The New England Patriots’ 28-13 loss to the New Orleans Saints was littered with breakdowns, mental miscues and examples of poor execution.
Add this play to the list.
As Patriots radio play-by-play man Bob Socci noted Monday morning on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher and Rich,” the Patriots only had 10 players on the field on Taysom Hill’s game-clinching fourth-quarter touchdown run.
The Patriots did a mass substitution after the previous play, a Hill keeper down to the 4-yard line. It’s difficult to determine who was to blame for their shorthandedness, but outside linebacker Chase Winovich could be seen attempting to sprint onto the field just before the snap, then retreating.
With the Patriots down a man, Hill had a gaping hole to run through. His touchdown capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive that drained 6:45 off the clock and put New Orleans ahead 28-13 with 2:37 remaining.
New England, despite being outplayed for much of the game, had scored on its previous drive to cut the Saints’ lead to eight points.
Earlier in the game, a Patriots coverage bust led to an easy touchdown for Saints running back Alvin Kamara. Errors also plagued New England’s offense and special teams, with head coach Bill Belichick saying his team was “inconsistent in every area.”
The loss dropped the Patriots to 1-2 on the season entering this Sunday’s primetime showdown against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Gillette Stadium.
