Mack Hollins might have the most sane take after the Patriots' blowout loss

A home game against another 5-3 team like the Packers wasn't expected to be easy for the Patriots, and what we saw on Sunday made that clear.

They weren't just outmatched in nearly every aspect; they also looked outcoached, something we've seen a few times this season.

It was a brutal loss across the board, with the offense falling apart at the seams, with Drake Maye leading the way with three interceptions, and the defense looking like a colander with how receivers Matthew Golden and Christian Watson got through the secondary with ease, each recording over 150 yards and a touchdown on the day.

There were no positives to take away from this game, as it felt eerily similar to their brutal Week 3 loss to the Jaguars.

It was clear the team felt the loss and was unhappy with their performance, even though a few players came off as a bit too nonchalant for most fans.

Fortunately, Mack Hollins, who returned on Sunday after missing four games on injured reserve, was the voice of reason after the loss, and we can only hope his message reached his teammates.

If not, this team might be more doomed than we thought.

Mack Hollins sends the right message to the Patriots after another frustrating loss

Given the range of emotions the team must have felt after Sunday's loss, it was good to hear that Hollins has a clear perspective on what to take away from it and how to move forward.

They're about to hit the road for their only international game of the season, facing the Lions in Munich next Sunday, so it's another quick turnaround, and they can't waste time dwelling on the loss.

This will require a lot of mental toughness and determination to avoid repeating the same mistakes we saw this past weekend and to move on the way they did after the Jaguars' loss.

The following week, they beat the Bills on the road, which kickstarted their bounce-back after a rough start to the season. Drake Maye played his best football of the season, and the offense was thriving despite the number of players sidelined with injuries.

The defense was more solid than they had been; not great, but not bad either, so it looked like the Patriots were finally hitting their stride to be a competitive team this season.

But their loss to the Bears, plagued by careless mistakes, and their overall poor effort and execution against the Packers on Sunday could define the rest of their season if they let it. The hope is that they have the right players to lead the team, along with the best coaches to get them back on track, and that won't be the story of the 2026 season.

We'll have to wait and see; this will be a big test of their identity and how they want to go into their Week 11 bye, so hopefully the best is yet to come.

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