Patriots definitely can't afford any more losses at this point. To make the playoffs at this point, they need drastic Covid-19 outbreaks decimating the AFC. Another loss, and you probably need to add asteroid impacts.
Their defense had a bad first quarter, but got better, except the Rams didn't need to score, just kill time off the clock.
The offense, Cam Newton can throw a 30 yard pass sharply, but apparently only once a game. If you are going to pass 100 yards a game, you have to run another 50 or 60, and hand it off to another couple of guys that'll add 100 to 150 yards to that. I'm not one who gives up on talent. The guy has thrown for 30,000 yards, but I don't know if it is the receivers or if he is hurt or lack of confidence or can't read defenses anymore, he isn't throwing at all.
He has thrown over 300 yards twice which is one less time than he has thrown under 100 yards in a game. He has thrown under 200 yards 9 times this season. The worst stat, though, is the 5 TD passes. 13 games and only 5 thrown TDs. Now, Brady wasn't breaking records last year. Their WR core is not what it was. Failures is drafting and an inability to pick up players on waivers with teams triple guessing themselves... could Belichick make this player a Hall of Famer for a few years? But Newton isn't getting a lot done as a QB. The whole point of a running QB is to scare defenses and open things up for a throwing game.
Maybe things get better with him next year, or maybe he is just playing for the season.