New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots still have a long way to go. After a 20-13 loss at home to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, fans are reassessing their expectations for the season. In particular, New England’s offense was a disappointing product against the Raiders.
The Drake Maye-led attack registered just one touchdown on the day, a 2-yard pass to DeMario Douglas towards the end of the first quarter.
It wasn’t just the Pats’ lack of excessive scoring that left fans feeling deflated; it’s the fact that it all felt like a recurring theme that dates back a few years. And upon closer inspection, the numbers back it up … the Patriots haven’t been a high-scoring football team for multiple seasons now.
The Athletic’s Chad Graff reminded fans that the Patriots haven’t scored 30 points in 46 games. That dates back to an October 16, 2022 game in which a Bailey Zappe-led Patriots offense scored 38 against the Cleveland Browns.
“The Patriots are 8-28 in their last 36,” Graff wrote on Monday morning. “They haven’t scored 30 points in 46 games. A new regime brings hope. But the opener was a familiar dud.”
New England’s aforementioned streak of falling short of 30 points is the longest of its kind in the National Football League. At some point, if the Patriots want to be seen as a dangerous offense, that streak will have to be broken.
Of course, being seen as something and actually being that thing are two entirely different realities. The 2025 Patriots appear to have been caught in the middle of that dynamic entering the season. Fans and analysts view Maye and a revamped receiving corps as pretty enticing on paper. Add in the preseason play of TreVeyon Henderson, and many people were expecting this Patriots offense to make some noise.
But what is that expectation actually based on? Maye showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie season, but the numbers ultimately reveal that he’s never led a dominant offense — not even for one game.
This isn’t to downplay Maye’s considerable talent. But at some point, Maye and these Patriots will have to start backing up a reputation that they never earned in the first place.
