4 Patriots on Thin Ice After Week 10 Loss to Colts

There was a time when the New England Patriots were the most dominant team in the NFL. That's no longer the case, however, and we saw that this weekend when they faced the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany. In an ugly game with hardly any offense, the Patriots fell short 10-6.

Every loss stings, but this one is especially concerning. New England had more first downs (21-to-14) than Indy and won the time of possession by nearly 10 minutes. The Patriots also racked up more than twice as many yards on the ground and would've had even more if Ezekiel Elliott didn't get a couple of runs called back due to a penalty.

Despite all of this, they fell to 2-8 and will head into their bye week with a lot of questions. They not only have to figure out why they can't move the ball in the red zone, but also whether or not a quarterback switch will help.

As they figure all that out, let's look at four players who are on thin ice heading into the break.

4. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Wide Receiver

Once an up-and-coming star for the Pittsburgh Steelers, JuJu Smith-Schuster has become an afterthought. He did go and win a title with the Kansas City Chiefs last year and somehow landed a three-year deal worth $25.5 million with New England this offseason.

So far, he's been not only a huge disappointment for them but also one of the biggest busts in the NFL. In 8 games, he only has 22 receptions for 149 yards with a single touchdown. In Week 10, he had just 1 catch for 9 yards. He was also guilty of an illegal shift that eliminated an 18-yard run for Elliott late in the fourth quarter.

Smith-Schuster was supposed to become a go-to target for Mac Jones, but he's been far from that. Entering the bye, he's fifth in receptions and is averaging under 7 yards per catch. The one thing that keeps him from being benched full-time is the lack of any other legitimate options in this receiving corps.

3. Chad Ryland, Kicker

Back in 2019, the Patriots signed veteran kicker Nick Folk, who spent the next four seasons holding down the job. Despite being in his mid-30s when he signed, Folk proved to be a great addition as he hit 89.3 percent of his attempts. He also hit all 58 of his tries from inside of 40 yards.

At 39 years old, however, Folk found himself fighting for his job this year and New England decided to go with rookie Chad Ryland, trading Folk to the Tennessee Titans.

The Pats used a fourth-round pick on Ryland in the spring, so the Maryland product was always going to win the job. The question was whether or not he could make it as an NFL kicker. After 10 games, there are still questions.

Ryland entered the game in Frankfurt with 4 missed kicks already. All of those misses had come outside of 40 yards, but that changed this weekend. In the third quarter of a one-score game, Ryland was called upon to attempt a 35-yarder in the third quarter, which he pushed wide right.

He did hit two of his kicks on Sunday, finishing 2-of-3. That means on the season, he's now 12-for-17, which is a percentage of just 70.5.

To make matters worse, Folk has been fantastic for the Titans. The veteran entered this weekend 19-of-19, including 3-of-3 on kicks over 50 yards.

New England can't turn back the clock and keep Folk, but it might be considering another replacement for Ryland if he doesn't improve over the final seven games.

2. Bill Belichick, Head Coach

Bill Belichick has been the head coach of the Patriots for 24 seasons. In that time, he's won six Super Bowls and has a record of 264-115 in the regular season (plus 30-12 in the playoffs). The problem is, he's been a different coach since Tom Brady left.

While Brady won another title with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Belichick has orchestrated just one winning season in his absence. This weekend, his team fell to 2-8 which means he's now just 27-33. While that record is less than ideal, they were at least competitive until this year. Heading into New England's bye week, this is the worst team he's had in 40 years.

Belichick's job security was already a question before this game and with the letdown against the Colts, the calls for a change will only grow louder. Their offense is a mess and even the defense, which is typically Belichick's calling card, is in the bottom half of the league.

Making matters worse is the head coach's issues with finding pass-catchers. For some reason, Belichick has continued to whiff on wideouts in both the draft and free agency. The Smith-Schuster move is the latest example of Belichick failing to get his quarterback a No. 1 wideout.

It's always tough to see an elite coach start to struggle, but that's what's happening here. Belichick has done enough for this franchise that he deserves to finish out the season, but there's no way he can come back in 2024. Not unless New England wins all of its games after the bye, which seems highly unlikely.

1. Mac Jones, Quarterback

Jones seemed to be a perfect fit for Belichick and the New England Patriots when they landed him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The Alabama product wasn't known for his strong arm, but he was able to move the ball with accuracy and confidence. He then came in as a rookie and led the Patriots to a 10-7 record.

In Year 2, things went in the wrong direction for Jones. He was less efficient as a passer and New England went just 6-8 with him as the starter. For a time, it appeared as though Bailey Zappe was going to overtake him as the starter.

This season, Jones has kept the job but it hasn't been easy. He's now 2-8 and has lost three games in a row after throwing a backbreaking interception on Sunday. Tensions hit a boiling point as offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien was seen laying into Jones on the sideline.

The criticism didn't help Jones, who ended up throwing the game away in the fourth quarter. With Mike Gesicki wide open for a go-ahead touchdown, Jones threw the ball short and Julian Blackmon picked him off. After that, Zappe replaced Jones for the final drive, which also ended in an interception.

This was the 10th interception of the year for Jones (who had another dropped earlier in the game), which leads the NFL.

At this point, it feels as though there will be a lot of change coming for the Patriots, including a new quarterback potentially taking over for Jones after the bye.

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