This was the first time we were to see how the Patriots would perform coming out of their bye week, and although the season has been less than ideal, there was some hope that they would look far more prepared and ready to take down a beatable team in Week 15. The Cardinals were coming off a three-game losing streak and have mostly disappointed this year, so there was a good chance the Patriots could keep that going with a lot of rest and extra preparation.
Unfortunately, that was far from what was seen on the field this past Sunday, and it actually looked like the complete opposite.
From the start of the game, it didn't appear that the team had learned from their season-long mistakes, and the playcalling was beyond questionable right away. The defense was far too lax, and Drake Maye was being held back, leading to inevitable 3rd-and-longs and quickly ending drives.
Although the score made it seem like the game wasn't too far apart, the Patriots made the Cardinals look like a playoff-contending team despite being on the cusp of not qualifying for a wild card spot. It was an unexpected yet not entirely shocking development, making fans and reporters want to hear from the players on Monday morning.
But, as with many decisions this season, the new regime made an unprecedented decision that shocked New England fans to start the week.
The Patriots decision for a day off on Monday is a bad look for the team
According to several reporters, including MassLive's Mark Daniels, the players scheduled to speak to the media on Monday morning were canceled. PR released a statement stating the team was not meeting today, so no video interviews would be held.
Patriots players were schedule to speak to the media later today but that’s been canceled because they’ll no longer have a team meeting, per PR
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) December 16, 2024
“Patriots players will not have a team meeting today, therefore we won't be scheduling any video conferences this afternoon.”
Considering the only time that the Patriots typically have a Monday off is after a win, it's strange they decided not to meet after the type of loss they were handed on Sunday. They didn't look like a well disciplined or prepared team, so the assumption would be that they need to be at the stadium and preparing even harder and more thoroughly as soon as possible.
So why are they given the day off instead?
Maybe it's a misunderstanding, and video conferences were canceled because they had other plans in place for the team. That might be wishful thinking, but given the seriousness of how poorly their season has gone, plus coming off the heels of a terrible loss to the Cardinals, this is not great optics for a coaching staff seemingly in the hot seat.