I had a feeling that things weren't going to go well last night when Patterson returned the opening kick out to the 44 yard line and then the offense quickly went three and out, squandering that field position.
I wish they had thrown Gordon out there. If nothing else, perhaps he would have drawn some double coverage that might have freed up someone else on a few plays. And sending him deep to open the game would have been more exciting than a Sony Michel run.
I agree with everyone who thought the team appeared listless and uninterested. There was no sense of urgency. Other than once about five minutes before the half when Brady was trying to fire up the offense saying they just needed one good drive, they didn't seem to have any fire at all, on either side of the ball.
One can only hope that Gordon can actually add something positive to this team. Maybe with an effective Gordon on the field along with Edelman in a couple of weeks, this offense gets more dynamic and opponents have a more difficult time covering receivers. If that doesn't end up being the case, it could be a long season as I don't know what other answer there is offensively. Burkhead has been injured a bunch lately so obviously a move might need to be made there as well, with only Michel and White healthy. Michel had a few nice runs but obviously needs more time to develop, especially missing most of the preseason. Hopefully things will turn around for this offense over the next couple of weeks.
Defensively, ugh. No Flowers and Chung certainly hurt a bit but I don't really think having either or both of them in the lineup against the Lions would have made much difference. Hopefully BB can figure out a way to repair this mess quickly. The offense and defense both struggling at the same time is a new thing for the Pats, hopefully not the new normal.
I hope Miami comes into Foxboro next Sunday afternoon at least a little overconfident. That shouldn't be a stretch to imagine. They are 3-0 and the Patriots are 1-2, with two pretty bad losses in a row without many positives to take from either. Here's hoping Gordon gets on the field and contributes, even if it is just mostly to draw some attention and give Hogan, Gronk and company some breathing room.