Patriots players perfectly sum up their brutal Week 3 loss to the Jets
Leading into the 2024 season, there was an overwhelming belief that the Patriots were not going to be a competitive team or win many games, if any. That seemed to be shut down briefly after they bet the Bengals in Week 1 and barely lost to the Seahawks in their home opener last Sunday, but it all came rushing back with the devastating demolition by the Jets on Thursday Night Football.
Nothing went right for the team in any phase of the game.
The tackling was lackluster. The run game was almost nonexistent. The offensive line was a liability that stunted any offensive improvement. And there's a whole lot more that could be said based on immediate reactions after the game.
Although it doesn't change anything, the one silver lining could be that the players are very aware of how poorly they played and weren't shy to admit it during their postgame press conferences. Accountability won't alter the outcome of the game, and actions speak louder than words, but it's better to hear the truth right from their mouths than only from reporters continuing to talk about how bad the team is.
The first to be brutally honest about their efforts, or lack thereof, was safety Jabrill Peppers, who didn't beat around the bush when asked how the game went.
Jacoby Brissett came out with the same attitude and nearly repeated what Peppers said verbatim when it was his turn to speak with reporters on Thursday night.
Maybe it can be chalked up to the Patriots having to play on a short week, or maybe it was an example of all the preseason concerns surrounding the roster finally proving to be accurate for the first time this season.
We won't know unless they put in the effort to be better as the season progresses, which won't be easy with their next opponent being the 49ers.