The New England Patriots have plenty of options ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline. But if there’s one need that became obvious after Thursday’s 30-24 loss to the Chicago Bears, it’s that the Patriots must add some explosive playmakers.
New England’s offensive output looks good on the stats sheet: they averaged 7.6 yards per play and put up 380 total yards.
But those numbers get watered down when you take out Drake Maye’s 48-yard touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson just before halftime, and several key mistakes that wiped out the potential to put points on the board.
With a 4-3 record, now is the time to strike, and the Patriots' flaws should prompt general manager Eliot Wolf to make a move that can save New England’s offense.
Patriots’ injury problems are exposing their offense
The Patriots went into the offseason looking for weapons, but few have shown up as the season began. A.J. Brown was the highest-profile name to arrive in New England after a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, but a Week 1 ankle injury has forced him to play catch-up.
Instead of opening things up for his teammates, that trend continued on Thursday night as he finished with just 3 catches for 48 yards and didn’t look like he was playing at full speed as he tried to regain his pre-injury form.
If there’s anything positive about Brown’s performance, it was that he suited up. Romeo Doubs was placed on injured reserve with a right shoulder injury and isn’t expected back until after New England’s Week 11 bye.
TreVeyon Henderson also played on Thursday despite an ankle injury, with three carries for 9 yards and just two catches for 14 yards.
The offensive line was its own infirmary: Alijah Vera-Tucker, Ben Brown, Mike Onwenu, and Greg Van Roten all missed Thursday’s game due to injuries that made them unavailable or landed them on IR, and while Morgan Moses played, he struggled, allowing three pressures and a sack on 35 pass-blocking snaps.
The Patriots could sit and wish everyone would get healthy to solve the problem, but these are key reasons New England couldn’t get much beyond Stevenson’s touchdown, which made it look like the Bears were way too excited for orange slices before halftime. It’s a problem that needs fixing and could lead to a move or two before the deadline.
Patriots have several options to help their offense at the trade deadline
Adding players won’t solve all of the Patriots' problems. Penalties were a big issue Thursday, with six of their 10 infractions on the offensive side of the ball. Drake Maye also finished with 321 yards, a pair of passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown, but he threw an interception in the red zone while the Patriots trailed 13-7 in the second quarter.
One could argue that if Stevenson didn’t score before the half, the final score would have looked a lot worse, and it’s clear they need to add reinforcements before the trade deadline passes.
A target like Cleveland Browns receiver Jerry Jeudy would make a lot of sense. But so would Quentin Johnson of the Los Angeles Chargers or old friend Kendrick Bourne, who is currently with the Arizona Cardinals.
The offensive line is another area where the Patriots could improve, and they have a few options. Quenton Nelson could be a big acquisition if the Indianapolis Colts trade him. Andrew Wylie of the Washington Commanders and Jackson Powers-Johnson of the Las Vegas Raiders also fit the bill.
Even the running back position could use a spark, as New England averaged just 4.1 yards per carry against the Bears, and it should have its antennas up to see if Jonathan Taylor of the Colts or Tony Pollard of the Tennessee Titans becomes available.
Whatever the Patriots do, the offense is a key priority and should perform even better after the loss to the Bears.
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