Another game finished and, shocker, another loss for the Patriots. In a nutshell, this is what happened: the offensive line was absolutely terrible which hindered our ability to score points. The defense played decently, holding the Raiders to only 19, but scoring 17 points is rarely enough to win a game. With a final score of 21-17 (a safety in the final minutes got the Raiders from 19 to 21) the Patriots did not pleasantly surprise me, but at least they scored two touchdowns this week.

Injuries Upon Injuries

As I reflect on the biggest problems with this team, the most glaring issue I see is the rost. If you look at the Patriots’ working roster compared to just about any other team, it is absolutely abysmal. Even the worst teams in the NFL typically have at least one player who you can look at and say, “Wow I feel bad for them but they are the one bright spot on the team.” These players do not exist right now for the Patriots, but I don’t think it’s entirely the coaching staff’s fault.

Do I think the Belichick did a good job in the off-season? Absolutely not. Do I think that the roster is the worst in the league? Also no. The problem is that our healthy players are not serviceable. I won’t list out everyone who is hurt right now because that would take too long, but here is the full injury report if you are interested. Here are the important takeaways from that list:

1. All of the Patriots’ star defensive players are injured
2. There are five offensive linemen listed, three of which are full-time starters
3. Three of the better receivers on the team are on the list

Now I’m not saying that the Patriots would be a great team by any means if they weren’t plagued by injuries, but not having Matt Judon, Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones, and Jonathan Jones definitely puts the defense in a tough position. The Patriots are a team that relies on their defense to keep them in games, and through the first three games this season, that was the case. Once these injuries pile up, it’s incredibly difficult to stop even mid-ranked offenses. With essentially all the star players being defensive specialists and all of them being hurt, the Patriots are struggling to keep games close. It’s like trying to ride a bike without the chain. You are bound to fail.

I genuinely don’t think I have ever seen a team more affected by injuries in my many years of being a sports fan. It seems like every other play, another important player goes down. One of the craziest stats I heard while watching the game that also best explains the situation, is the fact that at the start of the game, no Patriots player who was dressed for the game had an interception on the season. That changed in the first quarter when Jahlani Tavai caught a tipped ball, but essentially what that stat meant was the Patriots started a secondary of almost all backups and inexperienced players.

Where Do We Go From Here?

You may be wondering what options the Patriots have in this situation. Well, I’m sure you also came to the conclusion that we can’t just quicken the recovery pace of all the injured players, but the team can look for some other options. With the trade deadline coming up on October 31, I think it’s time for the coaching staff to take a hard look at who will be available for the foreseeable future, and make some tough decisions.

First, the Patriots need to find some answers on the offensive line. No shade to Vederian Lowe, but he has one of the highest rates of QB pressures allowed in the NFL, and he looked like an absolute sieve against Maxx Crosby on Sunday. I’ve seen enough of him and would love to see the Patriots trade for a better right tackle.

Second, there needs to be upgrades to the receiving core. Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott are solid runningbacks and Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki and two above-average tight ends. However, the Patriots lack a real number-one receiver, instead relying on a committee of very average players who do not get it done week in and week out.

As a fan, it’s hard for me to fully give up on this team, so I would definitely like to see some immediate roster changes to hopefully get a few more wins. I can’t justify rooting for continued losing and hopping on the “tank for Caleb Williams” train, but I can’t say I would be mad if the Patriots were able to draft him next year to replace the lowly Mac Jones. It’s hard to be willing to wait an entire year to see a better team, so I will continue to hope that the Patriots will give me something that is actually entertaining to watch.