FOXBOROUGH — You can point to the five holding calls (four accepted) if you want.
You can also complain that Christian Barmore was held on the two-point conversion that ultimately decided game.
You can call for DeMarcus Covington to be fired for his unit being another late no-show by allowing an 80-yard, 19-play touchdown drive and two-point conversion to a quarterback in Anthony Richardson who currently has a 47.4 completion percentage on the season (and he was 50 percent in Sunday's 25-24 victory over the Patriots).
But, to me, that's missing the boat.
The Patriots lost this game because they are overly conservative, especially when it comes to quarterback Drake Maye.
The struggles of Jerod Mayo and his coaches were encapsulated in two drives at the end of each half, and the way Alex Van Pelt handles goal-to-goal situations. Both have to do with being scared to do too much with Maye.
And that's going to be a losing proposition now and in the future.
Just let the Kid play. Let Drake be Drake. You've got virtually nothing else going for you. He might make you all look good - and you could use the help as the team heads toward a 3-14 record that would be the franchise's worst since 1992 (2-14 under Dick MacPherson).
On the final drive of the first half with the Patriots trailing 16-14, Maye got the team into scoring position with passes to Kendrick Bourne (16 yards), Hunter Henry (9), Rhamondre Stevenson (7) and a 29-yard strike to Kayshon Boutte on 2nd and 19 after a holding penalty.
After taking their first timeout at the Indy 11 with 41 seconds left, the Patriots:
Ran for 1, took their second timeout.
Ran for 6, took their final timeout.
Finally attempted a pass in a predictable passing situation, he's sacked for -3 while a holding penalty is called and declined.
At that point, Maye was 17 of 20 (85%) for 169 yards and dot touchdown to Austin Hooper. He was obviously carving up Gus Bradley's pathetic Cover 3 scheme. You have to let him make a play at least on second down, if not all three downs. What the hell do you have to lose?
Almost the exact same scenario played out in the fourth quarter after Christian Gonzalez's interception left the Patriots an 88% chance of victory (higher than the Seahawks game at 85%) with the ball at the New England 45 and 7:59 left.
A field goal basically ices the game with a two-score lead. To get into solid field-goal range, they needed 19 yards.
That should have been the goal. That should have been the focus. The time of the game was irrelevant at that point. Another three points should have been to aim. "How do we get 20 more yards?"
What did the Patriots do?
They played the clock, running for 2 yards and then -3 before allowing Maye again to drop back on 3rd and 11. They obviously told him to be conservative and to run the clock, because he looked at his first read, and then took off and slid without trying to make a defender miss.
The Patriots punted and lost the game as the defense allowed a 19-play, 80-yard scoring drive and two-point conversion.
Two opportunities where the Patriots had a chance to go for the jugular, to be aggressive with their young gun QB and instead they coached scared.
We could also point out Mayo coached scared again on the final play where he elected for a 68-yard field goal over Maye heaving a Hail Mary. Again, I'd take my chances with the Kid every time, especially at 3-9 staring at 3-10.
"That was 100% me," Mayo said. "Look, [Joey] Slye was hitting it well in pregame, and I felt that that was the best thing to do to help our team win the football game. Not sure what the numbers are on Hail Marys versus the field goal there, but that's what I felt was right."
Not sure what the numbers are?! Isn't that what you have Evan Rothstein for?
Then there were the goal-to-goal situations where the Colts won the game.
Indianapolis was 3 for 3. Patriots were 0 for 2.
Colts threw on first down at the Patriots 7 on their first drive of the game ... touchdown.
In the second quarter, Richardson ran in over right guard on their second play inside the 10 ... 3-yard touchdown.
On the final drive of the game, the Colts let Richardson run on first and second down, he threw on fourth down for the touchdown, and he ran it in on the two-point conversion.
If only the Patriots had their own athletic young quarterback who is a bigger guy and has shown a knack for running creatively ... oh, that's right, they do. I forgot because apparently Mayo and Van Pelt have as well.
Or they're just coaching scared.
The Patriots had 5 drives that penetrated the Colts' 10-yard line. They resulted in two field goals, a missed field goal, a great 11-yard touchdown run from Antonio Gibson and an interception to Hunter Henry.
"I'm going to go back and watch the film," Mayo said of the low red zone struggles. "It's ultimate execution at that point in the game. Now, that safety that usually plays in the deep part of the field out in the field now is now part of the count, and we just have to do a better job executing."
Said Maye: "I thought we ran the ball up until we got to the goal line pretty well. I think in the passing game I think maybe get through my progression. It was tough down there. It was tight. Tight windows. Tight throws. I have to give our guys some chances. I think that's probably the biggest thing. And penalties – I think one of them was penalties. We got back into, like, a first and goal from the 20. Just can't settle for four field goals in the red zone and expect to win ball games."
One team on Sunday embraced the gifts of their young quarterback and rolled the dice in every circumstance, including on a game-deciding two-point conversion on the road.
The other never called a designed QB run which contributed to whiffing on scoring opportunities, and elected to kick for overtime on the road in an eventual overtime loss to Mason Rudolphin and the Titans.
I wonder which team is 6-7 and fighting for the playoffs, and the other is 3-10?
What are the Patriots scared of with Maye? I mean, it can't be losses because, well, those are piling up. It can't be Maye's psyche because he's already shown that he is uber-resilient and never lets a mistake compound himself.
Sometimes I think Mayo has forgotten that more often than not, his defense is not going to get that key stop for a victory. In case he hasn't been paying attention, this isn't the same old Patriots defense that will make a play to win a game. The defense finally made a few plays on Sunday and they still lost.
Just let the Kid play. He's the only good thing this team has going and chances are, he's going to surprise you and us.
Let Drake be Drake, for better or for worse.