For the first time in the Bill Belichick Era, the New England Patriots failed to cover a spread when they were double-digit underdogs. New England fell on the road, 26-10, in a game that was much closer than the final score would suggest. Losses are obviously never good, especially in a 16-game season, but there are some silver linings for the Patriots.
New England Patriots-Kansas City Chiefs Recap: Silver Linings After Loss
Overcoming Adversity
Even if Cam Newton played, this was going to be a tough win for New England. Traveling to Arrowhead Stadium is never fun, even with a limited crowd in attendance. Patrick Mahomes and company are easily the most dangerous offense in the league, capable of taking over a game with a single play. When operating at full efficiency, there isn’t a defense in the league with the tools to stop that type of offensive firepower.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Patriots had to deal with same-day travel. Thanks to a positive COVID-19 test, the Patriots had to quarantine and wait until Sunday morning to arrive in Kansas City. Needless to say, traveling on the same day as a game is terrible on the body and makes performing that much harder.
Still, this team managed to compete for a full 60 minutes. Holding Kansas City to 26 points is an incredible feat in its own right, but seven of those points came on a pick-six. In reality, the defense held that high-powered offense to just 19 points – a remarkable feat considering how often they were on the field. After struggling to contain Russell Wilson in Week 2, this game proved that New England’s defense still has the talent to match up and slow down an elite passing attack.
Quarterback Sabotage
Scoring 10 points in a game is never a good thing. However, it’s understandable when your starting quarterback misses the game. As previously mentioned, Newton missed the contest after testing positive for COVID-19. This left Brian Hoyer atop the depth chart, and he played like a career backup.
Brian Hoyer is a limited quarterback with an underwhelming physical toolset. While he has a history of being serviceable in small stretches, he’s an active liability more often than not. The offense actually managed to move the ball well in stretches, and most of the receivers played well when given the opportunity. However, Hoyer sabotaged the offense at key points, committing two turnovers while taking an ugly sack in the red zone at the end of the first half. These plays alone cost the Patriots anywhere between six and 14 points, and these simply aren’t mistakes that Cam Newton would make.
Jarrett Stidham eventually took over in relief and didn’t do much better. Overall, the second-year pro completed five of his 13 attempts for 60 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Julian Edelman deserves the blame for one of the interceptions, but the other one was a terrible throw by Stidham. Damiere Byrd got open deep behind the defense, and Stidham underthrew him by a good 10 yards. If Cam Newton is under center, that’s a touchdown every single time.
Ultimately, most of the offensive shortcomings were caused by two quarterbacks that wouldn’t be playing in normal conditions. Newton represents a massive upgrade on both passers, and the Patriots probably win if they had their best quarterback under center.
Damien Harris, N’Keal Harry Impress
One of the most interesting aspects of the 2020 Patriots is watching the growth of the young players. Last year, the Patriots used two of their first three picks on wide receiver N’Keal Harry and running back Damien Harris. Neither player did much during their rookie seasons, but both players showed some promise during Week 4’s loss.
Statistically, N’Keal Harry finished the night with a quiet three receptions for 21 yards and a touchdown on six targets. While his performance was a little up-and-down, his touchdown reception gave Patriots fans plenty of hope for the future. Lined up out wide, Harry won off the line of scrimmage and proceeded to use his size and catch radius to haul in a nice jump ball from Jarrett Stidham. This was Harry’s first touchdown of the season and a nice peak at what he can bring to the Patriots. Of course, Harry’s flashed this ability in the past, but it’s always good to see him continue to develop.
Perhaps the most interesting second-year player on the field was running back Damien Harris. Activated from the injured reserve just hours before kickoff, the running back finished the night with 17 carries for 100 yards and a healthy 5.9 yards-per-attempt. Harris recorded just four carries as a rookie, so his immediate inclusion into the offense should be a welcome sign for Patriots fans. The Alabama product demonstrated an encouraging ability to follow his blocks and the necessary burst to break open big runs. With Sony Michel sidelined, don’t be surprised if Harris keeps this job moving forward.
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