How key coaching decisions and situational letdowns left the New England Patriots on the short end of a 25-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
The New England Patriots have now lost three games in a row after their 25-24 defeat at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. With the loss, the team falls to 3-10.
In all three of these recent games, coaching was a focal point in the aftermath. Following the loss to the Rams, it was the game plan going into the game that was the major talking point. Last week against Miami, it was the discipline in a penalty-filled game. Although penalties were still somewhat of an issue this week, it’s the in-game game management that should and will get the headlines from this one.
On paper, the Patriots had some key advantages in this one. They outgained the Colts 422 to 253 in total yards, and 6.5 to 4.4 in yards per play. They won the turnover battle two to one, and converted on over 50 percent of their third downs and held the Colts under 50 percent in that category defensively.
Despite that, they come away with the loss. Rather than letting the overall game get away from them, this week it came down to key decisions at big moments in the game that left them chasing.
Specifically, there were chances at the end of each half for the Patriots to make game-altering plays. In both instances, the team came up short. Some of that was on the execution, but the management of the situations by the coaches stands out.
Of course, the end-of-game sequence was the big one, so let’s start there as we get into this week’s takeaways…
End of game sequence
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 01: Anthony Richardson #5 of the Indianapolis Colts scores a two point conversion against Christian Elliss #53 and Jabrill Peppers #5 of the New England Patriots during the fourth quarter at Gillette Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
After getting the ball back off of a Christian Gonzalez interception, the Patriots had a quick three and out. They punted it back to the Colts with 5:34 to go in the game.
Prior to that, the Patriots’ defense had allowed just 11 yards on five plays over two drives that ended with a punt and that interception. After the Colts had a big drive to start the first half it looked like the Patriots’ unit was settling in.
That ultimately wasn’t the case. The Colts marched 80 yards in 19 plays, grinding the Patriots’ defense down until Alec Pierce caught a touchdown on 4th & 3 in the back of the end zone against Kyle Dugger.
Instead of tying the game the Colts went for two. They went right at the Patriots’ defense, running quarterback Anthony Richardson up the middle for the score.
As that sequence was going on, the Patriots did not call timeout to save themselves time to respond. They did end up using those timeouts to move the ball on a last-ditch drive (we’ll get to that in a second), but they would have had more options available had they had more time on the clock when they got the ball back.
“Absolutely, there was a thought,” head coach Jerod Mayo said after the game when asked about calling a timeout there. “We have also won a Super Bowl here doing it the other way,” he added, referencing the end of Super Bowl XLIX. “Keeping our time-outs is what I thought was best for the team”
After the score the Patriots had 12 seconds left to answer, with two timeouts in their pockets. Their answer was a couple of quick-hitters over the middle to Hunter Henry to get the ball to midfield. At that point they called on Joey Slye for what would have been an NFL-record 68-yard field goal to win the game. The kick came up short.
Why kick that field goal, rather than try for a Hail Mary from midfield? “That was 100% me,” Mayo said postgame. “Look, Slye was hitting it well in pregame, and I felt that that was the best thing to do to help our team win the football game. Not sure what the numbers are on Hail Marys versus the field goal there, but that’s what I felt was right.”
The decision to kick the field goal over the Hail Mary itself will probably get the most attention in the coming days. At the same time though, sticking with the idea of kicking the field goal, another question should be if the Patriots could have done more to get Slye a better look.
The Colts were playing way off in coverage, and if Henry runs both of his routes just a couple of yards deeper, Slye may have had a chance. He hit from 63 yards already once this year, and his kick on Sunday wasn’t far off. Had Henry’s routes been closer to a 13-yard range rather than 10, that could have been the difference.
Another botched first half two-minute drill
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 01: Joey Slye #13 of the New England Patriots reacts after missing a field goal during the first half of a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
The Patriots’ end-of-half management – especially in the first half – has been a theme throughout the season. This was the eighth time they’ve had the ball under the two-minute warning with time to move down the field, and the fourth time they came away with no points.
They almost didn’t get a chance to score, despite having the ball with a 2nd & 5 at their own 47 when the two-minute warning hit. Twice penalties backed the Patriots up (holds on Layden Robinson and Demontrey Jacobs), but Drake Maye made a couple of throws to keep the chains moving. That included connecting with Kayshon Boutte for 29 yards on a 2nd & 19 to get the ball down to the Colts’ 11.
With two timeouts left and 41 seconds on the clock the Patriots had the flexibility to run at some point on the ensuing set of downs. However, by running the ball twice on the next two plays (then calling timeout) the Patriots were forced into a passing situation on 3rd down. The Colts played it well and despite a hold on Vederian Lowe, sacked Maye. That left the Patriots with a 25-yard field goal, which Joey Slye missed.
On the season the Patriots have now scored four times on eight potential two-minute drills. That includes a 63-yarder by Slye at the end of the half in San Francisco.
While not giving the ball back to the opponent for a double score is better than the drive stalling out early – which has been the case at times – the end-of-half situations are still a weakness for the Patriots. Multiple drives have stalled due to over-reliance on the run game – which was the case again this week.
Kicking issues
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 01: Joey Slye #13 of the New England Patriots reacts after missing a 68-yard field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter of a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Overall, Joey Slye finished the day 3-for-5 on field goal attempts. He hit his first three field goals from 35, 31, and 54 yards but it’s his two misses that are the big takeaways from this one.
The 68-yarder is hard to put on him. That’s two yards longer than the overall NFL record, four yards longer than the outdoor record, and five yards longer than the longest kick not at elevation.
It’s the missed 25-yarder that’s more of a head-scratcher. Slye didn’t just miss that chip shot, he almost missed hitting the protective netting behind the goal post too. Prior to that Slye was 39-of-42 on field goals from inside 30 yards, with just one such miss since 2020.
What went wrong on that one? “Operation,” Slye said after the game. “I need to be better on – with my communication as a whole. Just kind of – to be honest just kind of a [expletive] situation.”
The ‘operation’ issue Slye is talking about could be the hold. Immediately after the miss Slye looked back at holder Bryce Baringer seemingly confused. That could also be where the ‘communication’ part comes in. Kickers use different holds for different kicks, and it’s possible him and Baringer weren’t on the same page for that one,
“I’ve got to take full responsibility for this,” Slye continued. “We had a short field goal at the end of the half, and I have to make that…I’ve got to be better, because the team counts on me in those situations and every point for this team matters with how we play complimentary football.”
Outside of the hold, Baringer had his own miss in the game. On the punt prior to the Colts go-ahead drive, he couldn’t take advantage of the short field with his kick going just 38 yards to the Colts’ 17, and being returnable and allowing returner Anthony Gould to pick up a few extra yards after the fact.
Red zone woes
Dec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (85) fumbles the ball at the goal line into Indianapolis Colts safety Julian Blackmon (32) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Photo Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Of course, no football game is ever won or lost on one play. The Patriots had their chances to avoid needing a miracle on the final snap, but couldn’t capitalize.
That mainly came in the red zone – on both sides of the ball. “Our red area in general,” Jerod Mayo said after the game when talking about what hurt the team most in his opening statement. “Our red area offense I think we were 1 for 6. Our red area defense, we weren’t able to stop them there. That’s really the game.”
On offense, the Patriots got inside the Colts’ 20 on six of their eight full drives (not including the final drive of the game with 12 seconds on the clock). Of those six drives, they only came away with points on four of them. Of those four scores, only two were touchdowns with two more field goals early. It wasn’t just the series at the end of the first half that hurt them, but the total effort coming up short.
After the game, Jerod Mayo cited the red zone as one of the biggest issues for the Patriots in this game. “It’s ultimate execution at that point in the game. Now, that safety that usually plays in the deep part of the field out in the field now is now part of the count, and we just have to do a better job executing.”
“In the red area in general I would say from the entire game we just weren’t good enough,” he later added. “As the field starts to contract like that, I mean, the details and everyone has to be on the same page, and we just didn’t do well enough.”
In addition to Joey Slye’s 25-yard miss, the Patriots’ other empty trip was due to a turnover. Drake Maye tried targeting Hunter Henry over the middle just short of the goal line. He threw low to protect Henry from defenders but the ball bounced off Henry’s hands, then his leg, then to Colts safety Julian Blackmon. It was the only turnover of the day for an offense that has struggled to hold onto the ball in recent weeks – but it was a costly one.
This isn’t a new issue for the Patriots. They’ve struggled in the red zone for a few weeks now, and despite a strong start to the season in that regard rank among the bottom teams in the league in terms of red zone TD percentage (they were 27th coming into Sunday, at 46.9 percent). Right now, cleaning up the operation inside the 20 should be at the top of offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s to-do list.
Defensively, it was the run defense that did the Patriots in. The Colts punched the ball in twice on the ground from inside the 10 in the first half, then had the go-ahead touchdown through the air late before Richardson’s two-point run.
The Patriots have been slightly better in the red zone defensively for the year compared to offensively (they entered Sunday ranked 20th at 59.5 percent), but it’s an area they’ve fallen off as of late. This was the third week in a row a team went 3-for-4 in the red zone against the Patriots. There isn’t one exact thing that’s getting them right now either – last week Miami mostly did it with passes, this week it was the Colts running the ball.
Not capitalizing on winning the turnover battle
Dec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) intercepts a pass intended for Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (14) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
While the defense struggled in the red zone, the unit did give the team chances in other ways. Namely, forcing turnovers.
The Patriots picked off Anthony Richardson twice in this game. It’s the first time the defense has forced multiple turnovers in a game since Week 15 last season (the team had a few games this year where collectively it forced multiple turnovers between defense and special teams), and with Chrisitan Gonzalez’s scoop-and-score last week it’s the first time they’ve had turnovers in back-to-back games since Weeks 5 and 6 of this season.
For the first interception, Jahlani Tavai was able to lurk under and tip a pass Richardson tried throwing deep over the middle. Christian Elliss read the tip well and came down with the pick. On the second, Richardson simply tested Gonzalez in tight coverage, and Gonzalez made a diving stop for the takeaway.
However, not much came of either play. Both turnovers were followed by drives where the Patriots ran just three plays without picking up a first down. The first led to a field goal, while the second was the Patriots’ only three-and-out of the game. That one was by far the more costly of the two, given it came in the fourth quarter and gave the team a chance to run out the clock with momentum. Instead they punted back, setting up the Colts’ go-ahead drive.
Personnel changes
Dec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Alex Austin (28) breaks up a pass intended for Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (14) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Following last week’s game, Jerod Mayo had said there would be personnel changes on both sides of the ball. The team followed through with that on Sunday.
On offense, that change came on the offensive line. Rookie Layden Robinson, who began the year as a right guard, got the start on the left side.
That move had mixed results. The Patriots ran the ball as well as they have in recent weeks, including a 32-yarder off the left side on the first drive of the game. However, Robinson allowed a team-high three pressures per PFF’s initial game charting, and was called for a pair of holding penalties that came in key situations.
Overall, Robinson showed enough to deserve another start next game if Cole Strange still isn’t ready to play. At the same time if Strange is good to go, he still represents a potential upgrade.
Defensively, the main change came at cornerback. The Patriots gave more chances to both Alex Austin and Isaiah Bolden, giving them more size on the perimeter.
Austin got the biggest bump. His 26 snaps were the second-most by a Patriots cornerback in this game behind Christian Gonzalez. Overall he had a strong game – he allowed two catches for 16 yards on five targets, and had a pair of key pass breakups late. However, he also committed a pass interference on the Colts’ final drive, which put them in the red zone.
Even with that penalty, Austin should continue to see time defensively. His physicality at the catch point is something the Patriots were lacking without him on the field, and made a difference.
Bolden played 15 snaps, with seven in coverage. He wasn’t targeted once.
Drake Maye bounces back
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 01: Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots reacts after a touchdown in the fourth quarter of a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
For all of the Patriots’ other issues on Sunday, this was one of Drake Maye’s better games this season. He looked much more comfortable than last week, and gave the Colts’ defense fits for 60 minutes.
Maye finished the game 24-of-30 for 238 yards. He threw one touchdown – putting excellent touch on a throw to Austin Hooper on the numbers for a 16-yard score (Hooper now has solo possession of the team’s lead in receiving touchdowns with three, breaking a tie with rookie Ja’Lynn Polk).
He did throw the one interception, but had the right idea on the play trying to protect Hunter from contact. That one is mostly on the receiver. Outside of that, he didn’t put the ball in jeopardy again. At the same time, Maye showed a short memory. Following the interception he led a nine-play, 59-yard scoring drive.
Between the touchdown to Hooper (who had four catches for 42 yards) and Henry’s volume role with seven catches for 75 yards, Maye’s affinity for throwing to tight ends is becoming clear. They’re clearly among his most trusted targets.
Meanwhile, Maye was also a factor with his legs. He burned the Colts repeatedly on scrambles, and finished with 59 yards on five carries.
While it wasn’t the flashiest game from Maye, it may have been his most complete game so far as a pro. It could serve as a good building block moving forward if he maintains this level of play to close out the season.
Penalties
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 01: Head coach Jerod Mayo of the New England Patriots talks with referees during the first half of a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Of course penalties were a big story coming in after the Patriots were flagged 13 times last week. How did they do?
This game was a bit of a Rorschach test when it comes to evaluating the Patriots and their penalties. They were flagged eight times, resulting in seven penalties for 88 yards (the Colts were flagged just three times, with two accepted). That number is high, over a penalty more than the Patriots’ season average of 6.8 per game.
However there were some questionable calls mixed in there. Multiple holds were of the ticky-tack variety, and DeMario Douglas was called for a phantom illegal shift penalty.
Ultimately the Patriots still didn’t help themselves enough in this game – they had six red zone trips despite the calls against them. Plus, given the excessive penalties they’ve taken in recent games it would make sense that officials are looking closer for some of those infractions – namely holding and formational penalties.
There were also a couple of non-calls that stood out. The first was a hit to the helmet on Hunter Henry early in the game. Then, the refs seemingly missed a hold against Christian Barmore on the game-deciding two-point conversion.
