The New England Patriots offense hasn't been the most dynamic in the league through the first 12 weeks of the 2024 season.
They ranked 31st in scoring (16.4 points per game) and 32nd in yards gained (280.2 yards per game).
With those struggles, one thing New England can't afford to do is turn the ball over, and it's been happening way too frequently. In 12 games, they've given possession away 16 times while recording just nine takeaways.
Rookie quarterback Drake Maye has really struggled with this in his limited time as the team's starter. Despite appearing in just eight games, the first-round pick has thrown seven interceptions and fumbled five times (losing four of them).
On Wednesday, Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt called out his unit for their inability to protect the football.
"The turnovers, they have to stop," Van Pelt said (via. the Boston Herald's Doug Kyed). "There's no excuse there, rookie, 10-year player that doesn't matter. We can't turn the ball over and expect to win games."
New England's defense has had its own struggles this year, and giving opposing offenses extra opportunities to attack them will only make things worse.
Maye might feel like everything is on him and he has to force a play, but it would be more beneficial for him to throw the ball away or take a sack in these situations. At least the Patriots could punt the ball away and put the defense in better positions.
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