FOXBOROUGH — What the hell just happened?
One minute I had visions of the Patriots going 2-0 and headed for more with the underwhelming Jets and Skylar Thompson on the upcoming schedule, and then suddenly they were leaving Gillette Stadium with their ninth home loss in their last 10 games.
After Antonio Gibson's 45-yard run from darkness, business looked like it was booming for Jerod Mayo's Patriots once again. In fact, they had an 85 percent chance of victory.
They were about to win in the same physical fashion against a much more game opponent again. They were about to starting printing t-shirts with slogans like "Just win ugly, baby" ... "Passing yards are overrated" ... "We don't need any receivers."
And then, poof, it was gone.
In the final 11 minutes of regulation and overtime, Mayo's group of physically tough and disciplined players, and his surprisingly impressive coaching staff just ... lost it. It was if Geno Smith and his group of tested Seahawks said, "OK, playtime is over. Time for a real NFL team to take control."
And they did.
Don't make the mistake of simplifying this down to dumping it all on Jacoby Brissett. Don't even bring up the M word. Don't let the team - players and coaches - off the hook. They all had a hand in this collapse. It wasn't epic or anything, but it was still a failed opportunity that was laying in their lap.
"It's all about the details," Mayo said. "If we get the little things right, the big things will take care of themselves. We just didn't take care of the little things, and we weren't as detailed or on top of our P's and Q's like we should have been. Which is my responsibility. I take 100 percent responsibility."
What were the little things they screwed up? Where were the mistakes made? Who was to blame?
Let's go through it.
1-10-SEA 25 (6:06) R.Stevenson right tackle to SEA 23 for 2 yards (Ja.Reed).
The Seahawks, after getting run on the previous drive and the start of this one, put eight players in the box and are playing press on the outside. The Patriots are up 20-17 at this point. It's time to dial up a big play here with playaction, a screen ... something. Instead, Alex Van Pelt just runs wide zone, and Vederian Lowe doesn't get the key backside block on the eventual tackler.
2-8-SEA 23 (5:25) R.Stevenson up the middle to SEA 21 for 2 yards (T.Knight, R.Jenkins).
Seahawks again have eight in the box. Do the Patriots take a shot on this play? Nope. Stevenson doesn't help things by not bouncing the play outside to the left where blocking is set up. That sets up third and long, where the Patriots don't want to be.
3-6-SEA 21 (4:44) (Shotgun) J.Brissett sacked at SEA 30 for -9 yards (sack split by B.Murphy and L.Williams).
Now the Seahawks are playing coverage. I didn't see anyone remotely open and by the time Brissett realizes he needs to throw it away, Mike Onwenu and Layden Robinson have been beaten soundly and give up a sack. Still, they're in field goal range. Three points and a six-point lead isn't the worst thing ...
4-15-SEA 30 (3:59) J.Slye 48 yard field goal is BLOCKED (J.Love), Center-J.Cardona, Holder-B.Baringer.
Oof. Austin Hooper decides to block the wide player instead of Julian Love who not only blocks the kick, but gives the Seahawks the ball at the 38.
1-10-SEA 38 (3:54) (Shotgun) Z.Charbonnet up the middle to SEA 40 for 2 yards (D.Ekuale; K.White).
2-8-SEA 40 (3:13) (No Huddle, Shotgun) G.Smith pass short right to J.Smith-Njigba to SEA 47 for 7 yards (A.Jennings).
Anfernee Jennings and Jahlani Tavai are in zone coverage, which makes this an easy 7 yards.
3-1-SEA 47 (2:35) (No Huddle, Shotgun) Z.Charbonnet up the middle to NE 47 for 6 yards (D.Ekuale).
I don't know if it was a planned run stunt, but Keion White leaves his gap and no one really fills as Seahawks easily pick up the first down.
1-10-NE 47 (2:09) (No Huddle, Shotgun) G.Smith pass short middle to Z.Charbonnet to NE 38 for 9 yards (R.McMillan).
Tavai and Raekwon McMillan turn a 2-yard checkdown into 9 yards (generous spot).
Two-Minute Warning
2-1-NE 38 (2:00) (Shotgun) G.Smith pass short right to D.Metcalf ran ob at NE 24 for 14 yards (C.Gonzalez).
McMillan comes clean on a blitz but Smith easily evades him and Metcalf comes back in front of Christian Gonzalez to get the Seahawks into field-goal range.
1-10-NE 24 (1:54) (Shotgun) G.Smith pass incomplete short right to N.Fant.
2-10-NE 24 (1:50) (Shotgun) G.Smith pass short right to D.Metcalf pushed ob at NE 15 for 9 yards (J.Jones).
Three-man rush leads to all day for Smith who gets outside, makes Joshua Uche (who dropped into coverage) come up, leaving Metcalf open for 9 yards.
3-1-NE 15 (1:43) G.Smith up the middle to NE 15 for no gain (R.McMillan; A.Jennings).
4-1-NE 15 (:58) (Run formation) PENALTY on SEA, Delay of Game, 5 yards, enforced at NE 15 - No Play.
4-6-NE 20 (:58) J.Myers 38 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-C.Stoll, Holder-M.Dickson.
Patriots hold, but the game is tied.
Would have been nice to have all three timeouts to attempt something, but Mayo burned two barely into the fourth quarter.
OVERTIME
NE wins toss, elects to Receive, and SEA elects to defend the South goal.
Considering my defense and how I'm putting in a new left tackle, you could make a strong argument for deferring considering your offense had 25 yards passing in the entire second half.
1-10-NE 30 (10:00) R.Stevenson left guard to NE 32 for 2 yards (J.Hankins).
Another 2-yard run. It looked like David Andrews was expecting help from Layden Robinson on Johnathan Hankins on the wide zone run but the rookie went for the linebacker.
2-8-NE 32 (9:19) (Shotgun) J.Brissett pass short right to K.Osborn to NE 39 for 7 yards (T.Woolen).
Brissett's hit as he throws (again) but makes a nice pass to KJ Osborn to make it 3rd and 1.
3-1-NE 39 (8:38) R.Stevenson up the middle to NE 39 for no gain (T.Dodson; Ja.Reed).
Penalty on NE-C.Wallace, Illegal Formation, declined.
Oh boy ... Van Pelt picks now to go with an unbalanced line, have Hunter Henry at left tackle and Caeden Wallace at TE ... how many times have they repped this play with these players? Was it usually Vederian Lowe out there? Now Tyquan Thornton is in the backfield and in motion and Rhamondre Stevenson is offset? Huh? The Patriots' vanilla offense decides to add sprinkles ... now?!
Oh, the Sehawaks have six on the line and nine in the box.
4-1-NE 39 (8:20) B.Baringer punts 45 yards to SEA 16, Center-J.Cardona, fair catch by D.Williams.
I did not have a problem with this. You have a good punter, and your defense is the team. Time for them to get a stop.
1-10-SEA 16 (8:12) (Shotgun) G.Smith pass short right to J.Smith-Njigba pushed ob at SEA 21 for 5 yards (M.Jones).
Blitz ... Smith sees it coming a mile away (theme upcoming).
2-5-SEA 21 (7:37) (Shotgun) G.Smith pass short right to D.Metcalf pushed ob at SEA 31 for 10 yards (C.Gonzalez).
Gonzalez gives a big cushion, which Metcalf and Smith are happy to take. Easy money.
1-10-SEA 31 (7:01) (Shotgun) G.Smith pass incomplete deep left to T.Lockett.
PENALTY on NE-J.Jones, Defensive Pass Interference, 20 yards, enforced at SEA 31 - No Play.
Another blitz. Jonathan Jones didn't think this was pass interference, told reporters Lockett told him that as well. Looks like he grabbed his arm. Call goes against you, happens. Ball is still at midfield.
1-10-NE 49 (6:55) (Shotgun) G.Smith pass short right to J.Smith-Njigba to NE 45 for 4 yards (M.Jones).
Smith makes another play with his legs.
2-6-NE 45 (6:19) (Shotgun) G.Smith pass incomplete deep left to J.Smith-Njigba.
All-out blitz ... could have been called pass interference on Marcus Jones. Now they're even, bringing up a huge play. Get off the field and you might get the ball back here.
3-6-NE 45 (6:14) (Shotgun) G.Smith pass short left to Z.Charbonnet to NE 38 for 7 yards (C.Gonzalez).
Another blitz, and no one covers Charbonnet out of the backfield. Gonzalez has a chance to get him down but his dive at the feet does not do the job. First down.
1-10-NE 38 (5:30) (Shotgun) G.Smith pass short left to T.Lockett pushed ob at NE 22 for 16 yards (J.Jones).
Keion White is not rushing and drops into coverage while Smith rolls right. He comes back to the left, White is in no man's land, this is way too long to cover man to man and the Seahawks hit their 27th pass to five different receivers in this game. The Patriots three receptions by receivers total.
(4:48) Z.Charbonnet left end pushed ob at NE 13 for 9 yards (J.Jones; M.Jones).
Kyle Dugger is blocked by a receiver on the end to make this an easy chipshot field goal.
Ballgame.
______________________________
The game was right there for the Patriots but ... Mayo is exactly right. The Patriots who had done the little things well for nearly two full games and were thisclose to 2-0 suddenly turned into a pumpkin and were the group that couldn't shoot straight.
I'm not going to make a ton of this. There are 15 more games to go. This was definitely a missed opportunity and it's disappointing. The Patriots should be 2-0 and dreaming of more. But they lost sight of what's important, and got outplayed an outcoached for the final 11 minutes.
The important thing is all involved - players and coaches - learn from this and get better from it.
They're called growing pains for a reason.
"Look, this isn't a fancy football team," Mayo said. "This is one of those teams whether we throw it or run it that we just have to be a tough football team, but at the same time, have to be smart. We have to be able to go out there and line up and be mentally tough on a down-after-down basis."
That did not happen Sunday and they lost. Simple as that.