A lot went wrong for the Patriots in their Week 13 matchup against the Colts, ultimately leading to a quick decision regarding the best way to finish the game. After they got the ball back with just 12 seconds remaining and down one point, they needed to move down the field and score in one way or another. The problem was that their offense had struggled in the red zone for the entirety of the game, making their chances of success slim.
With just one second left in the game, Jerod Mayo and Co. had the chance to have Drake Maye attempt a Hail Mary throw for a touchdown or bring out kicker Joey Slye to attempt a field goal. Given that the quarterback has a deep arm and could easily throw a 50-yard pass, it seemed like the favorite scenario.
But they decided to have Slye attempt a 68-yard kick instead, which would have set an all-time NFL record.
Unfortunately, Slye was just short of making it through the uprights, solidifying the Patriots' latest loss and adding more disappointment to the season. Although he missed a chip-shot field goal earlier in the afternoon, he shouldn't be taking as much responsibility for the loss as he is.
Joey Slye's ownership of the Patriots' loss is admirable but not necessary
Since beating Chad Ryland for the kicking job this past offseason, Slye has been a reliable player for the Patriots special teams. He's missed a few kicks, some of which were more painful than others, but asking him to hit a 68-yard field goal is demanding quite a lot from any kicker in the NFL.
He was barely short, probably winning the game had he been just two to three yards closer, which is pretty impressive. However, Slye taking the blame for the loss doesn't feel entirely warranted.
“Yeah, I mean I hit it clean. It was dead down the pipe from where I was looking. So I knew if I just got the distance, I would be fine. Cold weather today, wind in our face going that way as well so I know I needed to put pretty much everything I had into it and just fell a little bit short.”
Sure, if he had successfully hit the field goal earlier in the game, the Patriots wouldn't have been in a position to need a Hail Mary or a record-breaking field goal to win. It certainly would have made things a lot less stressful, but the offense and defense did not show up for most of the game, with the offensive line stalling most red zone opportunities due to a piling up of penalties.
The defense let too much go throughout the game, especially with their lackluster blocking on quarterback Anthony Richardson, which led to his successful two-point conversion. The result of the game shouldn't be blamed on Slye alone, even if he might be the easiest one to point the finger at.