3 stats that prove Patriots were wildly unprepared in loss to Colts
It’s not a happy Sunday for New England Patriots fans. A marquee Saturday night game in Week 15 was supposed to captivating and season-defining.
Instead, it was a disastrous setback. You could argue the Pats played their worst football of the season in all three facets of the game collectively. The 27-17 defeat at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts was also a lot worse than the box score indicated.
Bill Belichick’s side failed to execute effectively and magnified a brand of undisciplined football that’s outrageously uncharacteristic for New England. This one got away from the Patriots early and they lost wire-to-wire. They did battle and try to make it a game in the fourth quarter, but at that point it was too late.
Kyle Dugger had been ejected for fighting Michael Pittman. They were thrown off their axis too drastically to remain in sync to pull off that steep of a comeback. And even worse, the Colts talked the talk and walked the walk even after providing the Patriots with their defensive game plan.
From the couch, it really appeared as if the team was wildly unprepared, especially for one coming out of a bye week. And these three stats might tell the whole story.
The Patriots lost to the Colts because they were terrible unprepared and undisciplined.
3. Two interceptions, two fumbles, two total turnovers
Like we said, the Colts said earlier in the week that they were going to try and make this a “one-dimensional” game for the Patriots in which Mac Jones was tasked with throwing the ball often. And that’s exactly what happened.
Jones uncorked a season-high 45 pass attempts but completed just 57.7% of them for 299 yards. He did throw two late touchdowns … but he also threw two back-breaking interceptions. One came right before the half to kill a seven-play, 60 yard drive and the other came right out of the half to continue the narrative rather than flip it. The first one cost the Patriots at least three points, and the second gave the Colts three points. Instead of 17-3 with a chance to make it a one-score game, it was 20-0.
Those were the only turnovers, but they had a couple of other scares. Gunner Olszewski made a questionable decision to return a punt, and then he fumbled the ball. Luckily, it went out of bounds. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson coughed one up too, but tight end Jonnu Smith was able to recover and keep it for the Patriots. Stevenson saw a lot of the bench after that.
Sloppy.