Sort of a miracle they even were there with a shot at the end given all the turnovers.
Most of these were caused by straining for extra yardage when it wasn't there. Trying too hard.
The Patriots - and everyone in football, for that matter - could learn from Deion Branch.
Deion was the king of going down when the extra yardage wasn't there, hanging onto, that is protecting the ball, maintaining possession, keeping the drive alive, and living to play another day.
Now, he may have learned this from losing it before, or even in an effort to prevent injury - which, by the way, it DOES.
I saw other plays today when the Patriots did this, straining for extra yardage, and though they occasionally got away with it, it is a fatal habit.
The Patriots made the Super Bowl in 1985 largely because they not only had everyone work on fumble recovery drills all the time, they consciously protected the ball. Why they didn't continue to do this, and why every team in football doesn't do this, is a mystery to me. Belichick used to talk about it a lot, but talking isn't enough. You have to drill it. Practice it. Make a habit of it.
Wanting to alone does not work.
IMHO the head coach has to establish the culture of being a smart team that doesn't beat itself.