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The New England Patriots defense did what it could to stop the New Orleans Saints and give Mac Jones opportunities to win the game. Under constant pressure and playing victim to the coaching staff’s overly conservative decisions, Jones couldn’t muster enough offensive firepower to get into the game against the Saints, who beat the Patriots 28-13.
Jones threw three interceptions, with a 58.8 completion percentage and 270 yards. He missed his fair share of open receivers, but was hardly the person to blame for the loss. The offensive line was the biggest culprit, allowing 11 quarterback hits and two sacks. The Patriots’ skill players weren’t all that impressive either.
It’s clear New England hasn’t figured out its recipe to scoring points — let alone winning football games — in the Jones era. The Patriots will have to start by getting their penalty problems (four for 30 yards) under control and shore up the offensive line. Then, perhaps, they’ll stop burning themselves and get competitive.
Here are our nine takeaways from the game.