FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — As New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo elected to punt from his staff’s personal 28-yard line, down 30 factors with 11 minutes left within the fourth quarter of Saturday’s recreation, the few Patriots followers left started to chant “Fire Mayo.”
It was that type of recreation Saturday, because the Los Angeles Chargers dominated the struggling Patriots in entrance of a barren crowd at Gillette Stadium en path to a 40-7 win.
It was the Patriots’ second dwelling loss by 30-plus factors this century. The victory clinched a playoff spot for the Chargers and gave them double-digit wins for the third time since 2010.
The loss dropped the Patriots to 3-13, their second straight season with 13 losses, but it surely moved them nearer to clinching a high decide within the NFL draft. The Patriots will finish their season subsequent week with a house recreation in opposition to the Buffalo Bills.
The Chargers will head to Las Vegas for his or her season finale in opposition to the Raiders, a recreation that would have playoff-seeding implications. The Chargers would safe the fifth seed with a win over the Raiders and a Steelers loss subsequent week.
Describe the sport in two phrases: Thunderous trouncing. Saturday’s win was the Chargers’ greatest efficiency of the season, scoring a season-high 40 factors. Per week after the Patriots almost beat the Bills, the Chargers pummeled them from the start of this recreation to safe a playoff spot.
Promising development I: J.K. Dobbins seems to be wholesome. Dobbins had been the most effective working backs within the NFL, however a sprained left MCL sidelined him for the Chargers’ previous 4 video games. He seemed to be his outdated self in his first recreation again Saturday, as he scored a landing and gained 76 speeding yards, which is greater than any Chargers working again had in his absence.
Promising development II: The offensive line protected Herbert. This had been a difficulty all season, and with out beginning proper guard Trey Pipkins II, it appeared it may proceed Saturday. But the Chargers had one among their greatest blocking video games of the season. The Patriots pressured Herbert on solely six of his 39 dropbacks (15%), his second-lowest stress price in a recreation this season (12% in Week 11 versus the Bengals). — Kris Rhim
Next recreation: at Raiders (TBD, Sunday)
Quarterback Drake Maye left the sport on the Patriots’ third offensive play after Chargers defensive again Cam Hart‘s helmet made contact with Maye’s helmet, offering a scare on a day when the staff was by no means aggressive.
Maye remained down after the hit, then visited the medical tent and locker room to be evaluated for a concussion. He ultimately returned within the second quarter and was one of many few causes for Patriots followers to observe in a recreation the Chargers managed all through.
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez — together with Maye, arguably the staff’s two greatest gamers — wasn’t as lucky. He left within the second quarter to be evaluated for a concussion and was later dominated out.
The recreation was a disappointment for the Patriots, who had been hoping to construct momentum after enjoying the AFC East-champion Bills robust final week in a 24-21 loss. Instead, it sparked extra questions on first-year head coach Jerod Mayo and the route of the franchise.
Describe the sport in two phrases: No cost. The Patriots ran 15 offensive performs within the first half, tied for the fewest by any staff in a primary half up to now 5 seasons — a mirrored image of how they had been outclassed from the beginning.
Pivotal play: Trailing 10-0 halfway via the second quarter, Maye’s errant pitch to receiver DeMario Douglas was recovered by Chargers security Derwin James Jr. and rapidly was a landing to present the Chargers a 17-0 lead. It was the Patriots’ twenty second giveaway of the season and their league-worst twenty ninth fumble.
Eye-popping stat: With his 36-yard landing strike to Douglas, Maye now has three landing passes this season of not less than 35 air yards, probably the most such TD passes by a Patriots quarterback since Tom Brady had three in 2009.
Biggest gap within the recreation plan: Mayo mentioned in a pre-game radio interview that Antonio Gibson would begin at working again over Rhamondre Stevenson after Stevenson fumbled for a league-high seventh time final week, however Stevenson ended up beginning the sport. Perhaps Mayo misspoke — in any other case, it appeared the Patriots forgot to observe their very own plan. Stevenson completed with two carries for 1 yard. Gibson picked up some garbage-time motion to tally 63 yards on 12 carries.
Silver lining: Cole Strange, the Patriots’ 2022 first-round decide, who spent his first two seasons at left guard, made his first profession begin at heart and appeared to account effectively for himself. Strange tore his patella tendon final December and did not return to the game-day roster till final week at Buffalo as a backup choice alongside the offensive line and on the field-goal safety unit. So this was his most prolonged motion for the reason that damage, and he confirmed he could possibly be a viable choice at heart sooner or later. — Mike Reiss
Next recreation: vs. Bills (TBD, Sunday)
