New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo will likely see yellow flags in his sleep during preparation after Sunday’s 20-10 road loss to the Washington Commanders.
Flags rained down on the Patriots in a game in which the team was penalized ten times.
Sure, some of the decisions seemed a little cheesy, especially some that were directed at the Patriots’ offensive line. But it’s hard to even make that a valid argument considering the offensive line struggled throughout training camp and the preseason.
And Sunday’s performance against the Commanders was perhaps the worst we’ve ever seen. The offensive line took penalties and struggled in pass defense while facing a Commanders defense comprised mostly of reserve players. It was an absolutely abysmal performance.
Chukwuma Okorafor received multiple penalties and Nick Leverett once again had trouble snapping the ball. Rookie Layden Robinson also had problems with penalties. The miscommunication up front was so bad that quarterback Jacoby Brissett was flattened like a pancake in the first quarter.
Brissett left the game due to a right shoulder injury and did not return.
Perhaps the only bright spot in the game was rookie Drake Maye, who once again showed signs of being a future franchise quarterback. He seemed comfortable moving in the pocket, evading defenders and making accurate throws to receivers.
He finished the game with 13 of 20 throws for 126 yards, one touchdown and a passer rating of 99.2.
Brissett’s injury will be one to keep an eye on over the next few weeks as the team prepares for its Week 1 regular season game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Patriots could find themselves in a situation where they need to use Maye at quarterback.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, considering he’s looked like the team’s best quarterback in preseason games. However, he would be thrown in at the deep end, behind a makeshift offensive line and a number of unproven wide receiver weapons.
It is a potentially catastrophic situation that can determine the success or failure of a young quarterback.
