ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The New England Patriots’ turnover-filled 27-21 loss to the Buffalo Payments on Sunday clinched a last-place end within the AFC East — the primary for the franchise since 2000, which was Invoice Belichick’s first 12 months as head coach.
Coming into this season, the one staff that had an extended lively streak with no last-place division end was the Pittsburgh Steelers (1988).
The Patriots (4-12) host the New York Jets (6-10) within the season finale subsequent weekend, and after that, some main questions hovering over the group ought to quickly be answered.
Hypothesis has swirled on whether or not Belichick will return in 2024, partly as a result of proprietor Robert Kraft, who attended Sunday’s recreation at Highmark Stadium, stated in March how necessary it was to him to qualify for the playoffs.
As an alternative, the Patriots have endured their worst season below Belichick, with Sunday’s consequence a mirrored image of season-long offensive points. The staff had 4 first-half turnovers and now has a minus-10 turnover differential on the season, because the Patriots are primed to complete the 12 months with a detrimental turnover differential for the primary time since 2005.
The staff’s 17 straight seasons with a optimistic turnover differential is the longest streak within the NFL for the reason that 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
“Only a horrible first 20 minutes,” Belichick stated. “Turnovers are clearly a giant story within the recreation. Cannot make these form of errors towards Buffalo.”
The 4 turnovers had been essentially the most the Patriots have had in a primary half in Belichick’s tenure.
“There’s an previous saying round right here ‘you may’t win till you retain from shedding’ and that first half — you may’t try this,” captain and beginning heart David Andrews stated. “We put our protection in an not possible place.”
The Patriots’ 27 giveaways this season have primarily been a results of wildly inconsistent play from their younger quarterbacks — first with Mac Jones (third NFL season), then his substitute Bailey Zappe (second NFL season) as soon as he turned Jones’ substitute in early December. The staff entered Sunday ranked final within the NFL in factors scored per recreation with a mean of 14.1.
On Sunday, the Patriots took a 7-0 lead on Jalen Reagor’s 98-yard kickoff return on the sport’s first play earlier than issues went off monitor shortly.
Zappe was picked off on the Patriots’ first offensive play when he felt he may need been a tick late to ship a brief cross to tight finish Mike Gesicki, which allowed cornerback Rasul Douglas to deflect it into the palms of defensive lineman Ed Oliver. The Payments turned that right into a subject aim to chop the deficit to 7-3.
After a three-and-out, Zappe was intercepted on the primary play of the staff’s third drive when he was on the lookout for receiver DeVante Parker on a slant and Douglas undercut it for the choose. The Payments turned that right into a landing to go up 10-7, they usually by no means trailed once more.
“The nook was inside and he drove on the slant and I’ve to do what I am coached to do and throw the swing cross [instead]. If I try this, who is aware of what occurs?” stated Zappe, who completed 16-of-26 for 209 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions, whereas including 5 rushes for 37 yards and a landing. “These are issues I’ve to repair. Over the course of my profession, belief me, I will get higher at that.”
Tight finish Pharaoh Brown misplaced a fumble late within the first quarter that the Payments was a subject aim, and early within the second quarter, Zappe was trying towards Reagor when he fired a cross that Douglas intercepted and returned 40 yards for a landing to place the Patriots in a 20-7 gap. Zappe described it as a “miscommunication” between him and Reagor.
Patriots gamers lamented the miscues, which has been a standard theme of their last-place season.
“It is extra about us, and I feel that is been many of the case this 12 months,” Andrews stated. “That is NFL soccer — extra video games are misplaced than received.”
