5 takeaways from the Patriots’ 35-28 loss to the Eagles

Tom Brady reacts after throwing an interception to the Philadelphia Eagles. Jim Rogash/Getty Images

By Erik Frenz @ErikFrenz

December 6, 2015

3 minutes to read

COMMENTARY

FOXBOROUGH — Well, it happened. The New England Patriots lost, again, falling to 10-2 after a 35-28 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The result was nearly more lopsided than the final score ended up indicating. After falling behind 35-14, the Patriots began a furious comeback bid. They came close, but ultimately fell short. After this second loss, the Patriots must prepare to play three of their final four games on the road.

Before we turn the page to those games, here are some of the biggest takeaways from Sunday’s loss.

1. Special teams make a difference: The Patriots attempted a dubious dropkick on a kickoff and had a blocked punt. These were huge momentum-changing plays that kept the Eagles competitive in the first half. Without those two special teams gaffes, the Patriots might have been winning 14-0 headed into the locker room after two quarters. Instead, we had a 14-14 ballgame at halftime.

The Patriots’ special teams contributions didn’t get much better in the second half. They started off well with a punt that was downed at the Eagles’ six-yard line. But they ended up on the wrong side of a big special teams play with an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown late in the third quarter.

Sunday provided proof something Bill Belichick has known all along: Special teams are crucial, and have the potential to completely change the flow of a game.

2. Tom Brady is not infallible: Tom Brady is undeniably terrific, but he’s not perfect. The Patriots’ quarterback may have had a strong day by the standards of an average quarterback. But he had a subpar one by his own lofty standards.

Brady went 29-of-56 passing for 312 yards to go with three touchdowns and two interceptions. This marked the third straight week that Brady completed less than 60 percent of his throws. Perhaps his performance should be taken with a grain of salt due to injuries, but Brady’s pick-six was a 14-point swing in the game, arguably the key mistake. With a touchdown there, the Patriots would have gone up 21-14. Instead, they were trailing by the same score.

3. Strong defensive performance goes to waste: Only 14 of the Eagles’ 35 points were surrendered by the Patriots’ defense. If the game had only two phases — offense and defense — then the Patriots might have won. Of course, if the game had been played only by special teams, then the Patriots might have lost a hundred billion to zero.

The Eagles’ offense produced good runs from Darren Sproles and Kenjon Barner (33 carries for 128 yards as a team), and got an efficient day from quarterback Sam Bradford (14 of 24, 120 yards, two touchdowns). But make no mistake: Those were not the guys who lifted the Eagles to this victory.

4. Tom Brady as a wide receiver? Yes, Patriots fans saw a rare sight on Sunday with Brady hauling in a 36-yard reception as the Patriots struggled to find rhythm on offense. Any joy was shortlived as Brady threw an interception on the next play.

The Patriots ran a similar play on the first day of training camp this summer, with Brady running down the sideline to sneak the ball over the pylon for a touchdown. Executing such a play in a game is fundamentally different, of course. But practice makes perfect.

5. No. 1 seed slipping away: The Patriots have lost two straight after opening the season with a 10-game winning streak. If the playoffs were to begin today, the Patriots would be in the No. 3 spot in the AFC, with the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 1 and the Denver Broncos at No. 2.

With four games remaining on the Patriots’ schedule, the final AFC seeding is yet to be determined. The Broncos and the Bengals are set for a primetime showdown in Week 16. Should the Patriots win out, they would likely end up no worse than the No. 2 seed.

At this point, it’s a stretch to assume the Patriots will win out. This just isn’t the same team we saw at the beginning of the season. With injuries catching up to them, seeding isn’t of primary importance. What matters most is that the team is in the postseason.