3 Major Changes Patriots Need to Make After Week 5 Disaster

3. Bring in a New Kicker

Add kicker to the list of problems areas on the Pats' roster right now.

New England had a chance to put some points on the board in the first quarter of Week 5 after New Orleans took an early 7-0 lead. While the offense stalled out, they did manage to get to the Saints' 30-yard line. That set rookie kicker Chad Ryland up for a manageable a 48-yard attempt.

Well, he missed, and it wasn't that close. Meanwhile, Saints undrafted kicker Blake Grupke nailed both of his attempts from 50-plus yards on Sunday.

Ryland already looks like a bust after being a fourth-round pick. He's just 4-of-8 on the year, with a pair of misses from both the 40-49 range and 50-plus. That's a glaring issue, especially for a kicker who was known for his big leg coming out of college.

With how this offense is playing right now, New England needs someone who's capable of putting points on the board. Yes, he's not getting a ton of gimmes right now, but he hit these kind of kicks in college.

The decision to part ways with Nick Folk, who entered Week 4 a perfect 10-of-10 and has already won a Player of the Week award, looks extremely disappointing in hindsight. The Patriots can't afford to have another underpeformer at a key position, so they need to bring someone in to either push Ryland in practice or straight up replace him if the rookie can't turn it around.

One move you should make after Week 5 is signing up at BetMGM. New users who claim the offer below and place a first wager of just $10 will receive a whopping $200 back in bonus bets. Best of all, the credits are instant, so you don't even have to sweat the result of your first wager. A deal like this won't last long, so act now before it disappears!