Patriots vs. Packers Takeaways: 5 Things That Went Wrong in Week 9 Loss originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New England Patriots couldn’t keep pace with the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, falling 45-27 at Gillette Stadium in Week 9.
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New England had opportunities to make things interesting offensively, with Drake Maye throwing three touchdown passes. However, four turnovers proved too costly against a Green Bay offense that took advantage of the mistakes and consistently found room to operate.
The Patriots struggled to slow down Jordan Love and Green Bay’s passing attack, allowing the Packers to put up 45 points and hand New England its fourth loss of the season.
Here are five takeaways from the Patriots’ loss to the Packers.
Drake Maye’s Turnovers Overshadow Productive Passing Day
Maye put together a productive statistical performance, but his mistakes played a significant part in Sunday’s loss.
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The Patriots quarterback completed 21 of 38 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns. He connected with Rhamondre Stevenson for a 30-yard score in the second quarter before finding Efton Chism III and Mack Hollins for touchdowns later in the game.
However, Maye also threw three interceptions, all coming in the first half. Green Bay capitalized on the turnovers, building a 24-14 halftime lead after taking advantage of New England’s early mistakes.
The three interceptions were a notable setback for Maye, who had put together a strong stretch of performances entering the matchup.
Although he continued making plays through the air, the Patriots couldn’t afford to give Green Bay that many extra opportunities.
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Christian Gonzalez Has Difficult Afternoon Against Packers Receivers
Christian Gonzalez had one of his toughest outings of the season against Green Bay.
The Patriots cornerback was tasked with helping contain a Packers receiving group that presented plenty of challenges, but Jordan Love repeatedly found success against New England’s secondary.
According to Pro Football Focus, Gonzalez allowed 10 receptions on 11 targets for 187 yards and a touchdown. Matthew Golden and Christian Watson both found success against the Patriots cornerback, combining for 335 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Golden was particularly effective early, recording six catches for 126 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter alone.
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It was an uncharacteristic showing for one of New England’s top defensive players. Gonzalez will need to bounce back as the Patriots prepare for another difficult matchup against Detroit.
Patriots Defense Gets Exposed by Packers’ Explosive Offense
New England’s defensive struggles extended well beyond Gonzalez.
The Patriots had no consistent answer for Love, who completed 23 of 29 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown as Green Bay repeatedly found ways to move the ball downfield.
Watson and Golden did most of the damage through the air. Watson finished with seven receptions for 171 yards and a touchdown, while Golden recorded 10 catches for 164 yards and a score.
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The Patriots also struggled to contain Green Bay on the ground, surrendering 129 rushing yards. The Packers entered Sunday with one of the league’s least productive rushing attacks but found success in multiple areas against New England.
Green Bay finished with 478 total yards, converted four of five red-zone opportunities and became the first opponent to score 45 points at Gillette Stadium.
It was a particularly concerning performance for a Patriots defense that will have to regroup quickly before facing another explosive offense in Detroit.
Patriots Turnovers Give Packers Too Many Opportunities
New England’s mistakes went beyond Maye’s interceptions.
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The Patriots committed four turnovers, with Stevenson losing a fumble in addition to Maye’s three interceptions. Green Bay took advantage of the extra opportunities, scoring after New England’s mistakes and making it difficult for the Patriots to build any momentum.
Stevenson’s fumble was particularly costly, setting up a touchdown reception for Watson. The running back also left the game with a knee injury after catching a touchdown pass later in the matchup.
The Patriots had a difficult time recovering from their early mistakes, falling behind 24-7 before cutting the deficit to 24-14 at halftime.
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Against an offense as explosive as Green Bay’s, New England couldn’t afford to keep giving the Packers favorable field position.
The turnovers ultimately made an already difficult matchup even tougher for the Patriots to overcome.
Patriots’ Receiving Group Shows Signs of Life Despite Loss
There were some positives for New England’s offense, particularly from its receiving group.
Maye connected with three different Patriots for touchdown receptions, including Stevenson, Chism and Hollins. DeMario Douglas also delivered a strong performance, finishing with five catches for 102 yards to lead New England’s receiving group.
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Hollins made an impact in his return to the lineup, hauling in a 22-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. Chism also contributed five catches for 49 yards and a score.
The production through the air gave New England a chance to remain competitive, even as the team struggled to establish consistency elsewhere.
However, the Patriots managed just 94 rushing yards as a team, making it difficult to find balance offensively.
New England will need more from its ground game moving forward, especially if it wants to take some of the pressure off Maye.
The Patriots will look to regroup next week when they travel to Germany to face the Detroit Lions.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
