The Patriots lost to the Colts in Week 10 in Germany in one of the most forgettable games of the season.
The Colts' offense didn't generate much of anything. The Patriots' offense didn't generate much of anything. This game came down to who disappointed more, and the answer to that question is always Mac Jones.
But other than Jones, which Patriots players could be on the verge of losing their jobs after this ugly loss?
Jones and Bill Belichick are the low-hanging fruit. These are three other Patriots who should be looking for a new home ASAP.
Bailey Zappe
Zappe only played two minutes of the game, so he doesn't carry nearly as much blame as Jones.
However, his game-ending pick was just... bad. It started with a fake-spike, which was likely the strange brain-child of Bill Belichick. It ended with Zappe throwing the ball into double coverage and getting picked off.
Zappe going long on that play wasn't the problem. The Pats needed a touchdown and had zero timeouts within the final minutes. Zappe had no choice but to throw a deep ball.
Zappe just made the wrong decision. His wideouts running down the right and left sidelines were much more open -- had Zappe opened up his vision and seen those players, he could've started potential game-winning drive.
Cameron Achord
Bill Belichick's fake-spike trick play was weird.
Also weird was one special teams play in the second quarter. We can only assume special teams coordinator Cameron Achord drew this up and got the thumbs up from Belichick.
On a Colts punt, the Patriots chose to put virtually all their players at the line of scrimmage and left no one to return the kick.
The idea behind this was to generate pressure on the Colts kicker and maybe get a block or a turnover.
The special teams play ended up backfiring as the Colts' punt went for 70 yards, pinning the Patriots deep into their own territory. With New England's offense already handicapped, that play didn't help the Patriots at all to get back into the game.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Ex-Chiefs wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster finished with just one catch on nine yards.
It's safe to say his move to New England crashed and burned for everyone involved: the Patriots failed to gain a consistent pass-catcher, and Smith-Schuster failed to make a significant impact in the offense. Over in Las Vegas, Jakobi Meyers is living his best life.
Other wideouts like Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte have made more out of their opportunities this season. Smith-Schuster is the clear odd man out.
Another pitiful game from Smith-Schuster has the Patriots' front office rethinking his three-year contract. We wouldn't be surprised if the Pats find a way to offload Smith-Schuster to cut their losses sooner rather than later.
