The New England Patriots have struggled immensely through the first three games of the season, particularly on offense. After scoring only 10 points in a loss to the Drew Lock-led Seahawks, the offense scored just 13 points against the Steelers the following week, with the defense contributing a score courtesy of Elijah Ponder.
Against the Jaguars in Week 3, the team managed only 6 points.
In all, the Patriots' offense has scored only 29 points in three games. That's not only less than 10 PPG, but even when you include their defensive score, they tie the 0-3 Dolphins for the league's worst offensive output so far: 12 PPG.
For context, the Patriots offense drew heavy criticism during their playoff run for its sharp drop in production. During that four-game stretch, the team scored 16 points against the Chargers, 28 against the Texans, 10 against the Broncos, and 13 against the Seahawks. That puts them at 16.8 PPG, better than their current stretch.
Injuries have certainly played a role, but Drake Maye's horrendous play has played a major role in the team's slow start. After throwing a trio of fourth-quarter interceptions in a Week 1 collapse, he threw another interception against the Steelers. His struggles reached a crescendo in Week 3, when he fumbled a comical fumble and threw two interceptions, one being on the goal line.
Drake Maye's weapons have been quiet early in the season
Maye has turned the ball over seven times since his first-half touchdown pass to rookie tight end Eli Raridon in Week 1. While he's earned most of the blame, his weapons haven't performed as hoped.
A.J. Brown was placed on IR after a high ankle sprain in Week 1, stripping Maye of his alpha wide receiver. Romeo Doubs, his heir apparent WR1, struggled immensely in the first week of the year. While he had a strong statistical Week 2, he still seemed to struggle to settle in. In Week 3, he managed a trio of catches for 49 yards.
Pop Douglas had a pair of drops in Week 3, while Kyle Williams has made just two catches this season. Mack Hollins has been productive as a veteran target, but he shouldn't be expected to lead the team in receiving, as he did in Weeks 1 and 3.
One of the most disappointing non-factors thus far has been Hunter Henry. The 31-year-old had a career-high in yards last season, earning himself a new three-year contract. He caught all three targets in Week 1 for 26 yards. In Week 2, that figure jumped to 40 yards, but after being targeted only twice on Sunday, his total dropped to five yards on a single catch in Week 3.
For a player that was Maye's safety blanket in 2025, his lack of production should be a major concern.
Hunter Henry's lack of involvement should worry Patriots fans
Since the Mac Jones days, Henry has been a contributor as a sure-handed seam threat, but he's shown signs of slowing down early in 2026. Henry caught 13 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns through the first three weeks last season, playing at least 80% of snaps in all three games.
In 2026, he's totaled 7 catches for 71 yards in his first three matchups. A key part of this year-over-year stat comparison is Henry's target share. Despite playing a similar snap rate in each season, his targets dropped by more than 50%, from 22 to 10.
Like in 2026, the Patriots struggled to score points to begin 2025. Despite scoring 22.3 PPG in their first three matchups, they relied heavily on defense and special teams and started 1-2. Despite their 2026 struggles, Henry hasn't been relied on as much as he was in 2025.
That in part could be due to his alignment. To start 2025, he was an in-line tight end 55.9% of the time. In 2026, that number has dropped to 51.4%. Relative to Drake Maye's snaps in 2025 and 2026, Henry was lined up in line 48.1% of the time in 2025, compared to 42.9% in 2026.
As far as overall snaps go, Henry also played about 20% more snaps by this point in 2026.
Age could be a role in Henry's slip, but re-emerging as a top option for Maye would do the offense a world of good as they look to stay on track ahead of A.J. Brown's return in a few weeks. If the team has any chance at making the playoffs, it will likely be in large part due to Henry getting back on track.
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