There will surely be some knee-jerk reactions across the league regarding New England's sluggish start to the season. The Patriots have gotten off to slow starts in the past but there have been some particularly troubling signs this time around.
NBC Sports Boston takes a look at some of the symptoms of their Patriots Demise Syndrome and how to deal with it. WEEI.com believes some of the Patriots issues could have been solved in the offseason.
The Patriots find themselves in unfamiliar territory with a two-game losing streak and a record of 1-2. ESPN.com takes a look at some of the numbers that paint an even bleaker picture for the team. The Boston Globe offers three reasons for the team’s slow start.
ESPN.com says the Patriots need more from first-round pick Sony Michel. The Boston Globe agrees, saying Michel was overmatched against the Lions.
The Boston Globe says the Lions executed their game plan to near perfection from the opening drive. Where is the explosiveness on offense for the Patriots?
There was a report over the weekend that suggested the Patriots contemplated trading Rob Gronkowski to the Lions during the spring. Imagine how much worse things would look at this point without Gronk?
The Boston Herald's report card from the Lions game was not pretty. NBC Sports Boston had a similar view. The Athletic believes that third down is the main issue but wonders if it can be fixed. Mike Lombardi wonders if the holes are just too big to fix this time around.
NBC Sports Boston has Josh McDaniels accepting responsibility for the slow start on offense. The Boston Sports Journal wonders if Josh Gordon will be ready to go this week against Miami.
In Miami, the 3-0 Dolphins see what has been happening in the New England in the early going but the Miami Herald says they’re not buying it. Even though they're proceeding with caution, there’s still plenty of excitement for Sunday’s AFC East showdown. The Dolphins lost defensive end William Hayes to a torn ACL and nobody’s happy how it happened.
