7 takeaways after the Patriots’ comeback bid comes up short against the Rams

Takeaways from the New England Patriots’ 28-22 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

The New England Patriots’ search for consistency continues in 2024. Both in terms of consistency from game-to-game, and within games themselves.

Coming off of one of their best performances of the year last week against the Chicago Bears, the Patriots hosted the Los Angeles Rams at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. For the first 15 minutes they resembled the team fans saw last week in Chicago, but the bottom fell out of the performance over the final 45 in what ended up being a 28-22 loss.

After both teams punted on their first drives the Patriots got in a rhythm. Their second drive of the game saw them coast down the field going 77 yards in seven plays. Drake Maye completed four of five passes – including an off-balance throw while facing pressure on third down – to lead the team down the field and put the Patriots up 7-0. 

However, similar to the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London things quickly went south as soon as the first 15 minutes were up. After getting near scoring range late in the first, the Patriots’ had a costly penalty cut that drive short on the other side of the quarter break. Los Angeles proceeded to score twice in the next 93 seconds and never relinquished the lead despite the Patriots making it a close game late.

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

That quick-strike capability from the Rams was the deciding factor on Sunday. Overall the Patriots dominated the possession categories. They had the ball for 37:20 – their highest  time of possession since Week 16 of the 2019 season. They also ran 73 plays to the Rams’ 51. Despite that they were outgained 402-382, at key sequences within the game flow negated that advantage. 

“I never really felt like they had control of the game. I felt like we had control of the game,” head coach Jerod Mayo said postgame. “Offensively I thought they did a great job on first and second down, which was one of the targets we talked about. Defensively, not so much. Defensively they only had, what, eight third downs in the game, and you just can’t win that way. When you look at the time of possession, you look at the movement we were able to get offensively in the run game and in the pass game, you look at the time of possession, that’s part of the formula. We’ve just got to continue to build on it.”

In the end, the loss highlighted what has been one of if not the overarching question the Patriots have struggled to answer this year – how to sustain success in the moments they’re able to find it. That was true at all levels and on all phases including players and coaches on offense, defense, and special teams. 

When it comes to the coaching staff, they were put in the spotlight multiple times in this game in terms of key game management decisions. We’ll start there as we get going with this week’s takeaways…

• Conservative coaching

  

  CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 10: Head coach Jerod Mayo of the New England Patriots looks on before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on November 10, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

  There were five major decisions for the coaching staff to make in this game, from a game management perspective. For the most part, Jerod Mayo and his staff erred on the side of caution.

  “A couple situations that came up, I’m sure that’s going to be part of the discussion. The 4th & 2 – elected to kick a field goal. If it was 4th & 1, probably would have went for it, but it made it a one-score game,” Mayo said after the game. “I would say this: Every game is unique. It’s one of one, and I just felt like when I made those choices, it was the best thing to do for our football team today.”

  We’ll get to the situations Mayo mentions here but let’s go chronologically. The first major decision came when that drive stalled out early in the second quarter. After an illegal formation penalty by Vederian Lowe wiped out a conversion, the Patriots were looking at a potential 54-yard field goal to make it a 10-0 game. (It was 4th & 13, outright going for it was not a logical option).

  Rather than turn to kicker Joey Slye, who is 3-for-4 this year on kicks from 50-plus, the Patriots elected to take a delay of game and punt. Bryce Baringer’s punt bounced into the end zone netting them just 22 yards, and the Rams took advantage going 80 yards in nine plays in just 5:05 to tie the game.

  “There were a lot of different factors that we take into account,” Mayo said postgame when discussing that decision. “We talk about the pregame warmup. You can kind of see how the kicks are going on both sides during the pregame warmups, and just felt like that was the right decision to make.”

  

  Nov 17, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo (right) talks to Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay (left) after a game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

  After the game Slye pointed out he’d struggled in warmups on Sunday, particularly going in that direction (towards the closed end of Gillette Stadium). He missed from 48, 54, and 58 going in that direction pregame. That may have been enough for Mayo to decide to call out the punt team.

  Later in the quarter the Patriots elected a chip-shot field goal instead of going for a 4th & 3 from the Rams’ 13. A similar decision was made in the third quarter, sending Slye out on a 4th & goal from the Rams’ 2 (the kick ended up being from the 7 after a delay). In the first instance the Patriots were down seven, in the second they were down 11.

  On the first one, as Mayo mentioned, the decision apparently came down to the yards to gain. The Patriots were averaging over six yards per play on that drive prior to the kick, although they were helped by a couple of penalties. On the second, the choice seemed to be to get it to a one-score game with 7:02 to play in the third quarter.

  The fourth decision involved another kick. When the Patriots scored a touchdown with 12:45 to go to go down nine points, the Patriots elected to attempt the extra point rather than go for two – something they did in a very similar situation against Jacksonville. In that case even the conservative decision didn’t work as the kick was blocked in yet another issue for the special teams unit on the day.

  “The extra point versus the two-point conversion is always a conversation,” Mayo said after the game. “I will say, look, anytime you get a kick blocked, too, it’s not a very good day.”

  Finally, the coaching staff made one more notable decision late in the game. The Rams had to punt the ball back with 2:22 to go, setting up the Patriots to tie the game down eight. On the punt the Rams were called for an illegal formation, a five-yard penalty.

  Instead of having the Rams re-kick to set up better field position (and potentially give Marcus Jones a chance to break a return), the Patriots instead had the penalty added to the end of the kick. That gave them the ball at the LA 10 instead of the 5.

  Mayo was not asked about that decision after the game. It’s possible the team chose time over yardage (the eight seconds that ran off the clock would not be re-added if the punt was redone). Whatever the reason, it added to the list of conservative decisions made by Mayo and his staff in this one.

• Coverage matchups & Christian Gonzalez’s role

  

  Nov 17, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Marco Wilson (22) tries to tackle Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (17) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

  There’s one other coaching decision that was made by the Patriots in this game that will get a lot of attention as people react. This one has to do with X’s and O’s more than game management.

  With Christian Gonzalez coming into the game playing well, one big question was which of the Rams’ star receivers he’d cover – Cooper Kupp or Puka Nacua. We even discussed this on the Sports Hub Patriots Podcast this week.

  Gonzalez ended up – for the most part – covering neither. The Patriots kept Gonzalez on the boundary and mixed in more zone than last week. Meanwhile, Kupp and Nacua lined up mostly inside.

  For Gonzalez, that worked out well. In 28 coverage snaps he was targeted just four times, allowing two catches for nine yards. He spent most of the day working against Demarcus Robinson.

  However, the Patriots’ other receivers struggled to stick with Kupp and Nacua. Whether it be Jonathan Jones, Marucs Jones, or Marco Wilson the two were running open for most of the day. Kupp caught six of his 10 targets for 106 yards and two touchdowns, while Nacua caught seven of nine for 123 yards and a score. The other Rams’ receivers – Robinson and Tutu Atwell – combined for three catches for 40 yards.

  “Look, going into the game, we have a plan, and we’re always willing to change that look,” Jerod Mayo said after the game when asked about the strategy. “Like I said earlier, I felt like we were going to be okay. I thought we could outlast them.”

  While Gonzalez lined up opposite one of the two on a handful of snaps in the second half, there never appeared to be a big picture change.

  “We just thought that was the best thing to do,” Mayo later added. “It’s a mix of man and zone, so we thought that was the best thing to do.”

  “Coaches came in, told me what the game plan was,” Gonzalez said when asked about his assignment after the game. “I’m doing what they want me to do. Whatever they tell me to do, I’m going to go out there and do my best to do.”

  Meanwhile, Rams coach Sean McVay talked about avoiding throwing to Gonzalez’ side of the field. “Gonzalez is the real deal, does an excellent job, and I think it worked out that way,” he said. “There were some instances where we said if you can avoid him, let’s go ahead and do that.”

  Among other things, this highlighted the Patriots lack of depth at cornerback behind Gonzalez right now. Alex Austin will be a player to watch this week, as he has to be activated off IR by Wednesday or he’ll be ineligible to play for the remainder of the year.

• Run defense lacking

  

  FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – NOVEMBER 17: Quarterback Matthew Stafford #9 hands the ball off to Kyren Williams #23 of the Los Angeles Rams during the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on November 17, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

  One other area where the Patriots came up short – and failed to build on a strong performance from last week – was their run defense. The Rams came into this game averaging 3.8 yards per carry, which ranked 31st in the NFL.

  On Sunday though the Rams were able to get the ground game going. They ran for 4.5 yards per carry, with outside runs being especially effective.

  Given the issues defending the pass, the Patriots weren’t committing as many resources towards the run. Still, they failed to get an initial push up front for most of the game. The Patriots didn’t record a single tackle for a loss in this game.

• New faces on defense

  

  Nov 17, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore (90) blocks Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Warren McClendon Jr. (71) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

  This game was also the 2024 Patriots debut for two players in the Patriots’ front. Christian Barmore was back on the field after a blood clot issue caused him to miss all of training camp and the first 10 games of the season. Yannick Ngakoue also played his first Patriots snaps after being claimed on waivers last Friday.

  Barmore, who Jerod Mayo said before the game was on a pitch count, ended up playing 21 snaps (of 52 total) and recorded three tackles. His presence didn’t show up much in the pass rush, and he said after the game he’s still working back into game shape.

  Ngakoue ended up playing a more limited role. He played 14 snaps in a nearly exclusive pass rush role and recorded one tackle.

  Both players should be counted on to give the Patriots’ pass rush a boost. They didn’t on Sunday as the unit combined for just six pressures and three QB hits, but given their situations just getting on the field on Sunday was more of a first step and shouldn’t represent what their roles will ultimately look like.

• Pre-snap offensive penalties

  

  Oct 6, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk (1) walks onto the field before a game against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

  The Patriots and Rams were both called for seven penalties in this game. While the Patriots’ total number of penalties isn’t overwhelming (the averaged 6.4 per game entering Sunday), they had some at costly moments – mainly on offense.

  Vederian Lowe’s illegal formation penalty tops that list. Lowe said after the game he was warned twice by the officials about lining up correctly before that flag. It also may not have helped that left guard Michael Jordan – who Lowe was aligning with – also was cheating back on the play.

  Lowe was also called for a hold on the next series. The Rams curiously declined it giving the Patriots a 3rd & 10 (later a 3rd & 5 after an encroachment) instead of a 2nd & 20, limiting the damage.

  Another costly penalty came late in the game. Facing a 4th & 1 from the Rams’ 19 down nine points with 4:57 to go, the Patriots came to the line late. A Ja’Lynn Polk false start pushed them back and left them settling for a field goal. At the same time, Polk moved with a second left on the play clock, and the main issue there was really breaking the huddle late and not getting lined up in time.

  “I think the play clock was running down. Just trying to do different things and get guys lined up,” said Drake Maye, who walked away from under center to communicate with the line as the play clock ticked under three seconds (for what may have ended up being a trick play). “Yeah, just unfortunate that we had to take a time-out there or really a false start. Kicked us back and kicked the field goal, so it was just unfortunate.”

  The offensive operation has been a come-and-go issue for the Patriots at times this year. It showed up again on Sunday and significantly impacted the Patriots’ margin for error.

• Another roller coaster day for Maye

  

  Nov 17, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws a pass during the first half against the Los Angeles Rams at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

  Last week against the Bears Drake Maye played more of a point guard-like distributor role in the Patriots’ offense. This week, it was back to him going full gun-slinger.

  Maye finished 30-of-40 for 282 yards with two touchdowns. He also turned the ball over twice again, with one fumble on a strip sack and an interception on the Patriots’ final offensive play of the game.

  The highs were high with Maye. His ability to move inside and outside of the pocket were clearly a factor. Multiple times he made pinpoint throws on the run and/or under pressure to extend Patriots drives.

  “You can really see his ability to create off schedule. I thought he did a great job of being able to make plays in the pocket today, extend drives. I thought he was patient, taking some underneath check-downs where guys were able to create,” Sean McVay said after the game. “He looks like a stud…You can see just the impact that he has on his teammates, the way people talk about him here. He looks like he’s going to be a special player for a long time, and he gave us fits today.”

  However, turnovers remain a problem. On the fumble, he double-clutched as left guard Michael Jordan and center Ben Brown failed to pick up a stunt, leaving him open to a big hit from the blind side.

  As for the interception, Maye seemed to expect Pop Douglas to sit down in a spot, while Douglas kept running up the field. Douglas never turned his head, and the throw wasn’t near him anyway.

  “It was a two-high look and Pop’s up the middle, and they’re pretty good up front rushing five. I tried to kind of put it on him and kind of hit them over the linebacker, and Pop was thinking probably deep,” Maye explained postgame. “At the end of the day, [we’ve] just got to be on the same page, and I think Pop did the right thing. Got to just talk through more conversations. Just goes back to me during the week doing more, talking through different situations, hey, I may put this one on you versus let it rip.”

  “Just miscommunication on both of us,” Douglas himself said postgame.

  Maye has certainly shown a lot of promise this year, and there is plenty to be excited about. But, through five full starts (not including the Jets game he left after one quarter) he’s turned the ball over nine times with multiple turnovers in three of those five games. Finding a way to cut down on those numbers while still allowing him to be effective as an explosive playmaker (easier said than done) should be the main focus for Maye and the team at this point in his development.

• Kendrick Bourne shines in return

  

  FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – NOVEMBER 17: Kendrick Bourne #84 of the New England Patriots scores a first quarter touchdown as Ahkello Witherspoon #4 of the Los Angeles Rams attempts to make a tackle at Gillette Stadium on November 17, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

  After getting benched last week, Kendrick Bourne returned in a big way for the Patriots in this game. The Patriots got Bourne right in the mix – he caught a pass on the first play of the game. He went on to lead the team with 70 yards on five catches, and grabbed his first touchdown catch of the year.

  “I appreciate the coaches for keeping on believing in me. It was a tough situation, but that says a lot about how they’re approaching it. They’re doing their job,” Bourne said postgame. “They have to make tough decisions. It’s not easy running a team. I’m just a player on the team. I couldn’t imagine what they talk about, and what they go through up there. I’m just thankful that they still believe in me.”

  As has been the case in the past when Bourne was benched and then returned, the offense looked different with him on the field. Based on Sunday, his role should continue to grow going forwards.

  Speaking of his role, Bourne ended up playing the third-most snaps of any wide receiver on the Patriots. Kayshon Boutte still leads the unit and was on the field for 73 of their 76 snaps on Sunday (per PFF’s initial charting).

  Last week K.J. Osborn played the role of the Patriots’ second-most used receiver, but he was a healthy scratch on Sunday. Instead Pop Douglas saw a significant increase in playing time as he was on the field for 43 snaps, just ahead of Bourne’s 36.

  As for the rookies, Ja’Lynn Polk had a slight uptick in usage as well he was on the field for 31 snaps. Javon Baker played just five as his role remains limited.

  Leading up to this game, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said the team was starting to figure out the wide receiver rotation it hoped to use down the stretch this season. While getting the rookies experience could become a more pressing issue at some point, Sunday’s usage does seem like it could be the plan moving forward (pending injury).