Three Studs, Three Duds From Patriots’ Gross Loss To Commanders

FOXBORO, Mass. — The Patriots officially are worse than the Washington Commanders. Let that sink in.

New England suffered a 20-17 home loss on Sunday despite holding a 14-10 halftime lead over a bad football team. The Patriots were on the edge of field goal territory in the final minute, but Mac Jones threw an interception that bounced off JuJu Smith-Schuster’s hands.

Honestly, New England was fortunate to be in this game, as a pair of first-half Commanders turnovers allowed the Patriots to get back into it. But Washington ultimately was the better team in all three phases and posted 432 total yards of offense on Bill Belichick’s defense.

Jones completed 24 of 44 passes for 220 yards and one touchdown to go along with one pick in another underwhelming performance. Rhamondre Stevenson and Demario Douglas led the way on offense with 87 rushing yards and 55 receiving yards, respectively.

On the other side, Sam Howell completed 29 of 45 passes for 325 yards and one touchdown while throwing one end-zone pick to Kyle Dugger. Brian Robinson ran for 63 yards and a touchdown, with Terry McLaurin catching five passes for 73 yards.

New England dropped to 2-7 with the loss while Washington improved to 4-5 with the win. The Patriots will “host” the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday in Frankfurt, Germany.

Here are three studs and three duds from another humiliating defeat:

STUDS
RB Rhamondre Stevenson
The third-year back looked more like himself in the last few games, a trend that continued Sunday. Stevenson finished with nine carries for 87 yards and one touchdown while adding four catches for 42 yards. His 64-yard TD run in the first half was the top highlight, with Stevenson showcasing legitimate open-field speed. He’s back to being the Patriots’ best player on offense.

WR Demario Douglas
Lost some points for an ill-advised punt return in the fourth quarter, but made up for it on offense. The rookie again was the Patriots’ only dangerous pass-catcher on offense, racking up five catches for 55 yards while showcasing his trademark quickness. Douglas also had a 22-yard catch wiped out after replay revealed he didn’t maintain possession. The sixth-round pick still is raw, but he’s emerging as a chains-moving weapon for an offense devoid of high-end talent.

LB Jahlani Tavai
Tavai’s quietly productive season continued as the veteran linebacker posted six tackles and forced what was, at the time, a game-changing fumble. New England looked completely lifeless before Tavai punched the ball out of Brian Robinson’s grasp, with both the offense and defense struggling. But the Patriots took over with great field position and scored a touchdown shortly afterward. Tavai never will be confused for a Pro Bowler, but he’s a rock-solid player and is having his best season as a pro.

Honorable mentions: Hunter Henry, Christian Barmore, Ja’whaun Bentley, David Andrews

DUDS
Third-down defense
The third-down defense in the first half was as bad as you’ll ever see. The Patriots allowed the Commanders to go 6-of-9, including some big gains on third-and-long situations:

— 2-yard run on third-and-1
— 26-yard pass on third-and-7
— 9-yard run on third-and-1
— 13-yard pass on third-and-10
— 24-yard run (Howell) on third-and-23
— 16-yard pass on third-and-10

For good measure, New England gave up a 26-yard completion on third-and-8 on the Commanders’ first third-down try of the second half. Overall, Washington converted nine of 17 third-down attempts. It was atrocious.

Most of the issues came in the secondary, which itself could’ve earned a spot on this list. There were missed tackles and busted coverages throughout, and the day began with Jack Jones and J.C. Jackson apparently getting benched. This wasn’t a banner afternoon for the defensive backs.

QB Mac Jones
Yes, Jones was victimized by poor receiver play — catch the ball, Jalen Reagor — but he didn’t play well in this game. He underthrew receivers, could’ve been picked off at least twice and once again played a jittery, frantic brand of football. To top it off, he threw a game-ending interception with the Patriots driving for a potential tying field goal in the final minute. If you’re a franchise quarterback, this is the kind of game you find a way to win, and Jones wasn’t good enough to do it.

LB Josh Uche
This was a classic Josh Uche game, the kind that makes it easy to envision the Patriots letting him walk in free agency. The fourth-year pro generated some pressure, as he often does, but also struggled against the run. Most notably, Uche blew an edge on Robinson’s 9-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Just look at No. 55 on this play:

It’s those kinds of plays that prevent Uche from playing over the likes of Anfernee Jennings, who’s far more reliable on the edge. Uche is undeniably talented, but his value is limited by his inability to be a three-down player.

Honorable mentions: Mack Wilson, JuJu Smith-Schuster Myles Bryant, Jalen Reagor, Jonathan Jones, Jalen Mills, Conor McDermott, special teams