There has been a lot to unpack about the Patriots' brutal loss to the Bills last Sunday, as they prepare for another tough matchup against the Ravens on Sunday night. Although they're still in the postseason conversation after a loss, coming out of a disappointing game strong will say a lot about this year's team, so there's optimism we'll see it this week.
They'll have to replicate the kind of performance they had in the first half of last week's game, going up 21-0 over the Bills and heading into halftime up 24-7. It was an exciting start to what should have been an easy win, only for an immediate downfall to lead them to their third loss of the year.
That meant Josh McDaniels and Mike Vrabel had many questions to answer in the days that followed, with much of the concern surrounding the offense. From Drake Maye scoring two rushing touchdowns and TreVeyon Henderson running 52 yards for the score to the unbelievable catch by Kayshon Boutte, there was a lot to be excited about.
And although that remains the case going into this week's game, McDaniels' comments about what led to their second-half collapse are not exactly comforting, as they go into some of their most important matchups of the year.
Josh McDaniels just said the quiet part out loud while explaining the Patriots' second-half collapse
While speaking to reporters on Thursday, McDaniels reflected on the recent loss. Although he didn't excuse the offense for falling off a cliff in the second half, he didn't make things any better by admitting they might have felt comfortable with their lead, and that could explain what happened.
That's something fans speculate about during a game like the one against the Bills, so hearing it from McDaniels is a nightmare.
Josh McDaniels on the Patriots offensive output during the second half over the last few games:
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) December 18, 2025
"When you play with a lead, you fight that human nature to relax and want to have done enough."
That cannot be a trend they continue over the last three games of the year, especially since the results will dictate their postseason hopes, including a division title.
They have a chance to force everyone to move on from that disastrous game and prove they are a legitimate contender this year, particularly going against a team like the Ravens, who are consistently considered a Super Bowl-caliber team.
Hopefully, that's what we will see on Sunday, win, lose, or draw.