Patriots give up four turnovers and a Gillette record 45 points in loss to Packers
Drake Maye threw three interceptions and Jordan Love had four touchdowns as Green Bay beat New England 45-27, dropping the Patriots to 5-4.
The New England Patriots lost their first home game of the season on Sunday, and it was lopsided. Green Bay turned four Patriots turnovers into 21 points and won 45-27 at Gillette Stadium. That is the most points New England has ever allowed in the building, which opened in 2002, and the most it has allowed in any regular-season game since 1993, according to The Associated Press via Fox Sports.
Jordan Love did most of the damage. CBS Sports had him at 23-of-29 passing for 372 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, and he added a 13-yard touchdown run. Christian Watson caught seven passes for 171 yards and Matthew Golden caught 10 for 164, and each scored. Green Bay came in last in the league in rushing but ran for 129 yards on the way to 478 total, and it led 24-7 in the second quarter, per ESPN's game file.
The game turned on New England's mistakes. Drake Maye went 21-of-38 for 299 yards and three touchdowns, but all three of his interceptions came in the first half. Xavier McKinney had two of them, and the first came on the Patriots' second snap, setting up a Love scoring run two plays later. New England never led. Maye had thrown one interception in his previous four games and is now tied with Justin Herbert for the league high at 11. After the game he said the Patriots still have not played a turnover-free game this season. Rhamondre Stevenson caught a touchdown pass but also lost a fumble that led to a Watson score. "We got our (butts) kicked. There's no two ways around it," coach Mike Vrabel said, per the AP.
The injury list could matter more than the score. Stevenson (knee) left late in the third quarter. Cornerback Carlton Davis III and left guard Ben Brown both hurt knees in the second quarter, and rookie left tackle Will Campbell walked off with a knee injury in the fourth. Special teamer Brenden Schooler left with a hamstring injury. Two starting offensive linemen and the lead running back are now in question with a short turnaround and an overseas trip ahead.
What it means for Detroit in Munich
At 5-4, New England has lost two of its last three games, and its four losses have come by an average of more than 16 points. The Patriots had held three straight opponents to 30 points or fewer before Sunday. They had also been 3-0 at Gillette. Their next game is in Munich against the Detroit Lions next Sunday, November 15, on Fox.
The board for that game lists Detroit as the favorite across 11 venues. On Novig, the Lions are -144 and the Patriots +138. The best price on Detroit is BetRivers at -137, seven cents off Novig. On the spread, Novig has the Lions favored by 2.5 at -117, and Hard Rock Bet has Detroit -2 at -120. Novig's total is 51.5, with the over at -100. FanDuel has the over at 50.5 for -115. Sportsbook hold runs from 2.8% to 5.0% across the three markets. The venues are within half a point to a point of each other, which suggests the market sees a close game despite Sunday's result.
The turnovers are the number to watch. New England scored 27 points against Green Bay and still lost by 18. A healthy offensive line and fewer giveaways may decide whether the Patriots stay above .500 going into the second half of the season.