The Patriots Are 4-2 and Rolling, but One Troubling Stat Could Catch Up With Them originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Six games into a 17-game season, the New England Patriots are in a much better position than they were after their 1-2 start. They are 4-2, have won three straight and sit second in the AFC East, one game behind the 5-1 Buffalo Bills. New England has also started 2-0 in the division, with a win over Buffalo and Sunday’s 26-19 victory over the New York Jets. That is the encouraging part. The caution is harder to ignore: the Patriots have turned the ball over 13 times, while their opponents have given it away seven times. That minus-six turnover margin is the kind of leak that can sink a promising season if it continues.
The first third of New England’s season has included almost every kind of game. The Patriots lost 13-10 in Seattle, shut down Pittsburgh for a 20-3 win, then suffered a 35-6 blowout in Jacksonville. They bounced back with a 29-26 win at Buffalo, overwhelmed the Raiders 45-17 and outlasted the Jets. The pattern is uneven, but the three-game winning streak has given Mike Vrabel’s team a chance to turn a rocky opening into a real playoff conversation.
Drake Maye Has Become the Engine
Maye is the clearest reason for the change in momentum. Through six games, he has thrown for 1,463 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 243.8 passing yards per game. He has also rushed for 185 yards and a touchdown. His 92.8 passer rating and eight yards per attempt point to a quarterback who is generating explosive plays, even as the team works through growing pains.
His last three games show the range of what New England is getting. Maye threw for three touchdowns in the win over Buffalo, then accounted for five touchdowns against Las Vegas, including four passing scores and a rushing touchdown. Against the Jets, he passed for 235 yards and three touchdowns, connecting with Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas and Hunter Henry. That gives him 10 touchdown passes across the three-game streak.
The young quarterback’s season has not been spotless. The team’s stats list seven interceptions, and his first two games included three picks in Seattle and another against Pittsburgh. Even with the recent surge, protecting the ball remains part of the larger team problem. Maye’s production is a major positive; the next step is pairing it with steadier possession football.
The Passing Game Has More Than One Answer
New England is not leaning on one receiver to make the offense work. Doubs leads the team with 261 receiving yards and three touchdown catches. Douglas has 233 yards and three scores, while Henry has 225 yards and two touchdowns. Mack Hollins has added 209 yards, giving the Patriots four players with at least 200 receiving yards through six games.
That spread matters because the offense has found different ways to move the ball. Doubs delivered a 42-yard touchdown against the Jets before leaving with a shoulder injury. Douglas led the team with seven catches for 86 yards in that game, and Henry provided another touchdown. The Patriots’ official recap credited Maye’s patience in the pocket on the Doubs and Douglas scoring plays, a useful sign for an offense that has sometimes asked its quarterback to create on the move.
There is also a useful blend of veteran reliability and explosive potential. Henry has been steady, Doubs has delivered the biggest plays, and Douglas has been productive in the short and intermediate areas. Kyle Williams has 147 receiving yards despite just six catches, an average of 24.5 yards per reception. That number hints at a vertical threat who can change a game quickly, though the Patriots will need to keep finding opportunities for him.
The Ground Game Is a Team Effort
New England has produced 784 rushing yards on 187 carries, good for 4.2 yards per attempt. Rhamondre Stevenson leads the team with 263 yards and two touchdowns, TreVeyon Henderson has 194 yards, and Maye’s 185 yards make him a significant part of the rushing output. Corey Kiner has added 138 yards. It is a committee effort, with the quarterback contributing enough to keep defenses from focusing only on the backs.
The aggregate is encouraging, though the Patriots have not been equally effective on the ground every week. They were held to 83 rushing yards in Jacksonville, then ran for 143 yards in the win over Buffalo. In the Jets game, Henderson’s fumble helped give New York a path back into the contest. The rushing attack can help control games, but the turnovers show why New England still needs cleaner execution from every part of the offense.
Defense Has Given New England a Floor
The Patriots have allowed 113 points through six games, or 18.8 per contest. Pro Football Reference lists that as the fifth-lowest total in the league at this point in the season. They have given up 1,805 yards, and opponents have averaged 3.9 yards per rush. Those numbers help explain how New England stayed in the close games and recovered from the Jacksonville loss.
The defense had a timely moment against the Jets. Charles Woods intercepted Geno Smith in the fourth quarter, ending Smith’s streak without a pick and stopping a New York drive with the Patriots ahead by 10. New England still had to survive a late onside-kick attempt, but the defense had made the play that helped preserve the lead.
New England has also shown it can win in different defensive scripts. It held Pittsburgh to three points, but it needed Maye and the offense to keep scoring against Buffalo and Las Vegas. Against the Jets, the Patriots built a 17-3 halftime lead, then had to protect it as New York pushed back. The defense has been a strength overall; the next test is making sure one rough stretch does not turn a comfortable lead into a fourth-quarter scramble.
The Turnover Problem Is the Big Red Flag
The Patriots’ minus-six turnover differential deserves as much attention as Maye’s touchdown totals. New England has given the ball away 13 times and forced seven turnovers. Against the Jets alone, the Patriots lost two fumbles, and a botched onside-kick recovery briefly gave New York a chance to make the game even more uncomfortable. Vrabel put it plainly after the win: “We’re lucky to win,” adding that the team had tried to beat itself but made enough plays in critical situations.
That honesty fits the season so far. The Patriots have enough playmakers to put up points, and the defense has done enough to keep them competitive. But giveaways are limiting the margin for error. A team can overcome a bad turnover game once in a while; asking the defense and quarterback to do it every week is a poor long-term plan.
MORE: Patriots Coach Mike Vrabel Dismisses Concerns About A.J. Brown After Rough Return Game
The Next Stretch Will Tell Us More
The Patriots head to Chicago for a Thursday night game after the Jets win, leaving little time to recover and sort through injuries. New England finished Sunday’s game down several offensive linemen. Morgan Moses, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Ben Brown left with injuries, while Doubs also exited after his touchdown catch. The short turnaround puts added focus on the offensive line and receiver depth.
After Chicago, the schedule includes a trip to Miami and a home game against Green Bay. That stretch gives New England a chance to build on its momentum, but it also brings different tests for an offense that has ranged from six points in Jacksonville to 45 against the Raiders.
At 4-2, the Patriots have earned optimism. They have beaten Buffalo, handled a strong Pittsburgh defense and found their footing after an ugly loss. Maye is producing, the receiving group is spreading the ball around and the defense is keeping opponents below 20 points per game. There is real progress here.
But the first third of the season has also delivered a clear challenge: New England has to stop handing opponents extra chances. If the Patriots clean up the turnovers and stay healthy enough to protect Maye, their winning streak could become something more meaningful. If the giveaway rate keeps up, those close wins may not keep breaking their way.