5 takeaways from Sunday’s loss to Packers

The New England Patriots played their hardest but ultimately could not pull out a victory against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, losing 27-24 on a last-second overtime field goal in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Lambeau Field.

The biggest takeaway from the game? On any given Sunday, this Patriots team can scrape out a victory, despite whatever circumstances may be stacking the deck against them.

The Patriots came into the game already without starting quarterback Mac Jones, who reportedly suffered a high ankle sprain in last weekend’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Veteran backup Brian Hoyer started Sunday’s game against the Packers but was knocked out of the matchup late in the first quarter with a head injury, forcing rookie signal caller Bailey Zappe into his first career NFL appearance.

Zappe played admirably, making sure that he didn’t lose New England the game with any poor play. The matchup ultimately came down to a deflated Patriots defense trying to stop Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in overtime. In the end, the legendary QB was the victor.

Here are five takeaways from Sunday’s game.

1
Bailey Zappe, not bad

The rookie fourth-round draft pick was thrust into the game late in the first quarter after Hoyer exited with a head injury. While the Patriots certainly didn’t give him the full playbook to work with, Zappe did show that he can make safe decisions and find the open receiver even against a strong secondary.

Zappe went 10-of-15 passing for 99 yards and a touchdown (the first passing TD from a rookie quarterback this season), though he also made some rookie mistakes. Most notably, he held onto the ball too long on occasions, taking three sacks for 24 yards lost while also losing a fumble.

Hopefully, Jones can come back in the next few weeks and re-take his starting position. However, if Jones is out long-term, Zappe seems like he could be a solid starting option for the Patriots over the next few weeks, as long as he keeps playing conservative football.

2
These penalties, really?

The Patriots have been very un-Patriot-like in two key facets to start this season: giveaways and penalties. While the team limited themselves in the giveaway department with only one turnover (a strip sack of Zappe) during the game, they upheld their propensity for bad penalties.

On the drive at the end of the third quarter that…