Also the Patriots would legitimately be 0-4 if Brady wasn't still playing like the GOAT. What the fuck happened to the defense?
So here's the rundown, our biggest problem is our defensive line just has not had any athleticism for yeeeeeeeaars. For whatever reason Belichick as a GM has just never been interested in getting the kinds of players who can dominate at the line in pass rushing situations (for example he prefers Dtackles who can shed blockers sideways to stop runs even if they physically can't pass rush); maybe this is because he thinks he can coach them into generating cheesy pass rush with stunt schemes or cover for it with a good secondary. Who knows. Usually he gets away with that given how every year he manages to eke more out of the Patriots D as they go from bad to average to flashes of good as the season goes on. But this year our BEST lineman is Tre Flowers who would be a rotation role player ANYWHERE else, we're just flat STARVED of talent on the DLine.
Now we HAD great linebackers for a while to cover for this up front deficiency with guys like Mayo Collins and Hightower- guys who were ridiculously good at blitzing partially because of smart blitz design and calls but also because of speed and explosiveness of their rush. However, Mayo has retired, Collins was traded, and Hightower is just coming back off injury leaving us with just second string special teamers who have no lateral movement and just don't belong on an NFL field at that position. So you consistently see us get gashed to short passes to running backs covered by a linebacker or even see shit like cam having an empty pocket for 4 seconds as he throws bombs to Kelvin Benjamin despite the Patriots sending a linebacker blitz. The line and the linebackers are so slow off the snap that it just looks like a wave crashing on a wall and collapsing on itself. They just can't generate any leverage against blockers who have already taken a step back and anchored themselves when they're still a half step away.
On top of all those problems out secondary just exists in a state of pure incompetence. While they're a talented group they're just miserable idiots. Butler is a much hyped guy because lul Seattle but hes as likely to make a brilliant play as he is to bite on the most basic route fake in existence. A great example of how "what the fuck" they are is Cams interception. Everyone has been trying to ride Cam for such a boneheaded throw cuz he threw it right to Butler, but if you look at the play Butler was supposed to be covering Funchess and left him wide fucking open to instead follow Byrd up and double cover and harry him with Eric Rowe which slows Byrd down enough that Butler was able to beat him to the ball. What would've been a man to man one on one with no safety help with Rowe being beat off the line ends up being a dumbass looking interception. But with two bodies in the way and how QUICKLY Butler gave up on covering Funchess and how small Butler is as a human Cam just didn't see him nor did he expect him cuz Christ what kind of stupid ass play IS THAT. Butlers either playing Ed Reed levels of 10 dimensional chess or the coverage was just completely blown because Butler thought he had the deep zone while Eric Rowe thought they were playing man coverage and Cam got burned for expecting actual competence. Given how often coverages were just completely blown leaving guys wide open this game for similar man and zone coverage mixups I'm gonna go with the latter.
TL;DR Our front seven are slow and unathletic and our secondary is playing like absolute idiots who don't have a single clue as to what's going on. We're a glorious fucking mess on defense and I personally have decided to enjoy every second of constant indescribable incompetence and failure.