FOXBORO — For a lot of this sport, the Patriots lived as much as their fame.
They had been past over-matched on offense, however hung powerful sufficient on protection towards Joe Burrow and his huge arsenal simply to maintain from being completely embarrassed.
It was nonetheless a sport by way of the primary half, however actually, it wasn’t thanks to a different doubtful Matt Patricia manufacturing in play-calling.
Chants for Bailey Zappe sprung up early, as Mac Jones & Co. appeared about as inept on offense as they ever had through the yr.
Many followers had already departed at halftime, the Patriots had been enjoying so poorly on that aspect of the ball.
But then one thing occurred simply earlier than final rites had been administered. Marcus Jones had a pick-six within the third quarter to lastly put factors on the board for the Patriots and all of the sudden, there was life.
The protection, who wound up shutting down Burrow within the second half, actually got here alive after that, and the offense truly appeared like an offense over the ultimate stretch with Jones and Kendrick Bourne — keep in mind him? — lastly connecting.
They drew to 22-18 and had the ball on the Bengals 5-yard line with over a minute to play.
Would they pull off a Christmas miracle?
Well, it was headed that approach. But then the Patriots offense couldn’t preserve a superb factor going.
Just if you suppose it may well’t worsen, the Patriots discovered a method to fall additional into the abyss.
No, this wasn’t a botched impromptu lateral was a walk-off landing, like Las Vegas final week.
But it was shut.
Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled getting in for the potential game-winning rating, so the Patriots wound up dropping, 22-18, and fell to 7-8 within the course of.
Can’t make these items up. The Patriots simply discovered a method to flip a attainable feel-good win into one other catastrophe.
“Losing alone is sour,” mentioned receiver Jakobi Meyers, “but losing a game that you needed to win in order to get to where you want to be, that’s even more sour.”
Guess it was nearly too good to be true, with the Patriots in place to take down the Bengals, and enhance their playoff hopes.
But therein lies the rub: it was too good to be true.
As it was, the Bengals had been going to be a tricky sufficient workforce to take down with out capturing themselves within the foot within the course of. But the Patriots actually gave themselves no likelihood with the offense being as unhealthy because it was for 3 quarters. They didn’t cross midfield till the ultimate play of the third quarter put them in Bengals territory.
The protection, undermanned at nook, hung in towards Burrow’s crew and no less than gave the Patriots an opportunity down 22-0 at halftime, and 22-6 after the third with Marcus Jones’ choose six, and later a pressured fumble by Matthew Judon on Ja’Marr Chase that was recovered by Jones.
The offense simply didn’t get up till too late.
Bourne loved his first 100-yard sport (6 catches, 100 yards, TD), whereas Jakobi Meyers (6 catches, 83) additionally made his presence felt, even with a present landing catch.
“I’m proud of the way everyone competed,” Patriots heart David Andrews mentioned after the loss. “The defense played their tails off, obviously. We just have to do a better job on offense to close out the game.”
Even with the spirited comeback, questions in regards to the offense, the play-calling, and execution are as soon as once more on the forefront. And they’re not going away any time quickly.
Boos rained down from the stands each time the offense left the sector within the first half.
Once once more, the hole between the Patriots and one of many league’s high groups appeared like a mile. And then some. So did the hole between Burrows and Jones.
The Bengals scored on its first three possessions of the sport, then appeared to get uninterested in the Patriots not placing up a combat.
Team proprietor Robert Kraft, who was anticipating to see a playoff win for the primary time since 2018, goes to have to attend. The Patriots aren’t mathematically eradicated after the loss, but it surely certain looks like they’re cooked.
In the immortal phrases of Ebenezer Scrooge “Bah, Humbug!
Early on, this was simply brutal to look at, which has been a well-recognized chorus with regards to the Patriots offense.
In the primary half alone, followers had been handled to extra dysfunction, prompting the Zappe chants.
There had been two straight three and outs with conservative run-first play-calling. Then punter Michael Palardy inexplicably dropped the soccer mid-punt after the second three-and-out, and had the kick blocked when he picked the ball up and tried a kick.
Mac Jones (21 of 33 for 240 yards, and a pair of CDs) had 34 yards passing within the first half. His counterpart, Joe Burrow, had 39 on one throw, ending with 284 yards on 28 cross makes an attempt midway by way of the sport.
Right earlier than the half, the Patriots accomplished a cross for 11 yards to their 36-yard-line, took a time-out with 4 seconds left, then took a knee. What?
On the opening drive within the third quarter, each Tyquan Thornton and Kendrick Bourne dropped deep balls. And then the coup de grace from Stevenson with the fumble with 1:05 to play.
They simply can’t get out of their very own approach.
If something, that’s the identification the workforce has established this season.
“I think you watch this team here. That’s what we are. When we are consistent, it looked good. When we focused and we’re locked in, it looked good,” mentioned Matthew Judon. “But once we’re not, it doesn’t. That’s who we’re. I imply, at this level, you confirmed your hand.
“And so as a team we’ve just got to come back and be consistent for the rest of the games we play and the rest of the time we’re here.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com