FOXBOROUGH – For the Patriots, the goal is simple.
Win.
Jerod Mayo’s team is looking to win back-to-back games for the first time this season. As the head coach explained this week, the Patriots know how to lose – and stack losses together. Now, they need to learn how to win after upsetting the Chicago Bears on the road last weekend.
“I’m going to continue to stress to the players, to the team, to the coaches, it’s having a sense of urgency and really learning how to win,” Mayo said. “We haven’t had a back-to-back win this year. We’ve lost multiple games in a row, so we know that side of it. Now we’ve got to figure out how to turn the page after a win and get a victory.”
The Patriots showed progress in Chicago. Now, it’s time to build on it. Up next, they’ll face a talented team, the Los Angeles Rams, with a talented head coach in Sean McVay. This is a good test for Mayo and his team.
Another win would give the Patriots the same number of victories they had last season and create more momentum as they then head on the road to Miami.
Here are five things to watch on Sunday:
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Drake Maye improvement
It’s not going to be perfect – and it never will be with a rookie quarterback. This season, however, Drake Maye has looked better than advertised. In five starts, he’s thrown 954 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. On top of that, he’s rushed for 233 yards to go with a rushing touchdown.
The Rams have a tough defense. Their pass defense, however, ranks 22nd in passing yards per game (219.6). They rank 30th in the NFL in passing yards per play (7.63). The Bears had a better ranked pass defense, so this is a game that Maye should do well – and show improvements.
Limit turnovers
There was one throw last week that Alex Van Pelt said Maye would have nightmares over. In the first quarter, the rookie wanted to throw the ball away, instead, he threw it to a member of the Bears. If the Patriots want to beat the Rams, that can’t happen. Maye needs to play a clean game.
The Rams have been one of the better ball-hawking teams in the NFL. They’re currently ranked sixth in interception rate (3.47%). This week, Van Pelt said he talked to Maye about making the right decisions.
“We always say if nobody’s open, there’s one guy that’s always open and that’s the tuba player in Row 4,” Van Pelt said. “I’d like to see him put that ball right in the tuba.”
Offensive line
The Patriots went 10 weeks without starting the same offensive line in back-to-back games. That’s pretty wild. That should change this week as Vederian Lowe, Michael Jordan, Ben Brown, Michael Onwenu, and Demontrey Jacobs are expected to start for the second game in a row. This will mark the first time the Patriots start the same offensive line in back-to-back weeks this season.
This will mark the first time the Patriots start the same offensive line in back-to-back games since Week 15 of 2023 (Dec. 17). This week, the Patriots offensive line needs to show improvements with their newfound continuity. This season, the Rams have 24 sacks and have sacked opposing quarterbacks on 9.27% of their pass attempts. That’s the ninth-best sack percentage in the NFL.
Cornerbacks vs. Receivers
This will be a heavyweight matchup between Rams receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp and Patriots cornerbacks. Led by Christian Gonzalez, Patriots defensive backs were outstanding last weekend in Chicago as they shut down three good receivers (D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze).
Both Kupp and Nacua have dealt with injuries this season, but when healthy, they’ve been dangerous. Kupp has 21 catches for 184 yards over his last two games. Nacua caught nine passes for 98 yards last week against Miami.
Patriots pass rush
The Patriots pass rush went into last week’s game with the fourth-fewest sacks in the NFL (16). That changed in one game when the defense sacked Caleb Williams nine times. That pass rush, aided by great coverage, helped the Patriots greatly.
It would be beneficial if the Patriots repeated an effort like that on Sunday. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has been sacked 21 times this season. When Stafford is sacked three or more times, the Rams are 1-4 this season. When he is sacked between 0-and-2 times the Rams are 3-1.
Prediction: Patriots 23, Rams 20
