Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Sep 20, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) hands the ball off to running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) during the second half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium.
After reaching the Super Bowl a year ago, expectations were sky-high for the New England Patriots in 2026. But through three weeks, things haven’t gone according to plan.
The Patriots are 1-2, and people are struggling to figure out what’s gone wrong. Were they really just a product of a horrible schedule last season? Are they distracted by head coach Mike Vrabel’s affair with reporter Dianna Russini? Is quarterback Drake Maye regressing?
As it turns out, the answer is actually very simple, and the numbers make it clear: the Patriots offense just isn’t nearly athletic enough to threaten opposing defenses.
The New England Patriots Have An Athleticism Problem
In the 2025 regular season, the Patriots ranked third in the league in total offense and second in points per game, while Maye finished as the runner-up in NFL MVP discussions.
Many believed the offense would only continue to improve this season with the addition of superstar wide receiver AJ Brown. However, they also let leading receiver Stefon Diggs leave in free agency and traded starting wideout Kayshon Boutte.
Together, Diggs and Boutte combined for 118 receptions for 1,564 yards and 10 touchdowns. Brown, meanwhile, got injured in the opening game of the season against the Seattle Seahawks and is currently on the injured reserve.
So, where does that leave the Patriots’ offense? The answer is “slow and struggling.”
Through three weeks, New England ranks 22nd in yards per game at 307.0 and dead last in points per game with 12.0.
A large part of the issue is that the team simply isn’t very athletic on offense. According to Nate Tice of Yahoo Sports, who cited the league’s NextGen stats, tight end Hunter Henry is the only Patriots pass catcher to have forced a missed tackle this season. He has forced just one.
Tice also noted that New England hasn’t had a single skill player run over 20 miles per hour this season, with or without the ball in their hands. Patriots skill players have the second-lowest rate of plays in which they reach 15-plus miles per hour in the NFL.
So yes, Maye is struggling. Vrabel’s affair was probably a distraction. And the schedule is more difficult.
But above all else, it appears that the Patriots just aren’t athletic enough to consistently succeed on offense.