Patriots Defender Offers Candid Take On Tyquan Thornton’s Drop

If you’re looking for a source of transparency on the Patriots, look no further than Davon Godchaux.

The veteran defensive lineman opened up to the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan after Sunday’s home shutout loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Godchaux acknowledged New England’s defenders are frustrated by the offense’s struggles, and also offered a candid take on Tyquan Thornton committing another costly drop.

“It’s frustrating. It’s frustrating,” Godchaux told Callahan. “I’m not gonna sit up here and say, ‘You know, I still believe.’ It’s f—ing frustrating. Anybody can tell you that. You know, I thought Zappe made some good throws today. I thought there was a couple balls we could’ve caught as receivers, and those guys would tell you the same thing, too. They can take accountability, and we’ve all got (expletive) (expletive) we all messed up on. But the margin of error in this league is so small. …

“Like, Tyquan had the guy beat by like three steps. And we’ve gotta make those catches. The margin of error is so small. I still think Tyquan’s got a bright future, he’s a really, really talented guy. But the margin for error in this league is so small, man. One opportunity that you let slip, like — we didn’t really get another opportunity to throw another deep ball. DP (Devante Parker) had one, but he ended up being out of bounds.”

The Patriots now are 2-10 and staring at a likely rebuild. This isn’t how anyone, including Godchaux, thought this season would go.

The worst part is that New England’s defense has played at a borderline championship level. If the offense even was competent, let alone good, the Patriots could be contenders in what’s been a down year for the AFC.

Instead, they’re on the verge of seizing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. And they could be eliminated from playoff contention as soon as Thursday night, when they’ll visit the Pittsburgh Steelers.

As New England gets closer to the finish line, don’t be surprised if more players like Godchaux start sounding off.