Patriots: 6 Frustrations from Week 17 loss

5. Punts, punts and more punts

This isn’t rocket science. The Patriots lost on Sunday because they only registered 10 points, which was a direct result of their struggles to move the ball. Seven punts off the right foot of Ryan Allen characterized the afternoon for the Pats, ending drives early and giving dangerous punt returner Jarvis Landry plenty of opportunities.

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After starting out the second half on a strong note with Steven Jackson’s first career touchdown as a Patriot, the Patriots’ offensive engine ran out of oil and punted on the next five possessions. That’s not going to win you a football game.

Of course, the Patriots punted so much because they struggled mightily on third down, converting on just four of 14 attempts. It’s not hard to see why the Patriots have dropped consecutive games; they are a combined five of 24 on the most important down in the past two weeks.

Next: 4. First quarter offensive play