FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Turnover differential: The 4-3 Patriots have not won the turnover differential in a game this season and posted a minus-1 in Thursday's competitive 30-24 road loss to the Bears.
Looking for one thing that needs to change if the team hopes to get where it desires? Start there.
Mike Vrabel's team, which thrives on a four-part identity that prioritizes "ball security and ball disruption," is a shocking minus-7 entering next Sunday's road game against the Miami Dolphins.
The Patriots' 14 giveaways are the second most in the NFL behind the winless Chargers' 15. And despite having a goal of creating three turnovers per game on defense, New England has totaled just seven overall.
"We just have to keep working at it. Just within the defense, we have to find a way to manufacture those -- whether it's punching the ball out ..." said veteran safety Kevin Byard, who led the NFL last season with seven interceptions but is still looking for his first in 2026.
Byard pointed to himself first, highlighting a fourth-quarter play Thursday night against quarterback Caleb Williams that could have helped turn around the turnover struggles.
The Bears were deep in their own territory on third-and-9 with 4:59 remaining, holding a 27-21 lead, and Byard and fellow defensive backs Marcus Jones and Christian Gonzalez were in zone coverage. Williams delivered a laser to receiver Rome Odunze for 21 yards, just between Byard's outstretched diving reach and narrowly in front of Jones.
"That play to Rome, the ball went maybe a millimeter above KB's finger. If it was a little lower, KB would have tipped it, and who knows what would have happened?" Gonzalez said.
It was a big-time throw from Williams, a reminder of his rising stardom, which Byard acknowledged. But it also had potential to be a big-time defensive play.
"Almost being able to get that window, Caleb made a terrific throw. But the way I see it for me, it's 'go make that play for your team.' It's millimeters, but that's how it is. This is a game of inches, and the story is Caleb made a helluva throw, but if I can get just a little bit closer it's 'KB helped his team win the ballgame.' So that's the stuff I look at, to make those plays," he said.
"That's what I was brought here to do, so I'm disappointed on my end from that point. One play doesn't obviously lose a game, but I just want to be able to make that play for my team."
One of the first things Vrabel said after the game was, "We need to turn the ball over [defensively], and we have to tackle better."
In games the Patriots have forced at least one turnover, they are 4-1. In games they haven't forced a turnover, they're 0-2 (Seahawks, Bears).
Meanwhile, the one offensive turnover against the Bears -- quarterback Drake Maye's inaccurate end zone pass in the second quarter to rookie tight end Eli Raridon -- further highlighted the issue.
Maye played well other than the miscue, which he called one of the turning points and a reminder of how one mistake can be the difference against a high-caliber opponent. Unlike some of his early-season turnovers, which were more decision-based, the pick was more about execution because the play could have been made -- as evidenced by Maye connecting with Raridon for a touchdown on the same play later in the game.
"He'll learn from it, like he always does. I'm glad he's ours," Vrabel said.
Last year, the Patriots finished with a plus-3 turnover differential -- 19 takeaways and 16 giveaways.
2. Quiet A.J.: Since his return from a high right ankle sprain, receiver A.J. Brown has played 101 of 122 offensive snaps and been targeted 16 times, while totaling just six receptions for 75 yards.
Not ideal, but he isn't discouraged.
Brown said offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels attempted to get him involved early in Thursday's game, but a combination of the Bears focusing on taking him away and Maye making the right play by taking what was there led to Brown not registering his first catch until late in the first half.
"I'm a vet. I understand how the game goes. I know what type of player I am," Brown said. "Every time I line up, I get a lot of attention, so teams try to take me away, and it gives a lot of opportunity for other guys to make plays -- and soften it up for me. And whenever I get my shots, I have to make them, too."
One area Brown didn't address was his blocking, which showed up as a deficiency Thursday -- such as on a first-quarter wide receiver screen in which he missed his assignment. It was a reminder that the Patriots could benefit from Brown showing more consistently the relentless mentality that has defined his career.
3. AVT's contract: One of the unique aspects of the three-year, $42 million contract that guard Alijah Vera-Tucker signed with the Patriots in March is that he receives a record $250,000 for every game he is on the 46-man game-day roster. So with Vera-Tucker landing on injured reserve Thursday, forcing him to miss at least four games, that means he loses out on at least $1 million.
4. TreVeyon's time: During the past three weeks, running back TreVeyon Henderson's usage has declined sharply, part of which can be traced to the ankle injury he sustained against the Raiders on Oct. 11. But after averaging 28 snaps per game in his first three contests of the year, he has averaged just 14.5 over the past two games he has played from start to finish.
"TreVeyon will help us plenty here down the stretch," Vrabel said when asked about Henderson's limited action.
Through seven games, Rhamondre Stevenson leads Patriots running backs with 64% of the snaps, followed by Henderson (27%) and Corey Kiner (12%).
5. 'Close' theme: If there was a theme in the Patriots' locker room after Thursday's loss, it was that Vrabel reminded them about the importance of margin for error against top opponents -- if a play or two goes the other way, the result might be reversed. It was a more positive vibe than one might expect.
Cornerback Marcus Jones said that Vrabel also told players, "We're close ... to being the team we want to be. Understanding how to respond is very important as well. That's something we've learned we can do."
6. Snapping to it: Four topics with second-year center Jared Wilson, who has played 97% of the offensive plays through seven games:
Moving from left guard to center: "Things have been going great. Of course, you have things here or there you want to clean up -- not perfect, we're all human ... every aspect can always get better, but mainly in the run game, for sure."
Why center is his favorite spot: "Once they moved me over at Georgia, I was like, 'This is where I need to be.' I feel like I can show my athleticism there. I just love the position. It was something Kirby [Smart] thought I'd be really good at, and I trusted him. I just wanted to get on the field. Now I'm here, and love it."
How a bond is built with Maye: "The reps are important. But also sitting down at lunch and talking. There's the [weekly] O-line dinners he pops in to."
Favorite parts about New England: "I like Boston. A really clean city."
7. Van Roten eligible: The Patriots have to be judicious with their decisions of whom to designate to return from injured reserve -- there's a limit of eight overall -- and some of those spots have already been accounted for (e.g. Brown, Marcus Bryant, etc.), while others seem like they will be decisively reserved (e.g. Mack Hollins, Romeo Doubs, etc.).
A question potentially to be answered this week is whether veteran center/guard Greg Van Roten (hip) will be one of them? He's eligible for the first time, has been around the locker room of late, and the Patriots were so thin on the interior that they elevated Xavier Newman-Johnson on Thursday from the practice squad as their backup center.
8. Later kickoff: Why is the Patriots' game next Sunday against the currently winless Dolphins at 4:25 p.m. ET instead of 1 p.m.? It's tied to television and maximizing viewership, with CBS having the doubleheader that day and the Broncos-Chiefs game also at 4:25 p.m. as the marquee matchup with Jim Nantz and J.J. Watt on the call. Patriots-Dolphins is also on CBS, with Andrew Catalon, former Patriot Logan Ryan and AJ Ross scheduled to be on the call.
9. Cap check: The Patriots concluded the week with approximately $1.5 million in salary cap space, the lowest total in the league, according to NFL Players Association records. They entered the year with about $52 million in cap space, so it has dried up fast. Cap space can always be created, of course, but it's nonetheless something to consider when assessing how aggressive the team might be by the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
10. Did You Know: Maye has at least three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown in each of the past four games. It is the longest streak by a Patriots player since Tom Brady did it four straight games in 2015.