{"numbering":"no_numbering","slides":[{"index":"","title":"How the Patriots graded out in Week 7","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2020/10/26/Newton_C_USATSI_15114367.jpg","caption":"

FOXBORO -- Can’t blame this one on practice time, or a lack thereof.

The Patriots were outplayed across the board on Sunday, and their 33-6 defeat at the hands of the Niners was their worst at home since 2000. For the first time since 2002, they've lost three in a row.

They were out-possessed by 17 minutes. They were out-gained almost 2-to-1 (467 yards to 241). They were 1-for-6 on third down (to San Francisco's 5-for-9), and they did not make a trip into the red zone (while the Niners went 4-for-5).

What might be most alarming about the performance of Bill Belichick's club, though, was the play of its starting quarterback. Cam Newton looked lost, broken.

As we do every week, that's where we'll begin this edition of the Report Card.

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It's been some time since we've last seen a quarterbacking performance like this one. Cam Newton's afternoon was marred by poor decisions and inaccurate throws. But what was most jarring, perhaps, was that nothing seemed to leave his hand within the rhythm of the offense. Everything was delayed.

There was very little anticipation on Newton's part -- just as there had been none in Week 6 against Denver, when he'd had almost three weeks off beforehand -- and the case could've been made that he should've been pulled sooner. Newton and Jarrett Stidham combined for a quarterback rating of 39.5 after going 15-for-25 with four picks. Had Patriots quarterbacks simply spiked every pass attempt into the turf, they would've finished with a rating of 39.6.

Not what you're looking for.

Curran: Newton's nosedive putting Patriots in a major bind

","credit":"USA TODAY Sports photo"},{"index":2,"title":"RUNNING BACK: C-","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2020/10/26/Harris_Damien_USATSI_15114718.jpg","caption":"

This group averaged 5.0 yards per carry, with Damien Harris doing some hard running at the end of the game with the outcome already decided and the Niners playing to prevent monster gains. Little else from this unit -- James White had one catch for three yards, Rex Burkhead ran four times for 12 -- made any kind of impact.

","credit":"USA TODAY Sports photo"},{"index":3,"title":"RECEIVER: C-","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2020/10/26/Edelman_Julian_USATSI_15113460.jpg","caption":"

Jakobi Meyers might not have seen the field had it not been for N'Keal Harry's head injury that knocked him from the game. He came in and immediately made an impact, catching two passes down the field (though one was wiped out due to a holding penalty). He fell down on Newton's deep-ball interception in the middle of the field, but was otherwise the team's most productive offensive player with four catches for 60 yards. Julian Edelman saw just three targets and caught one. Damiere Byrd was targeted twice and caught one.

There is no outside-the-numbers threat in this passing game, making the running game easier to defend as opponents can tee off from within the box. Going to be hard to turn this thing around with little at the position and a quarterback who can't seem to find his way.

Curran: Marvin Jones a WR to watch as trade deadline nears

","credit":"USA TODAY Sports photo"},{"index":4,"title":"TIGHT END: D","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2020/10/26/Keene_Dalton_USATSI_15115075.jpg","caption":"

Devin Asiasi was a healthy scratch, and Dalton Keene took his place on the game-day roster. Didn't make much of a difference. Though Keene caught his first pass as a pro -- Asiasi is still waiting for his first target -- this position made no impact on the game. Jakob Johnson fumbled in his one opportunity at a touch on a screen pass.

","credit":"USA TODAY Sports photo"},{"index":5,"title":"OFFENSIVE LINE: C+","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2020/10/26/Patriots_offensive_line_GettyImages_1282214000.jpg","caption":"

This group just can't seem to put together any sort of stretch with the same bodies up front. Joe Thuney got clipped early in the game, which eventually forced him to leave. That forced right tackle Michael Onwenu -- who replaced Jermaine Eluemunor (IR, ankle) -- to left guard and forced Justin Herron off the bench to play right tackle. Then Herron got hurt. That forced Onwenu back to right tackle and Hjalte Froholdt to left guard.

Despite the changes, this unit did fine in terms of pass protection. Even the sack Newton took seemed to be when he didn't notice a free rusher that required him to get it out of his hands quickly. Backs averaged 5.0 yards per carry, and even when you factor in a blown-tire two-yard run from Meyers, this group helped pave the way for 4.5 yards per carry. They were OK. Everything else? Not so much.

Report: Encouraging update on Thuney's ankle injury

","credit":"USA TODAY Sports photo"},{"index":6,"title":"SPECIAL TEAMS: B-","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2020/10/26/Olszewski_G_USATSI_15114919.jpg","caption":"

Justin Bethel blocked an extra point. Jake Bailey booted two punts inside the 20. Nick Folk made both of his kicks. Gunner Olszewski returned six kicks for 155 yards (25.8 average) and ran with a purpose. He did, however, fumble one of his returns. Even though the Patriots recovered -- stop us if you've heard this before -- that's not what you're looking for.

","credit":"USA TODAY Sports photo"},{"index":7,"title":"DEFENSIVE LINE: D","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2020/10/26/Patriots_defensive_line_USATSI_15114839.jpg","caption":"

The Niners did what they wanted on the ground, and this group had little to say about it. There was little resistance in the deep red zone. There was little resistance on third down.

And Jimmy Garoppolo's scramble on third down for four yards on the first drive of the game -- when he ran through a tackle -- seemed just as painful as some of the long runs from Jeff Wilson and rookie JaMycal Hasty. Lawrence Guy ended up with the only sack for this group, but it was a brief highlight in an afternoon filled with forgettable moments.

NFL Power Rankings: Patriots plummet after ugly loss

","credit":"USA TODAY Sports photo"},{"index":8,"title":"LINEBACKER: F","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2020/10/26/Calhoun_S_Wilson_J_USATSI_15114846.jpg","caption":"

The Niners had a plan to do what they often do. Stress the edges. Run game. Pass game. Get wide. Attack. Attack. Attack. Then cut up inside when the width of the defense is properly manned. It was hard to recognize the moments in which the Patriots had those edges sealed.

Outside linebackers John Simon, Shilique Calhoun and Tashawn Bower had a hard time turning plays back inside, and when they couldn't, help from the secondary (which we'll get to) wasn't there. On one 20-yard flip-and-run to rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk from Jimmy Garoppolo, Simon fell getting off the line of scrimmage and then did not know where the ball was until it was 20 yards down the field. That summed up the day for this unit.

","credit":"Getty Images"},{"index":9,"title":"SECONDARY: D","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2020/10/26/Jackson_JC_Kittle_George_GettyImages_1229282980.jpg","caption":"

Outside of Devin McCourty's pick in the middle of the field on a poorly-thrown ball by Garoppolo and a relatively meaningless pick by J.C. Jackson at the end of the first half, where were the plays from this unit?

Part of the productivity the Niners had on the ground was because of this unit. Niners ball-carriers consistently either ran through defensive back tackles or powered forward for several extra yards as they were tackled. Players from this unit were easily blocked one-on-one in space. They took bad angles at times. And even though the Niners passing game focused largely on targets at or around the line of scrimmage, this group gave up enough space in the passing game that Garoppolo was largely productive when targeting receivers beyond the line, posting an 11.1 yards-per-attempt figure. The McCourty turnover and the Terrence Brooks hit that led to an incompletion on third down helped prevent this grade from dropping to an "F."

If this team is going to make some kind of stand against the Bills, though, they'll need more from this group.

Devin McCourty has brutally honest take about Patriots performance

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Patriots Report Card: Pats non-competitive effort a total failure vs. 49ers