Not a whole lot went right for the Patriots during Saturday’s 40-7 loss to the Chargers.
Beyond what can be discerned from a lopsided score, Drake Maye was temporally knocked out of the game with a head injury — with New England’s offense limited to 181 total yards and just 11 first downs.
New England’s defense was completely splintered by Justin Herbert and rookie wideout Ladd McConkey. The Chargers gained 428 total yards of offense, 29 first downs, and moved the chains on 59 percent of their third-down conversions.
McConkey, who was drafted by Los Angeles with a second-round pick originally held by the Patriots — reeled in two touchdown catches against New England.
McConkey finished with 94 receiving yards in the win — more receiving yards than both Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker have accrued all season long as rookie wideouts in New England.
But in the midst of another miserable performance in Foxborough, Jerod Mayo did find one small silver lining on Saturday.
“Just like I said after the game, there wasn’t much positive to take out of the game,” Mayo said Monday. “I guess if we want to say one thing positive, it was good to see Cole Strange out there. He played pretty well. He graded out pretty well in the game. And for a guy who hasn’t played football in a year, to go in there and play center, it definitely was encouraging.”
Strange logged offensive snaps for the first time in over a year after suffering a torn patellar tendon during a loss to the Chiefs in December 2023.
Even though the 2022 first-round pick spent his first two seasons playing at left guard, New England has shifted him over to center since he returned to practice.
Strange, who replaced center Ben Brown in Week 17 after Brown was ruled out with a concussion, held his own at his new position against the Chargers.
In a season where New England’s offensive woes have been magnified by a porous offensive line, Strange thriving at the center position could gave the Patriots some much-needed clarity for 2025 and beyond — especially if Strange slots in for 33-year-old David Andrews moving forward.
“I just feel like we are on the right path,” Strange told MassLive’s Chris Mason after Saturday’s loss. “I have visions long term for myself and for this team. I think if guys take accountability and buy in – I just have faith in the guys and in the system and I feel like we can turn it around. I know I have to do a lot. A lot of that is on me to help it go in a different direction.”
