FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots gave up.
Down 24- early in the second half, hearing boos at home like they made use of to on the street, a week after the worst decline of mentor Bill Belichick’s job, with quarterback Mac Jones on his way to the bench for the 2nd straight match, the Patriots punted the ball away on a fourth-and-3 within Saints territory.
The go netted New England 27 yards — a small flip of subject situation that accomplished almost nothing. Two additional punts and an interception — his next — later on, Jones was changed by Bailey Zappe, bringing out a single of the several cheers of the working day.
“Obviously it wasn’t seriously very good and everyone’s pissed off,” Jones stated right after the 34- loss to the New Orleans Saints. “Of system we’re disappointed. At the end of the working day, you have to turn that into motion.”
A 7 days soon after a 38-3 loss to Dallas that founded an all-time small for Belichick, the Patriots might have topped it with the most significant household shutout in the the moment-very pleased franchise’s historical past. The only time the team was blanked even worse: a 52- reduction to the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins.
These have been most decidedly not the ’72 Dolphins.
New Orleans (3-2) conquer Tennessee and Carolina — a pair of last-position teams — by a mixed 4 factors, and adopted that with losses to the Packers and Buccaneers. But the Saints located a way to snap their two-match dropping streak: a trip to New England, which fell to 1-4 for the 1st time considering the fact that Belichick’s very first period in 2000.
“Obviously it was a lousy functionality listed here now,” Belichick mentioned in a mostly inaudible postgame information conference that commenced with him lowering two microphones and using a person off the stand totally. “Slow start off. We just could not get the game below regulate.”
Jones finished 12-of-22 passing for 110 yards and two interceptions — 1 of them a pick-6 wherever he was strike whilst throwing the ball, the other went in and out of a receiver’s hands. His 30.5 passer ranking was the 2nd worst of his profession.
Items begun out badly, and never improved.
New England’s initial possession finished with a 3-and-out, and the next ended when Tyrann Mathieu picked Jones off and ran it in from the Patriots 27. Their up coming push was their longest — seven performs for 49 yards — and it finished with a skipped 48-garden discipline target.
His remaining possessions: Punt, punt, punt, fumble, punt, punt, interception.
“We really do not want to rating zero points. It’s not the purpose,” explained Jones, who has regressed considering the fact that a rookie period in which he outplayed the four quarterbacks drafted just before him and acquired a trip to the Professional Bowl. “We didn’t score any factors. Which is the critical section: scoring factors.”
Jones has 5 landing passes in five games this time but has also specified up scores on 3 interceptions and a fumble. His 4 choose-6s in 19 games at Gillette Stadium are as lots of as Tom Brady threw in the making in the regular time in his 18 a long time.
Asked if Jones was still the starter heading into future week’s match against Las Vegas and longtime Patriots assistant coach Josh McDaniel, Belichick said: “There have been a whole lot of challenges, it undoubtedly was not all him.”
Zappe wasn’t significantly far better, overthrowing open receivers and failing to get paid a initial down in four possessions even though completing 3 of 9 passes for 22 yards. And when the Patriots did go for it on fourth down 2 times fourth quarter, they could not convert then, both.
“We set a ton into each individual 7 days, and to go out there and not put your very best foot forward is challenging,” middle David Andrews stated. “Can’t lay down simply cannot give up extended calendar year. We’re going to occur back again in and go again to operate. Which is all I know how to do.”
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