3 Takeaways from Patriots' Week 11 Loss

The New England Patriots fell to 4-6 on Sunday, erasing any momentum they had gained from beating the Baltimore Ravens in Week 10. They fell to a Houston Texans team that had only previously beaten the Jacksonville Jaguars (twice).

As quarterback Cam Newton's last comeback attempt fell short with an incomplete pass from the Texans' 24-yard line, it became clear that the Patriots just aren't playoff material in 2020.

New England isn't quite out of it, of course. However, in an AFC that features nine teams with six or more wins, even a wild-card spot will be difficult to obtain for the Pats. After roughly 20 years of dominance, they are starting to learn what it feels like to be mediocre.

Here are three things we learned from Sunday's loss.

Cam Newton Could Be a Long-Term Answer

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The Patriots have endured a fair amount of ups and downs from quarterback Cam Newton this season—and that will likely be the theme for the rest of the season. On Sunday, Newton was mostly good, throwing for 365 yards and a touchdown.

Yes, the Texans defense has been bad this season, but it did hold the Cleveland Browns to 10 points two weeks ago—albeit in a loss—and plenty of quarterbacks fail to take advantage of favorable matchups.

The reality is that Newton is not New England's biggest issue by any stretch. He's thrown for 1,900 yards, rushed for 341 and nine touchdowns and has kept the Patriots competitive in games when they otherwise might not be.

In short, Newton might provide New England with a long-term answer under center. We're not talking for the next decade, but for two or three seasons while the Patriots find and develop their next quarterback-of-the-future? They could do much worse than the 31-year-old we saw on Sunday.

Retooling the Defense Will Have to Be an Offseason Priority

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At times this season, it has appeared that Newton, a strong running game and a smothering defense might be enough to sneak New England into the postseason. However, it's becoming clear that the Patriots don't have the sort of defense that is going to carry the day often.

New England came in ranked 10th in points allowed, and while the defense has been good at times, it isn't great. The opting-out of players like Patrick Chung and Dont'a Hightower has had an impact, but that's not the only issue. The secondary is inconsistent, star cornerback Stephon Gilmore isn't the lockdown specialist he was a year ago—he's allowed an opposing passer rating of 74.0 versus 44.1 in 2019—and the front seven lacks athleticism.

The front seven is built for size and power, not speed and agility. That can be exploited by a dynamic quarterback like Deshaun Watson—and it was.

"All the yards they gained were in the passing game, either him running or him throwing," head coach Bill Belichick said, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. "It was the entire offense."

Belichick is going to have to work to revamp his defense in the coming offseason. As quarterbacks like Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray and Justin Herbert continue to develop, athletic quarterbacks who can run and pass are becoming archetypal and not outliers. 

The Patriots Have Found Something in Damiere Byrd

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

On a positive note, New England has to be happy with what it got from wideout Damiere Byrd on Sunday. The Texans didn't have an answer for the 2015 undrafted free agent, and Byrd is starting to look like one of the better additions of this past offseason.

Byrd finished Sunday's game with six receptions, 132 receiving yards, a touchdown and 11 rushing yards. He has now caught at least five passes in each of his last two games.

Is Byrd the sort of go-to No. 1 receiver that New England has been missing? Of course not. However, he can be a valuable role player alongside the likes of Jakobi Meyers and N'Keal Harry moving forward.

Adding a No. 1 guy—along with a serviceable pass-catching tight end—will be another offseason priority, but New England appears to be in a better position when it comes to offensive weapons than it was a year ago.