New England Patriots' Special Teams Fall Apart In Loss To Washington Commanders

The New England Patriots' usually solid special teams unit was an absolute mess in Sunday's loss to the Washington Commanders.

The New England Patriots place great emphasis on special teams, but the unit has not been up to snuff recently.

New England's once-solid special teams unit finished dead last in defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA) last season, with two kick return touchdowns in the season finale against the Buffalo Bills being the metaphorical cherry on top of the sundae. This season hasn't been much better, as the Patriots ranked 29th in special teams DVOA heading into Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders. Then in said game, their special teams struggles were the most apparent they've been all year.

Those struggles showed up as soon as the opening kickoff, as Washington's Antonio Gibson had a 37-yard return to give the Commanders great field position. Then after a quiet second and third quarter, the final frame proved to be a comedy of errors.

Patriots punter Bryce Baringer

Some notable blunders included Bryce Baringer punting a touchback from the Patriots' 47, Demario Douglas losing yards on a punt return, an offsides penalty on Mack Wilson giving Washington a new set of downs and two separate but equally costly penalties on Brendan Schooler pushing New England's offense back. Overall, it's not a stretch to say that the Patriots' special team woes made the difference in this game, at least in large part.

"It's disappointing," special teams star Matthew Slater said after the game. "Some tough calls out there, obviously, but that's the way the game goes. It's just too sloppy today, with penalties and things like that. We have to take a look at it and hopefully get it right."

Special teams aren't the only reason why the Patriots now sit in the AFC's basement at 2-7. The other two units, particularly the offense, have had their struggles, and the special teams unit has had its share of good plays. For example, Schooler came rushing across for a field goal block in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins, probably the Patriots' biggest highlight from that game.

Fixing the special teams unit is going to take a lot of work, and it may not even be possible this year. If the Patriots want to return to prominence, though, they must figure out some solution to their special teams woes.

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