Three Areas Patriots Need To Show Post-Bye Improvement

The New England Patriots have shown flashes of good football since rookie Drake Maye took over as the starting quarterback in Week 6.

The Patriots have obviously found their next franchise signal-caller with Maye under center, but there are plenty of areas New England needs to focus on and show improvement in after the bye week.

Here are three key areas in which the Patriots must show improvement:

Defensive Performance
The Patriots defense showed signs of potential when they sacked Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams nine times in New England’s 19-3 Week 10 victory.

Unfortunately for the Patriots, the success was short-lived and the defensive unit was unable to sustain their play in three straight losses against the Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts.

The once-dominant defense fell to the middle of the pack and often looks like a bottom-tier defense compared to the glory years with Bill Belichick at the helm — despite retaining many of the players and coaches who factored into the success.

Whether it starts with defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington’s play calling from the sidelines or the execution on the field, the Patriots need to find a way to thwart opposing teams’ offense. New England ranks 19th in rush defense, and 16th in passing. The Patriots defense has allowed 35 total touchdowns and sits in the middle of the pack (20th) in total defense.

Offensive Creativity and Trust
With a lack of offensive talent, exactly how much blame should be laid on the shoulders of Alex Van Pelt?

The Patriots delivered one of their better offensive performances of the season against the Colts last Sunday, but it wasn’t enough to secure a victory.

The inability to finish drives and capitalize on opportunities might come from the lack of play calling designed to elevate Maye, but the amount of turnovers, including eight interceptions, could prevent Van Pelt and Jerod Mayo from completely trusting their young quarterback.

Better Coaching Decisions
Whether or not you like Mayo as the head coach of the Patriots, you have to question some of the decisions and his responses to said decisions in his first year.

Going back to the Colts game, Mayo opted to send Joey Slye out to try a 68-yard field goal instead of giving the ball to Maye for a Hail Mary attempt. Slye missed and no one will ever know what Maye could’ve done given the chance.

The first-year coach also opted to call a timeout and reset his defense on a two-point conversion attempt in the same game. Again, no one will know if a timeout would’ve helped, but the decision could certainly be second-guessed.

Mayo has often told reporters the Patriots’ struggles start with him, but at some point, he has to actually look in the mirror and simply make better decisions.