In this win over Bears, there were clear similarities to Patriots’ season-opening victory
“This is who we are.”
After the Patriots made four trips to the red zone but scored just one touchdown in their Week 1 win over Cincinnati, coach Jerod Mayo said success there would be a “point of emphasis” for his team going forward.
The Patriots made some strides over the following weeks, entering Sunday’s game against Chicago 19th in the NFL with a 54.55 percent red zone touchdown conversion rate — including 87.5 percent over their previous three games and touchdowns on eight of their past nine red zone trips.
But they took a step back Sunday, scoring just one touchdown on five drives inside the 20-yard line, while kicker Joey Slye went 4 for 4 on field goals in the 19-3 win.
Addressing the media Monday, Mayo turned the clock back to Week 1.
“I think there were some plays that we left out there,” Mayo said. “I fully anticipate us getting back on track. We’ll definitely make that a point of emphasis this week, and going forward.”
The five red zone opportunities were the most in a game this season for the Patriots, who hadn’t had more than three since an overtime loss to Seattle in Week 2.
The Patriots rushed for 144 yards Sunday, and Mayo credited the offensive line and the run game with extending drives deep into Chicago territory, something he also saw against Cincinnati. In both games, he said, the Patriots controlled the offensive and defensive lines of scrimmage.
“We handled the down guys, and I was impressed by that,” Mayo said.
Mayo emphasized the importance of short-yardage runs, noting that while the Patriots had a few rushes for no gain, they never lost yardage on the ground. It was a stark contrast to the overtime loss to Tennessee in Week 9, when the Patriots regularly found themselves in second-and-long and third-and-long situations.
“This is who we are,” Mayo said. “We have to go out there, and we have to control the line of scrimmage. We have to be able to run the ball. We have to stay ahead of the sticks. We have to play good defense. We have to get off the field on third down, which we did yesterday by a mix of generating pressure and also coverage and play good special teams. And this is the formula.”
Irish entrance?
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell hinted at the possibility of the NFL International Series expanding to eight games next season, including the possibility of one in Ireland.
The NFL already announced that Spain will host its first game at Real Madrid’s Bernabéu Stadium in 2025, and Goodell on Sunday shared a few more details with NFL Network’s Colleen Wolfe.
“We are definitely going to Spain, we announced that,” Goodell said from Munich before the Giants faced the Panthers. “We expect to return to Mexico City. We expect to return to Brazil. We will certainly be back in the UK.
“And we’re also looking at the potential of another game in the UK area in Ireland, possibly. That’s a possibility. And we’ll certainly be back here in Germany. So if that totals eight, that’s what we’re shooting for.”
When asked Monday if he thought the NFL will ever have a team based in Europe, Mayo was hesitant to give a solid answer.
“I don’t want to say never,” he said on “The Greg Hill Show” on WEEI. “The game has grown exponentially. The people watching the game, men, women, different countries, it’s a very exciting game. And I don’t want to say never.”
Flipping the field
Punter Bryce Baringer recorded punts of 49, 50, 61, 54, and 75 yards — the second-longest of his career — to extend his NFL-leading streak to 27 straight games with at least one 50-yard punt.
The Bears returned Baringer’s first punt 38 yards to start their first drive on New England’s 47-yard line, but on his four subsequent punts, Baringer put them behind their own 35-yard line, including one inside the 10-yard line.
On Monday, Mayo called Baringer “a huge weapon for us.”
“After that first punt, I thought Bryce really settled in,” Mayo said. “His confidence is where we want it to be, where we need it to be, and we’re going to definitely lean on him as far as a guy that can flip the field for us.”
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