3 Patriots Fans Should Blame (and 2 They Shouldn’t) for Blowout Loss to Cowboys
By Isaiah De Los Santos
The New England Patriots’ plethora of weaknesses were on full display in Week 4. With the defense shorthanded and unable to mask the offense’s clear deficiencies, New England got straight up embarrassed.
There’s a few people that deserve overwhelming blame for the loss, while a couple others were the lone bright spots on an otherwise nightmarish day.
Blame: Bill Belichick
The Patriots’ Week 4 disaster falls squarely on Bill Belichick’s shoulders.
New England’s game plan to take advantage of a team coming off of a surprising loss was almost non-existent. Mac Jones was made the centerpiece of the attack despite his clear misgivings as a quarterback, and the team suffered the consequences with his three total turnovers.
A week after the run game showed some serious signs of life, you’d think Belichick would lean on his backfield and scheme more ways to help them succeed. Instead, the Pats shied away from the run, which led to quick three-and-outs and the defense getting gassed as a result.
Not only did Belichick fail as a coach, but his lacking skills as a GM post-Tom Brady were clear on Sunday as well. Outside of Hunter Henry and one big gain from Demario Douglas, the offense simply didn’t have anyone step up to make plays. Offseason additions JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mike Gesicki and Ezekiel Elliott were all basically no-shows, continuing this trio’s underwhelming starts to their Patriots tenures.
This offense remains a major hindrance in the way of New England winning football games. That’s purely on Belichick for making the wrong choices this offseason and being stingy with spending on truly impactful veterans.