The New England Patriots could use a nice pick-me-up after being blown out of Hard Rock Stadium last week against the Miami Dolphins. What better way to build positive momentum than to bounce back with a win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday?
It's been a year full of ups and downs for a Patriots team in the midst of a rebuild. There are moments when things look promising with rookie quarterback Drake Maye under center, and then suddenly the whole thing is swept away by an offensive penalty.
The same goes for defense: The unit destroys the Chicago Bears on the road and then falls off a cliff, losing back-to-back to the Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams. Today we look at where the Patriots stand heading into Sunday's game against the Colts.
Whose stocks went up and whose stocks went down for the team?
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Christian Barmore seemed more comfortable in his second game with the team. His presence up front helped the defense limit the Dolphins' rushing attack to 65 yards and 2.7 yards per carry. That's a huge improvement over what we've seen in previous games on the device.
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Kyle Dugger hasn't looked like himself in the defensive backfield this season. His issues could be due to the ongoing ankle injury that he has been dealing with for most of the year. Regardless, things didn't go well for the veteran safety, who signed a four-year contract extension with the Patriots in the offseason. In last week's game, he was dominated by Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith.
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In addition to struggling in pass defense, Vederian Lowe also had four penalties against the Dolphins, including three false start penalties. The coaching staff seemed completely baffled by the constant mistakes on the offensive front.
Lowe was also responsible for the strip-sack fumble to rookie quarterback Drake Maye in the game. Left tackle has long been a trouble spot for the Patriots, but this season things are looking worse than ever.
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The Patriots released Michael Jordan and re-signed him to the practice squad after claiming Lester Cotton off waivers. On Friday, coach Jerod Mayo also announced the veteran guard in Week 13. That's all good news for rookie Layden Robinson, who could get a long look at guard in Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts.
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Hunter Henry was the Patriots' starting tight end on offense, but it was encouraging to see Austin Hooper step up as well. He has long been a reliable offensive playmaker and the team should look his way more often when Henry draws attention. Last week, he caught a 38-yard touchdown pass on the Patriots' only offensive touchdown of the game.
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The inability to make adjustments during the game is concerning for the Patriots with the current coaching staff. They had no answer for Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in last week's game, even though Tua Tagovailoa repeatedly looked his way to throw the ball.
There were no adjustments in pass protection either, as the tackles were constantly exploding at the edges. Combine these issues with the sloppy penalties and it's clear that coaching is a major problem for the Patriots right now.
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Marcus Jones tied for the lead in tackles and also had three pass deflections against the Dolphins. Despite all the defensive issues, this was a strong year for Jones, who managed to stay healthy. He has demonstrated the ability to help the team on the field in all three phases of football.
