The Patriots have the NFL’s second-best record with just three games remaining on their schedule. They’re in the driver’s seat to win the AFC East and host a playoff game at Gillette Stadium in January.
And yet … last Sunday’s 35-31 loss to the Bills has fans feeling a bit unsettled entering the stretch run.
What issues need to be fixed ahead of a primetime showdown with the Ravens on Sunday Night Football? And where should Mike Vrabel and his staff look to add to this roster in the offseason? We’re tackling you’re short-term and long-term questions in this week’s Mailbag.
Editor’s Note: Some questions have been lightly edited for clarity.
TreVeyon Henderson has been incredible, but I still see too many negative runs on first down that puts them behind the sticks. Do you anticipate more throws on first down to try to loosen up the defense up for him? – @rick_ricciardi3
TreVeyon Henderson has been better lately, in my opinion, when it comes to finding creases and exploiting them. It’s not just on his home-run hitting jaunts, either.
Per NextGen Stats, Henderson has the second-most rushing yards before contact per carry this season (1.9), and he’s gaining 8.1 yards after forcing a missed tackle, which is fourth-best among all backs. He’s seeing running lanes, attacking them with good acceleration, and finishing through the whistle.
To your point, he did have a third-quarter run for negative yardage on first down against the Bills last week. But since in the five games since Week 10, he has 317 yards on first downs, which ranks fifth in the NFL behind only Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson, Miami’s De’Von Achane, Buffalo’s James Cook and Baltimore’s Derrick Henry.
In that same time period, no one has more first-down touchdowns (five), and he’s eighth in first-down broken tackles (six).
His stuff percentage (16.7), which tracks carries of zero yards or fewer, is 29th out of 45 backs with at least 20 first-down carries. That’s nothing to write home about, but he’s in the same range as a pair of accomplished speed backs in Achane (15.4) and Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs (15.6).
However you slice it, Henderson has been one of their best players lately, and the more they can factor him into game plans — while keeping him healthy — the better off they’ll be.
Why do the Patriots play more zone coverage when they have the players to do man-to-man coverage? – @anitalynne3103
It’s interesting, Anita. The Patriots are playing less man coverage than we’re accustomed to seeing. But they’re still a top-10 team in the league in the rate at which they use man, per Football Insights. They’re hovering right around a 30 percent clip.
They may have the personnel to play more man coverage, and perhaps they could be a top-three team in that regard rather than top-10, but in this scheme, they’ve tended to mix in some more man calls than perhaps we would’ve seen under Bill Belichick or Jerod Mayo.
Radical thought: Could we get two first-round picks for Gonzalez? He’s a man CB. If Vrabel prefers zone, trade him for draft capital. – @Quig052095
You probably could, Quig, since that’s what the Jets got in return for Sauce Gardner earlier this season. Maybe the way that has played out in Indy would make another team reluctant to execute a similar deal.
But let’s say, for the sake of argument, that’s what the Patriots could get for Christian Gonzalez in a trade this offseason. Should they be willing to pull the trigger on that kind of swap?
For someone like me who believes the draft is the lifeblood of consistently-good NFL teams — and, yes, we talk about the draft every week on Next Pats — I get the intrigue. But I’d also be reluctant to part with one of the few drafted-and-developed players on the roster who looks like a true “blue-chip” talent.
Generally speaking, you don’t want to part with those guys. Especially the ones who play premium positions that impact the passing game.
Maybe Gonzalez’s fit in the scheme will impact the thought process in the front offices at One Patriot Place, but when he’s out there, they perform better. When Gonzalez is on the field, the Patriots allow a 6.7 percent lower completion rate and 2.4 fewer yards per pass attempt, per NextGen Stats.
With the way the offensive line has played this season, is it possible that it could be hard to hang on to Doug Marrone long term? – @RobbieBuckets
Good question, Buckets. Maybe there would be an opportunity elsewhere for Marrone to pursue after that unit has performed above the expectations of many.
But he’s been in the area for a couple of years now having spent time with Bill O’Brien last year at Boston College. He has ties to the Northeast. He may want to stick around.
If he does go elsewhere, he has two assistants who have been hugely beneficial to the operation in Jason Houghtaling and Robert Kugler who could potentially take over.
On the question of which staffers could get poached… Thomas Brown, the tight ends coach and pass-game coordinator, would be a name to watch. He’s now worked for both Sean McVay and Mike Vrabel. He’s been an interim offensive coordinator and an interim head coach in Chicago. He’s got a competitive demeanor, and his players in Foxboro speak highly of him.
Would come as no surprise if Brown received interview requests for a promotion elsewhere after the season.
Phil, who are a few 2026 free agents who you feel could be good fits, significant needle-movers, and upgrades from this year? Keep up the great work and have a Merry Christmas! – @DougCoupe
Some (way too early) names to consider, Doug? Understanding what might be positions of need, and understanding the Patriots are going to want certain kinds of personalities in a locker room led by Vrabel, here are a few:
- Seahawks WR Rashid Shaheed
- Colts WR Alec Pierce
- Packers WR Romeo Doubs
- Colts OT Braden Smith
- Packers OT Rasheed Walker
- Browns OG Wyatt Teller
- Browns OG Joel Bitonio
- Browns TE David Njoku
- Eagles EDGE Jaelan Phillips
- Chargers EDGE Odafe Oweh
- Broncos DL John Franklin-Myers
- Packers LB Quay Walker
Due to recent injuries on defense, it looks like the Patriots’ lack of depth is getting exposed. Is it safe to say they might take addressing the defense as a bigger priority than the offense in the offseason? – @kylemarsden441
It’s a fair question, Kyle, but they’ve invested a lot in that defense. And they’ll probably continue to. (We’ll get to why in a second.) But should adding talent to that side of the ball be the priority over the offense?
The Patriots could use a No. 1 receiver if there’s one out there for them, and they should probably start thinking about the future at right tackle. Those can be hard to find.
While it wouldn’t stun me for them to find depth across the board — and in particular up front defensively — their biggest swings this offseason might have to be on the offensive side.
With the Patriots’ d-line woes and lack of size to cover tight ends becoming more apparent, is there any regret over dealing Keion White and Kyle Dugger at the deadline? More so with White, as he proved a more than capable pass-rusher when put in the right position in the past? – @TheRealMikeRuiz
I don’t sense any, Mike. The Patriots understood that both those players could be rotational pieces for them. They were before they were dealt. But getting something for them in trades was deemed the better avenue.
Additionally, I’d argue with the assessment of Keion White as “more than capable.” He had many opportunities to function as a quality pass-rusher in Foxboro and wasn’t able to put it together.
We’ll see if he can find some consistency moving forward in San Francisco. He has two sacks in 158 pass-rush snaps for the 49ers since being dealt.
Did the Bills game foretell what might happen when defensive coordinators get a second game or more information to game plan against Drake Maye? Is the “always open, even in man coverage” WR just as much of a need in 2026 as it is for most young QBs on rookie deals? – @qualitysmoke
I think it could be part of what’s held them back when they’ve seen man coverage lately, QS. We dove into some of the numbers here.
What’s the biggest area of importance to fix before the playoffs start? The Patriots played one bad half Sunday, but it seems like the sky is falling around here all of a sudden. – @Cmerc5
Big picture? The Patriots were a play or two away from sweeping one of the best teams — a more battle-tested team at that — in the NFL. That’s worth keeping in mind.
But the Bills also shined a light on some of the areas where the Patriots have been lacking of late.
As we mentioned above, man coverage was an issue for the Patriots against Buffalo, and it has given them some difficulty over the last couple of months. On the defensive side, Cook averaged 4.9 yards per carry, which continued a trend that might represent this team’s biggest issue heading into postseason play: their inconsistency stopping the run. Since Week 9, they’ve allowed the fourth-most EPA per rushing attempt in the NFL.
That could improve if Milton Williams (on injured reserve) and Robert Spillane (ankle) return to the middle of their defense healthy and effective. But until they solve it, they’ll be in store for some frustrating moments.
This weekend will be a real challenge for them in that regard going up against a Ravens rushing attack that features quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry.
