A slim margin victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last week was overshadowed for the New England Patriots by a long list of injuries, some worse than others, and a notably disappointing effort by the goal line offense.
Obviously, the injuries have created more headlines in the days that have followed, but the several failed attempts by the offense to score from the one-yard line have prompted many analysts and fans to be concerned for the rest of the season, especially now that the playoffs are creeping up.
Making matters worse are the injuries to two starting linemen, rookies Will Campbell and Jared Wilson, both of whom will miss Monday Night's game against the Giants, which will only make their efforts to get into the endzone that much harder.
So, of course, Josh McDaniels was asked about the glaring issue earlier this week, and he couldn't have had a better answer about what has occurred and what they hope to improve on ahead of their Week 13 primetime game.
Josh McDaniels admits fault over the Patriots' failed attempts to score on the goal line
While speaking to reporters on Friday, McDaniels detailed what went into their decision-making against the Bengals last week, and took ownership of the play-calling at the goal line that might have contributed to kicking field goals instead.
On top of that, he acknowledged how difficult it is to score from that position, but noted watching the tape has helped them better prepare for their upcoming game against the Giants, and hopefully, we'll see those changes implemented moving forward because five failed attempts at the one-yard line is going to lead to more losses rather than wins.
Josh McDaniels on his offense’s struggles inside the 5 yard line on Sunday:
— Tom Carroll (@yaboiTCfresh) November 28, 2025
“…There was one that we probably shouldn’t have called based on the way the defense presented it. That was on me…”
“…There’s a lot of little things that have to happen to get 36 inches down there… pic.twitter.com/sTwqTlQArW
It's hard to think of a better way to ease rising concerns than how McDaniels addressed the situation, so Patriots fans should be content with this answer.
One of the biggest criticisms the longtime offensive coordinator has faced from fans is a lack of ownership over his mistakes, whether that is intentional or not, so hearing him acknowledge that he made some poor decisions is exactly what they'd want to hear.
Now we just have to hope they have learned from those mistakes and won't repeat them with the playoffs on the horizon, because that certainly won't work against teams that score with ease, and the Patriots are not a team in a comfortable position to play from behind.