While most of the offensive statistics for this years Pats are solid (2nd in points, 5th in 3rd down conversions, 10th in red zone TDs) there is one stat that they aren’t so good in and it tells a lot.
They are currently 28th in time of possession, and their average time of possession in the last three games is low enough to put them 31st with only the lowly Cowboys coming in worse.
Put it this way, in the last three games the Giants (the number one ranked team) has had the ball, on average, thirteen and a half minutes more than the Patriots. That is staggering.
This is a reflection of two things, the defense not being able to get off the field on 3rd down (they’re ranked 32nd in the NFL) and the offense being inconsistent. It seems that there are two types of Patriots offensive possessions this year: 3 and outs, or quick and efficient drives that go right down the field and end in touchdowns.
The Patriots must find some consistency. This is an area where more sustained drives will help the defense, who will in turn be more rested and better adjusted to get off the field themselves.