These Quotes From Patriots Leaders Underscore Harsh Reality
FOXBORO, Mass. — The Patriots on Sunday came up just short against a superior opponent. Stop us if you’ve heard that one before.
New England fell behind 10-0 in the first half but twice had chances in the fourth quarter to drive for game-tying touchdowns against the Miami Dolphins. However, penalties, poor pass protection, turnovers and spotty defense once again caused Bill Belichick’s players to leave Gillette Stadium with a sour taste in their mouths.
The unfortunate reality is the Patriots, as improved as they might be, probably are little more than a middling outfit that needs everything to go right for it to beat good teams. After Sunday night’s 24-17 loss, multiple team leaders offered quotes that drive home some of the key points.
They have a lot of fight, but that alone won’t win you games
The Patriots nearly stormed all the way back in their Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and they nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback against Miami. We saw similar efforts last season, and it’s clear this group has an admirable never-say-die attitude. But when you come up just short this many times, chances are it’s because you don’t have the talent to put you over the top.
David Andrews: “I don’t think the belief is the problem, to be honest with you. I think you look at that the last two weeks, right, we didn’t lay down and quit. But belief only takes you so far. You’ve got to do it at some point, right? It’s more about execution than belief. I think the belief and the faith in each other, in the team, I don’t think that’s a problem. When you look at that, we could’ve laid down and quit when we down there by two scores. We didn’t. We kept moving, kept battling, put ourselves in a chance to win right there at the end. But I think it’s more of execution than it is belief.”
There’s a reason their comebacks keep coming up short
Well, you wouldn’t need to come from behind if you actually got out to a lead. Far too often, the Patriots get out to early deficits that put added pressure on both sides of the ball. It’s no way to live, and it also could create a culture of never learning how to actually play with a lead.
Jabrill Peppers: “We can’t pray for (miracle comebacks) to happen. You gotta make it happen. I’m tired of us digging ourselves in a hole and playing back and coming up short like this, when we can just come out how we’re supposed to come out across the board. We just gotta make it happen. It is what it is. We didn’t come out on our game, down big again. It’s hard to win in this league when you’re constantly fighting from behind, especially against offenses like that. … Do your job better. We’ve gotta get back to winning ways around here. What we doing right now ain’t enough. Man to a man, everybody across the board, we gotta do better.”
These aren’t your father’s Patriots
There are myriad reasons the Patriots no longer play or look like a winning team. At the top of the list is an alarming propensity for the kind of sloppy football we never saw during the dynasty years.
Hunter Henry: “We need to be a lot more disciplined. We’ve lost two weeks in a row, two close games. We fought back and had a chance there. We’re putting ourselves in positions too early in games by turning the ball over both on their side of the field. Two big turnovers, and that’s big. Going against an offense like that, it’s tough. We’re putting our defense behind the eight ball, and we’ve got to be a better offense than that.”
The good news is New England can get back on track this Sunday when it visits Zach Wilson and the New York Jets. It’s a game the Patriots should win — they’re favored — but it also could be a divisional rock fight.
Should New England lose, it would be 0-3 heading into a road matchup with the high-powered Dallas Cowboys. Look out below.