6 Patriots on the Chopping Block After Week 7 Loss

It is going to be a long flight home for the New England Patriots. After jumping out to a 10-0 lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London, the Patriots allowed Jacksonville to score the next 25 points en route to a 32-16 loss. In a battle of 1-5 teams, New England dropped to 1-6 on the season. After a Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, the Patriots have dropped six straight games.

Jacksonville entered the game in turmoil, with head coach Doug Pederson on the hot seat after their 1-5 start and coming off of a week-long layover in London. The Patriots had a great opportunity to take advantage of the dysfunctional Jags, but New England managed to out-dysfunction Jacksonville on Sunday. Following the game, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo didn't hold back, labeling his team "a soft football team across the board."

Per ESPN Research, New England had won 59 straight games when leading by 10 or more points. After their sixth straight loss, here are six Patriots (and coaches) on the chopping block.

6. Joshua Uche

After featuring in at least 20 snaps in each of New England's last five games, Uche only saw the field for 11 snaps against Jacksonville. His 11 snaps were uneventful, as Uche failed to show up on the Patriots stat sheet.

In his age 24 season, Uche racked up 11.5 sacks and seemed poised to be a fixture on the Patriots defense for years to come. Unfortunately, the former second-rounder never really continued on that trajectory, managing only three sacks in 15 games last season.

Uche was extended this past offseason under the new regime, and New England were likely looking for him to return to his 2022 form following a preseason trade of Matthew Judon. That hope hasn't quite come to fruition, as Uche has only two sacks in seven games so far this season.

Uche was recently identified as a player that could be on the move at the NFL trade deadline. After the injury to star Aidan Hutchinson, the Detroit Lions are one team that has been linked to a potential trade for Uche.

The edge rusher's name came up last season as potential trade deadline candidate, and has found himself in that conversation again in 2024. With Uche's contract expiring after this season, New England's front office should take whatever trade return that they can get.