The New England Patriots came into the season feeling good about their chances of showing the NFL that last year's AFC championship was anything but a fluke. The presence of Drake Maye, along with Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson at running back as well as A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs at the wide receiver position was more than enough to keep the Pats as a prime contender for AFC honors.
But as the season reached the halfway point and the NFL trade deadline, the Patriots were not the same team they expected to be. After getting blasted 45-27 at home by the Green Bay Packers, the Patriots had fallen to 5-4 for the season, and that left them 2.5 games behind the Buffalo Bills after Josh Allen & Co. had beaten the punchless Minnesota Vikings 23-6 on Monday night.
The Patriots were not playing sharp football, and their skill-position players were contending with key injuries. Henderson has an illness that will keep him from playing in New England's Week 10 game against the Detroit Lions in Germany. Stevenson has been their most dependable running back by a wide margin, but he has a knee injury and is questionable. Brown has had ankle and knee issues that have limited his production and Doubs is currently on Injured Reserve with a shoulder injury. He is not eligible to return until Week 12 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Patriots could have made multiple moves throughout the lineup at the trade deadline — and particularly at the skilled positions — but they chose to stand pat for the second year in a row.
That philosophy worked well a year ago, but it may not bring the same results this year.
Vrabel and the Patriots needed reinforcements, but Eliot Wolf did not come through
Stevenson has solid numbers for the Patriots at the running back slot, but he brings even more to the Patriots than the numbers indicate. Stevenson has rushed for for 399 yards on 102 carries and 2 TDs this season. While those numbers are not overwhelming, Vrabel has been counting on Stevenson for the majority of the Patriots' carries since Henderson has been out of the lineup with his mysterious illness.
Stevenson has also done a solid job catching the ball out of the backfield. Maye has targeted him 31 times and he has 26 receptions for 258 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a memorable 48-yard TD reception on the final play of the first half against the Chicago Bears in Week 7. That play demonstrated his ability to take a dump-off pass and turn a run-out-the-clock type of play into a game changer.
The unexplained neurological symptoms that have impacted Henderson have robbed the Patriots of a running back that could hit the home run. He has explosive speed, can run through tackles and is difficult to catch once he gets past the line of scrimmage. The Patriots don't have an estimate on when he will be able to return to the backfield.
Pats could have been in the market for RB help
The Patriots should have been in the market for a productive running back at the trade deadline. The biggest prize could have been Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts, who was mentioned prominently in rumors up until the deadline. The Colts decided to hold on to him because they wanted a blockbuster offer that would have included a first-round choice.
In addition to Taylor, the Patriots could have attempted to bring in Breece Hall of the New York Jets or Tony Pollard of the Tennessee Titans. Since Henderson is out and Stevenson is listed as questionable, the Patriots could be left with Corey Kiner and Lan Larison as the running backs against the Lions. That would be a brutal development for Maye and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Detroit would be able to load up against a passing attack that does not include Brown or Doubs.
Patriots could have used help at DT, LB and S positions
Players like S Jessie Bates went from the Falcons to the Jaguars, and Jacksonville also acquired DT Jordan Davis from the Eagles and DT Davon Godchaux from the Saints. LB Daiyan Henley was traded by the Chargers to the Broncos. The Patriots could have been in the market for any of those players.
Vrabel tried to explain the Patriots' lack of action. “We’re 5-4,” he said, per Nicole Yang of the Boston Globe. “I think there’s going to be a lot of contending teams that are 5-4. I think that’s the nature of the National Football League. We’ve got to draw a line here. We’ve got to think that we’re 0-0, and we’ve got to start putting ourselves in position to play meaningful games in January or in the middle of January.”
The Patriots failed to strengthen themselves at the trade deadline, and they could regret that lack of action in the next month.