Youthful Patriots Could Learn This Important Lesson From Rams

FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots used to be the team that made all the right plays late. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick won with details and took care of business as consistently as any team.

Now, teams with championship veterans and continuity are the ones getting it done in the NFL. That’s what the Los Angeles Rams did Sunday as head coach Sean McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford earned the 28-22 win over the Patriots.

The Rams were efficient in scoring touchdowns and not settling for field goals as much as the Patriots. Most notably, the Rams reminded the Patriots how they finish games. They did not kill the entire clock late in the fourth quarter, but they made key conversions to keep the drive going. Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, who combined for three touchdowns, helped move the ball late and put the Patriots on their heels.

“You could definitely tell that Stafford and those guys have great chemistry,” Marcus Jones said. “You could tell that they design it to where those guys succeed. That’s great for them. You gotta make sure you know where those guys are on the field at all times.

“We just gotta finish,” Jones added.

The Patriots did not make enough plays late and Drake Maye threw a game-sealing interception on a miscommunication with DeMario Douglas. The loss showed the difference in how far the Patriots still have to go in this rebuild.

New England appears to have the right foundation in players like Maye, though there’s miles of work to do to build around their franchise quarterback. For now, the Rams are a great example to follow in what it takes to close out victories in the NFL.

“Look, we’ll grow into be able to finish out, finish and close out these games,” Jerod Mayo said. “We’ve just got to go back to work, get on the practice field.”