It’s never a good look when an offensive lineman gets more targets than one of your wide receivers.

But that’s the predicament New England Patriots wideout Ja’Lynn Polk found himself in Sunday.

Polk’s turbulent rookie season continued in a 28-22 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Gillette Stadium as the second-round pick didn’t see one pass from quarterback Drake Maye come his way. Eight other pass-catchers recorded at least one catch for the Patriots, including offensive tackle Vederian Lowe coming up with a 4-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter.

Polk also committed a false start penalty late...

Jerod Mayo’s coaching decisions were once again put under the microscope with the New England Patriots suffering a 28-22 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

First, there was the baffling move to not have standout corner Christian Gonzalez shadow either Cooper Kupp or Puka Nacua. But Mayo had a few other choices that he knew would be questioned.

One of which came on New England’s second-to-last offensive possession of the game when he opted to kick a field goal when facing a fourth-and-short in Rams territory with 4:54 left and down by two scores. Then,...

The New England Patriots lost a tight game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Despite giving up four touchdowns to the Rams and trailing from the midway point in the second quarter, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo thought New England was in control throughout the game.

“Kind of what I told the guys in the locker room, felt like … I never felt like they had control of the game,” Mayo told reporters, per team-provided transcript. “I felt like we had control of the game.”

The first-year head coach pointed to the Patriots’ time of possession and control of the ball....

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye tried to make it as easy as possible for Vederian Lowe.

After all, the offensive tackle isn’t used to running a route and coming down with a pass.

But the Patriots asked Lowe to do just that with 12:45 left in the fourth quarter in their 28-22 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. Lowe reported as eligible as the Patriots brought on Sidy Sow as an extra lineman. Lowe faked a block before leaking out into the end zone, where he was left uncovered and [caught a 4-yard touchdown...

The Sunday slate ends in Los Angeles.

A schedule flex leaves an important matchup to the AFC playoff picture on deck to end the Sunday slate.

Joe Burrow and the 4-6 Cincinnati Bengals are in must-win territory and head to Los Angeles to take on Justin Herbert and the six-win Chargers under Jim Harbaugh.

Check down below to see Pats Pulpit’s picks tonight and head to the comment section to further discussion Friday night’s action.

Patriots rooting guide

Go good game! In an all AFC matchup that both fall on the Patriots schedule, New England will can enjoy a...

McVay sees a bright future for the Patriots’ rookie quarterback.

Before his ill-fated final pass attempt, Drake Maye played an encouraging game against the Los Angeles Rams. While his interception was the final nail in the New England Patriots’ coffin, and sealed the 28-22 game in the Rams’ favor, the rookie quarterback continued to show why he was the third overall selection in this year’s draft.

Making plays as a passer and a runner again, Maye ended the game completing 30 of 40 pass attempts for 282 yards with a pair of touchdowns and that one pick. He also gained...

FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots used to be the team that made all the right plays late. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick won with details and took care of business as consistently as any team.

Now, teams with championship veterans and continuity are the ones getting it done in the NFL. That’s what the Los Angeles Rams did Sunday as head coach Sean McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford earned the 28-22 win over the Patriots.

The Rams were efficient in scoring touchdowns and not settling for field goals as much as the Patriots. Most notably, the Rams reminded...

Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore was grateful to be back on the field Sunday after he missed the first 10 weeks of the season after being diagnosed with blood clots in July.

While his final stat line may not leap off the page, with just three tackles, Barmore was primarily limited to third-down situations in the Patriots’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

“The blood clots are not a joke,” Barmore told reporters postgame at Gillette Stadium. “I had real bad shortness of breath, and it messed with me, like a lot. … My teammates really supported the hell out...

FOXBORO, Mass. — The Patriots did several things well Sunday. They did not do enough well, especially in key situations to beat the Los Angeles Rams as New England fell to 3-8.

There’s plenty to learn from as this game goes in the loss column for New England, but there was a collective narrative from the Patriots postgame: They controlled the game and played well enough to win.

“I never really felt like they had control of the game,” New England head coach Jerod Mayo said. “I felt like we had control of the game.”

“We let that slip away,”...

Matthew Stafford saw what many others witnessed during a 28-22 win for the Los Angeles Rams over the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

Not only does Patriots quarterback Drake Maye belong in the NFL, but he can thrive at the all-important position.

Maye didn’t outplay Stafford, but the rookie signal-caller still delivered a standout performance by completing 30-of-40 passes for 282 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Maye also had a fumble recovered by the Rams.

Stafford, like Rams head coach Sean McVay, came away impressed by Maye, especially with Maye’s pocket presence and toughness.

“Really...

FOXBORO, Mass. — Even the Rams were surprised.

The Los Angeles Rams took advantage of questionable game-planning by the New England Patriots staff en route to a 28-22 win at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

New England opted to put top cornerback Christian Gonzalez on the boundary rather than shadow Rams wideout Puka Nacua or Cooper Kupp. New England’s reliance on zone defenses also routinely led to chunk plays for veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford and company.

Given Gonzalez’s success against some of the league’s top wideouts, it was a perplexing decision that surprised just about everyone.

“We definitely were coming in...

Patriots offensive tackle Vederian Lowe had quite the game in New England’s 28-22 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

With the Patriots trailing 28-13, the third-year offensive lineman had a dream come true in the fourth quarter when Lowe caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Drake Maye.

“First of all, I’ve never caught a touchdown ever at any level of football that I’ve ever played, but it’s always been a dream of mine,” Lowe told reporters at Gillette Stadium. “As a little kid, I always thought I could play tight end. Growing up, I always thought I had...