Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images New England’s defense allowed 26 total points in the last three losses. The Los Angeles Chargers entered Gillette Stadium on Sunday averaging 24.5 points per game — the ninth most in football. But when the game clock struck all zeroes on Sunday, they mustered just six total points. Despite the low scoring output, it was still enough to earn the victory over New England whose offense put up a goose egg for the second time this season at home. “Super frustrating, not being able to go out there — defense holds them to six points and for us not to be able to go out there and put us anything on the board is tough,” running back Ezekiel Elliott told reporters after the game. “I feel bad for those guys on the defensive [side of the] ball. They’ve been playing good defense week after week. We’ve got to figure out how to make more plays on offense and give them some help.” “Honestly, I give it up to our defense,” JuJu Smith-Schuster added. “Regardless of how it’s been going for us on offense, they’ve been doing their job, doing their thing, and they stopped a high-powered offense like the Chargers and only gave up six points.” Sunday’s game marked the third straight game New England’s defense has held an opponent to 10 points or under. But due to the current offensive woes, the Patriots dropped all three contests, becoming the first team since the 1938 Chicago Cardinals to allow 10 points or less in three straight games and lose all three. “It’s frustrating. Very frustrating. I’m frustrated, and I know we’re all frustrated,” said tight end Hunter Henry. “We haven’t, obviously, held up our end of the bargain. For sure. They’re playing really well right now. That’s a really good offense, and holding them to six points — the conditions were the conditions — but we have to find a way to execute better.” The six points allowed on Sunday came via a pair of field goals, including one after New England surrendered a 34-yard punt return to put Los Angeles in scoring range. “Is it good enough? I believe so, but it’s not our standard,” linebacker Jahlani Tavai said. “If we’re looking for perfection, we don’t want to see a score on the board. I know we held their offense to no touchdowns, but we don’t even want them to score field goals. That’s the mentality we have as a defense; we take it personally when they get past our 50.” “We have got to play better complementary football,” added safety Jabrill Peppers. “We just cannot play well on one side of the ball, whatever phase that is. We gave up a big punt return that got them in scoring position, then being aggressive got them in scoring position. As a defense, our job is to negate the lead.” New England will now quickly turn their focus to a Thursday night matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where the defense will look to do even more to try and secure a victory. “The standard is high. From a man, to a man, we know what we have got to do. Play for the man next to you, we don’t ask for much but your best. We have got to do more, we have to get some more takeaways, we have got to start scoring on defense” Peppers added. “We are going to find ways to rectify the situation and make it right, but right now we are just not doing enough.” Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/2023/12/4/23 ... fl-week-13
