Trouble brewing for the Patriots? Barnwell on five important Week 3 losses and their aftermath — SkimNews

Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Drake Maye has 6 interceptions in 3 games, with tight-window throws going 2-of-9 after completing 47.7% on such attempts in 2025, when his receivers ran 10-plus percentage points above expected catch rate
- New England Patriots were blown out by the Jaguars in Jacksonville, with Barnwell comparing the performance to the first half of the 2024 season before Mike Vrabel arrived and Drake Maye was a rookie
- Los Angeles Chargers lost to the Bills despite a plus-4 turnover margin, snapping Jim Harbaugh's previously perfect 11-0 career record when his team posted that margin across stints at Stanford, Michigan, the 49ers, and the Chargers
- The Patriots have lost A.J. Brown to a high-ankle sprain, right guard Mike Onwenu to a fractured ankle, and the per-snap efficiency of Stefon Diggs, leaving Mack Hollins as the unlikely lead receiver while Romeo Doubs has been inconsistent
- The Chargers defense forced five Josh Allen turnovers in Buffalo but the offense could not sustain drives, with Barnwell writing that Harbaugh's play-calling appeared to go "25 years into the past" after his 0-2 start
- Matthew Stafford has 4 interceptions in 3 games including a pick-six against the Broncos on Sunday night, a comparison Barnwell invokes to contextualize Maye's regression
Why it matters: The Patriots face the 3-0 Bills and Raiders next while missing A.J. Brown, Mike Onwenu, and Stefon Diggs, and Maye has 6 picks in 3 games after completing 47.7% of tight-window throws in 2025. The Chargers' loss despite a plus-4 turnover margin snapped Jim Harbaugh's 11-0 career record in such games, pinning blame on offensive play-calling rather than the defense that forced five Josh Allen turnovers.
Ask SkimNews

