in an early October run that included an overtime loss.

This is the 13th-such stretch the Patriots have had in the Bill Belichick era. They won all three games during the previous 12, including a three-game winning streak last year against the Jets, Colts, and then the Jets again. Offensively, they scored 58 points in those three games.

Will the Patriots kick this slide next week? They'll only have a short time to get ready, with a Thursday Night Football matchup on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers next up on their schedule.

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In terms of game flow, Sunday's 6-0 New England Patriots loss to the Los Angeles Chargers felt familiar. However, there was one notable difference.

After entering games in relief four times this year - including a halftime switch last week - second-year quarterback Bailey Zappe made his first start of the 2023 season on Sunday. This came after weeks of external calls for a quarterback change with 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones struggling significantly for the better part of the last two months.

READ MORE:

--Patriots suffer fifth loss in a row
--Ups & Downs from the loss to the Chargers
--Full Patriots coverage

At a certain point, a quarterback change seemed inevitable. Some expected it coming out of the bye week last week, but Jones started in New York against the Giants with Zappe replacing him at halftime. Neither quarterback played particularly well in that 10-7 loss.

So, why the switch this week? Bill Belichick was asked that question following Sunday's game, and seemed to give a genuine answer.

"I thought he deserved it," Belichick said when asked by Zappe got the start in this game.

Zappe finished the game 13-of-25 for 141 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He also carried the ball four times for 16 yards, picking up two first downs with his legs.

"He’s worked hard all year," Belichick added, when asked what specifically Zappe showed the coaching staff to get this chance. "I thought he deserved a chance to play. We made that decision last week" Belichick wouldn't specify if Zappe's practice performance improved in recent weeks leading up to the change, but a report from Andrew Callahan of The Boston Herald on Friday indicated that wasn't the case.

However, when asked why the team didn't make the move sooner, Belichick seemed to indicate this was more a case of Jones losing the job, than Zappe winning it.

"We gave Mac the opportunity to work through his progression with the offense and obviously we haven't had a lot of production," Belichick said, when asked why the change didn't come earlier in the season. "I thought Bailey deserved a chance to play. So, he played today."

Those all seem like relatively forward answers from a coach often known for evading questions. There was one question Belichick did talk around though, when he was asked if he feels like the organization let Jones down in his development.

"Just trying to put the best team we can out there every week," he replied to that one.

As for if Zappe will remain the starter, Belichick declined to answer a question about that, replying "we just got done with the game." With it being a short week though - the Patriots visit the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday - another quarterback switch would be tough.

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.