David Butler II-Imagn Images
FOXBOROUGH- The Patriots completely no-showed in a 45-27 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Jordan Love and company shredded the Patriots secondary in a record setting performance.
To make matters worse, Drake Maye threw three interceptions and Rhamondre Stevenson lost a fumble. The Patriots also suffered five more key injuries as the injury bug continues to bite this team.
It was an awful performance with Tom Brady and members of the 2016 Super Bowl team in the house.
Here are seven takeaways from the game.
1. Defense gets shredded by Love, Golden and Watson: Jordan Love picked apart the New England secondary all afternoon, completing 23 of 29 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns while adding a rushing score. Receivers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden had career days running wild against the Patriots secondary, with Watson hauling in 7 catches for 171 yards and a touchdown and Golden grabbing 10 balls for 164 yards and a score. The two receivers put on a clinic all afternoon.
2. Maye reverts to bad habits with 3 interceptions: After weeks of cleaner, highly efficient play, Drake Maye completely derailed his performance in the first half by tossing three costly interceptions. His questionable decision-making under pressure and forcing throws into tight windows immediately put the Patriots in a deep hole that they could never climb out of. His inability to not force the ball into bad spot and press was a problem and it looks like it is one he hasn’t solved.
3. Christian Gonzalez has an awful game: Usually locked in as a reliable shutdown corner, Christian Gonzalez had an afternoon to forget as he struggled immensely to slow down Green Bay’s explosive receiving corps. He was routinely beaten on key routes and deep balls, playing a major role in the secondary’s catastrophic collapse. Gonzalez has had a tough season and Sunday was the worst game of his career. He got paid. Now he needs to play like an elite level corner.
4. Injuries continue to pile up: The physical toll of the matchup added insult to injury as the Patriots saw more key contributors banged up throughout the contest. Losing players like offensive lineman Ben Brown, special teamer Brenden Schooler, cornerback Carlton Davis, running back Rhamondre Stevenson and tackle Will Campbell further depleted a roster already fighting through injuries all season long.
5. Defense gives up most points in Gillette Stadium history: The unit’s dismal performance culminated in a historically bad defensive showing, as the 45 points allowed set a new franchise record for the most points surrendered in a regular-season game at Gillette Stadium. Green Bay racked up 478 total yards of offense and completely dictated the tempo from start to finish.
6. Beat down with Brady in the house: The blowout loss felt especially agonizing with franchise icon Tom Brady in the building serving as part of the broadcast crew. Instead of putting on a proud display for the legendary quarterback watching from above, the current iteration of the team suffered a thoroughly embarrassing primetime-caliber thrashing. Simply put. The Patriots no showed.
7. Gronk and 2016 team honored: The lopsided defeat completely overshadowed what was supposed to be a joyous weekend of celebration in Foxborough. Festivities centered around legendary tight end Rob Gronkowski entering the Patriots Hall of Fame alongside the reunion of the Super Bowl LI championship team, but the current squad failed to honor that championship standard on the field.