To cap off the opening drive with a touchdown on the ensuing first down, the Colts went up-tempo to stress the Patriots pre-snap communication. Indy snapped the ball 1.1 seconds after huddling, and the Pats never got their ducks in a row to sort out Indy’s unique four-by-one formation. New England couldn’t get on the same page quickly enough, leaving Taylor uncovered for a touchdown on an 8-play, 71-yard scoring drive.

The Colts opening drive set the table for how the rest of the game went for the Patriots defense. By my count, Indy ran versions of their power-read and QB sweep concepts repeatedly, including on the two-point conversion that won the game for the Colts (power read).

After 13 weeks of reviewing film, it has become clear that the Patriots front seven is as big a weakness on their roster. New England’s run defense, which now ranks 28th in DVOA, struggles to defeat blocks and play assignment sound with their run fits. The Pats are also 27th in team pressure rate (30.3%), and opposing offenses plan to target their linebackers in pass coverage every week.

The Patriots have a building block to construct the secondary round in second-year CB Christian Gonzalez. Hopefully, They’ll have a fully healthy Christian Barmore and Ja’Whaun Bentley back next season to upgrade the front seven. However, adding talent to the front seven is creeping toward the top of personnel chief Eliot Wolf’s offseason to-do list.

Quick-Hit Film Notes From Patriots-Colts After Further Review

– One last niptick of Van Pelt: the Pats final third-down play where Maye was sacked had TE Hunter Henry blocking Colts pass-rusher Laiatu Latu on an island in a seven-man protection vs. five pass-rushers. Stevenson could’ve helped Henry more, but putting Henry in that position on a big third down seemed unnecessary.

– RB Rhamondre Stevenson is in a late-season rut. Stevenson got the yards that were there on a perfectly blocked 32-yard trap run on the Patriots opening drive and danced out of a TFL to turn a loss into a three-yard gain. However, he had five minus reads on his 18 carries and he fumbled for the sixth time this season. Stevenson doesn’t seem to be gelling with the new system. He is failing to see cutback lanes developing and looks indecisive in a scheme that needs him to be a one-cut-and-go runner. In particular, he missed two cutback lanes on pin-pull schemes where he could’ve gotten chunks. Rhamondre is a good back but they need to figure it out with him in this offense.

– RB Antonio Gibson was the Patriots best runner once again with runs of 13 yards, 11 yards, 15 yards, and an 11-yard touchdown run where he had just a 2% chance of scoring a TD. He has a much better feel for his blocking on wide zone, makes quick and bursty cuts, and added 50 yards after contact with seven forced missed tackles. The opposite performance compared to Stevenson. Gibson should at least be splitting the early-down carries at this point.

– Rookie LG Layden Robinson allowed four quarterback pressures with two holds. His physicality was on film in the run game, where he has some pop as a puller and can generate movement on double teams. But the pass pro tape remains inconsistent. Robinson had issues with post-snap movement on two pressures and lost one-on-one to Buckner and Odeyingbo. Overall, he stayed afloat, so that was a good sign. Still, my guess is the film session with coaches will have plenty of corrections for Robinson this week.

– C Ben Brown didn’t play like a guy ready to turn his job over to Cole Strange yet. Although he wasn’t tested much, Brown had a clean sheet on nine one-on-ones and had some standout run blocks. His reach/combo on Gibson’s 15-yard run to get the Pats back start was excellent stuff. It’s not a sure thing, based on the film, that Brown should be benched for Strange.

– RG Mike Onwenu allowed a sack on an extended drop-back (5.1s), got called for a hold that wiped out a TD, and wasn’t on the same page as the rest of the line on a third-and-1 stuff. Maye might’ve snapped the ball too quickly after checking into a different run, but the rest of the line got the message. That said, Onwenu also drew the much tougher assignments with the Pats sending the center toward Robinson most of the game, leaving Onwenu one-on-one 11 times with DeForest Buckner, where he allowed just two pressures. Overall, Onwenu needs to clean up the mental errors/penalties, but that’s a pretty solid day against an elite pass-rusher.

– LT Vederian Lowe was solid once again. He got called for a hold when Maye left the pocket, which happens, while allowing just one hurry when he got matched up with Buckner. Lowe did not grade out well by PFF as a run-blocker (41.6), but I didn’t see it that way. I thought Lowe had a solid all-around game and had zero procedural penalties after the issues in Miami.

– RT Trey Jacobs had some late losses where rushers were corning him right on the line of being a pressure, but he held on long enough to mostly give his QB a chance and was physical in the run game. Jacobs is limited on an island in pass pro but could be a capable backup.

– Rookie WR Ja’Lynn Polk had another debatable route where he ran the juke series as the No. 3 in HOSS Juke vs. zone coverage. The receiver is usually supposed to sit vs. zone in that instance, so when Polk broke outside, he wasn’t where Maye expected him to be.

– TE Hunter Henry will want the interception back as he had his hands on the pass but I put that more on Maye for throwing too far inside his tight end. Henry was reliable besides that play. The duo’s chemistry on outs/sticks is fun to watch. Just great trust and anticipation between the two.

– TE Austin Hooper caved in two Colts defenders on Steenson’s 32-yard run with a monster block, and his high-point grab on his 16-yard touchdown was a great catch. The Pats veteran tight ends aren’t explosive after the catch but they’re a rookie QB’s best friend because they’re reliable targets who run the right routes and mostly have great hands.

– WR Kayshon Boutte was mostly effective in this game, finding space against a zone-dropper on a 29-yard gain and had two quick-game catches on free access outs. I did think he could’ve settled into space a little better on one missed throw over the middle, though.

– QB Pressures: Robinson (four hurries), Onwenu (sack, hurry), Lowe (hurry), Jacobs (hurry), Henry (hurry), Brown (clean sheet).

– CB Christian Gonzalez continues to play at a Pro Bowl level. Gonzo always had the cover talent, but the year-two leap into elite status is here because the Pats CB is starting to anticipate routes and learn as games wear on to turn tight coverage into impact plays on the ball.