Patriots: What went wrong on key third down?

After the Patriots sputtered on the opening drive of the game, they had a chance to capitalize on the second drive against one of the league's worst defenses (ranked 28th in yards allowed and 32nd in touchdowns allowed). Once again, they fell short, but this time, there was a clear problem to pinpoint.

Patriots' second-year receiver Tyquan Thornton was the player targeted on the crucial third down, but the route he ran wouldn't even suffice at the high school level. It involved what was supposed to be an approximately 15-yard out-breaking route, but Thornton takes far too many steps at the top of his route and runs one of the sloppiest routes you'll see at the NFL level. Thornton lacks almost any lateral explosiveness when entering and exiting his breaks. His struggles as a route runner, coupled with missing time, have him him shaping up to be labeled as a bust.

The route-running struggles confirm the pre-draft concerns. Although his speed is evident, demonstrated by his 4.26-second 40-yard dash at last year's combine, his limited route tree and lack of lateral explosiveness were always concerns when he emerged from Baylor. Belichick strayed from his typical draft strategy, opting for vertical speed over the more agile archetype he has often favored. Notably, Thornton posted a 7.25 three-cone time and a 4.39 20-yard shuttle, both of which fall below the 30th percentile and are among the worst in terms of horizontal explosion in the NFL. With 11 missed games over his first two seasons and a lack of on-field production, it is safe to say his role with the team is growing more unclear.