The New England Patriots suffered their tenth loss of the season against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13. It was a loss that stung more than most, considering how much control the Patriots seemed to have over the game at various points.
When it mattered most, however, it was the Colts who moved the length of the field with a game-winning, 19-play, 80-yard drive late in the fourth quarter.
Make no mistake, there were plenty of good things to take away from the Patriots' performance, including improved run blocking, excellent quarterback play and a more effective defensive secondary.
But it wasn't enough for victory.
At some point, achievements need to turn into successes, rather than falling into a cherry-picking of a few feel-good moments with another undesirable outcome. Let's take a look at the best and worst performers from Week 13 .
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This was without a doubt the best offensive performance we've seen from the Patriots this season. They were finally able to get their rushing attack going with improved blocking along the offensive front. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye also operated under center like he was Josh Allen 2.0.
It was a promising offensive performance that the team can hopefully build on and build on in the final four games of the season.
- RB Antonio Gibson: 84.2
- TE Austin Hooper: 81.8
- QB Drake Maye: 76.0
- WR Kendrick Bourne: 68.9
- TE Hunter Henry: 68.8
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The offense seemed to have improved against the Colts, but they still had trouble finishing drives with touchdowns. They could have easily outscored the Colts by more than 30 points in this matchup, but those chances were missed due to penalties and failure to execute in crucial moments.
On one drive, the Patriots were forced to move backwards from the two-yard line after consecutive penalties. Another drive ended with tight end Hunter Henry dropping a pass at the goal line that turned into a pop-up interception for the Colts.
- G Layden Robinson: 9/28
- T Mike Onwenu: 49.2
- WR Ja'Lynn Polk: 53.3
- T Vederian Lowe: 53.6
- T Demontrey Jacobs: 55.4
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The cornerback trio of Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones and Alex Austin were sensational in this game. Gonzalez is one of the best corners in the league and Jones is an electric playmaking star on the rise. Meanwhile, Austin gives the team the size and length it desperately needed opposite Gonzalez.
- CB Christian Gonzalez: 80.3
- CB Marcus Jones: 77.2
- CB Alex Austin: 77.1
- DT Eric Johnson: 74.7
- LB Christian Elliss: 69.8
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The run defense was a complete disappointment for the Patriots in this game. Some good things happened on the back end, but they couldn't stop the bleeding along the defensive front. Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor combined for 144 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots' defense.
- S Brenden Schooler: 30.0
- S Jaylinn Hawkins: 35.6
- DT Vom Godchaux: 41.6
- DE Deatrich Wise Jr.: 42.2
- S Kyle Dugger: 45.6
