Pats Cast Episode 26: Patriots Outplayed, Outsmarted by the Rams

Rookie Cam Akers (Florida State) finally had a breakout game, picking up 194 yards of offense on 31 touches. (Photo: Report Door)

The Patriots came into the Super Bowl LIII rematch against the Rams with a 6-6 record and with a puncher's chance of making the playoffs. Although they were taking on a very stout opponent, New England was also coming off a 45-0 trouncing of the Chargers. There was hope that this game could at least be competitive, but that never materialized.

Sean McVay threw Bill Belichick for a loop in this game, relying predominantly on second-round rookie running back Cam Akers and only using the passing game when it was absolutely essential, while Aaron Donald made his presence felt throughout the night.

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Patriots on Defense

Frankly, the Rams dominated both sides of the ball. Schematically, that was most evident when they were on offense. They completely flipped their game plan, compared to Super Bowl LIII, in which they emphasized wideouts and the passing game as opposed to running the ball with extra tight ends.

In turn, the Patriots were forced to use different personnel than they often do. Particularly, they had to use bigger run defenders up front, only one true to linebacker (in case the Rams threw the ball), and fewer three cornerback alignments.

The Patriots didn't do their job up front. The quartet of defensive tackles combined for only two disruptions in the backfield and 10 tackles, the edge rushers were schemed out of the game almost entirely, and John Simon blew multiple assignments early in the game.

The linebackers were exploited a bit, as well. Adrian Phillips had a game-high 10 tackles, and Ja'Whaun Bentley was close behind with nine. The trouble was that those tackles were generally five or more yards past the line of scrimmage. The entire game wasn't bad, but a few drives were pretty awful.

The secondary actually played a lot better. The Rams didn't target it heavily, but the unit held Jared Goff to below-average efficiency ratings across the board, and rookie Myles Bryant came away with an interception that nearly swung the momentum of the game.

Patriots on Offense

Again, the general takeaway was that Aaron Donald was dominant, but the rest of the offense arguably played better than the scoreboard suggests.

Cam Newton finished 9-for-16 with 119 passing yards, no touchdowns, and a pick six. Clearly not all of that is good, but he averaged 7.4 yards per attempt – including some deep completions – which are encouraging signs. Jarrett Stidham also completed five of his seven passes, albeit for only 27 yards.

The running game wasn't bad, either. Damien Harris picked up 50 yards on 11 carries – also hauling in a catch for no gain. James White also ran five times for 16 yards. The only running back who struggled was Sony Michel (seven carries for 22 yards).

The passing game was uneven, but the top three receiver may have had the most balanced performance they have all year. Each had at least three catches for 144 yards combined – each of them picked up more than 40. They also each had a catch that went for at least 25 yards, and N'Keal Harry in particular was featured in a capacity that he previously hadn't been.

The offensive line was certainly the undoing of the offense for most of the game. They gave up six sacks, as well as much more additional pressure. Perhaps Justin Herron will be the new left tackle until Isaiah Wynn returns.

Special Teams

Jake Bailey had a spectacular game (including a 71-yard punt), and Gunner Olszewski had another strong game returning punts (including a 21-yard gain). The unit as a whole played well – better than the Rams.

Biggest Takeaways for the Patriots

They honestly didn't play that poorly. The offensive and defensive lines were the only units that got outplayed, but games are often decided in the trenches. Those two outcomes weren't particularly unexpected, but their overall impact on the game were a bit more surprising.

Making the playoffs just got a lot tougher. The Patriots are 6-7 now, and the stakes in their upcoming game against the Dolphins will be extremely high.

Expect the next episode of the Pats Cast – a deep dive into the Dolphins – on Tuesday.