Halfway through the NFL season, the New England Patriots have a minus-11 turnover margin. This is tied for the worst in the league, along with the 2-7 (...2-7!) Indianapolis Colts.
Some of that can be attributed to the team's defense not forcing many turnovers (their eight takeaways are tied for the fourth-fewest in the league), but most of it really comes down to the offense struggling to limit their own giveaways.
The Patriots have turned the ball over 19 times this season, which is tied for the most in the league with the 0-8 (... ... 0-8!) Los Angeles Chargers. They have turned the ball over at least once in each game this season and recorded four giveaways (three interceptions from Drake Maye and a fumble from Rhamondre Stevenson) in their most recent game against the Green Bay Packers.
New England is 5-4 and technically in the playoff picture, but the team shouldn't feel comfortable about its standing. The Patriots currently own the last playoff spot, and they have gotten lucky their turnovers haven't come back to bite them too much. They already have a lot going against them (injuries and lack of depth, especially), and constantly turning the ball over at such a high rate might be exactly what stops them from reaching their ceiling.
Patriots' turnover problems are lowering their ceiling
You can have an incredibly talented team with a high-powered offense and a tough defense, but it won't matter if you don't have great ball security. Constantly giving your opponent extra possessions and a shorter field makes it easier for you to fall behind and, in turn, lose the game.
This is where the Patriots mostly find themselves right now. Even though they're dealing with a ton of injuries on both sides of the ball, they still have a lot of talent. Maye has mostly found his groove after his slow start to the season. Players like DeMario Douglas are stepping up on offense. And New England still has a solid defense, particularly in the run game (its 96.7 rushing yards allowed per game is ninth-best in the NFL).
The Patriots aren't the same team they were at this time last year. They have already suffered more losses this season than they did all of last season, and it feels like they haven't been able to find their rhythm.
But they still have a lot of talent, and if they can get at least close to fully healthy after their bye week, they could be in a good spot... as long as they don't keep playing catch with the other team.
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