This was the kind of Thursday Night game we've had far too many of over the years, where one team comes ready to play and the other doesn't. I was going to blame the NFL for scheduling a Massachusetts team in Los Angeles twice in four days, but New England actually stayed in L.A. to reduce that impact. Uh, it didn't work.

But maybe it had nothing to do with locale or the short week. Maybe it was just an incredibly awful offense matched up with a really good defense. Sure looked that way.

QUARTERBACKS:

Remember the talk back in August and September, people shaking their heads that the league's other 31 teams allowed Bill Belichick and the Patriots to sign Cam Newton for a song to lead them back to the playoffs? Yeah, that all looks pretty silly right now. Since the Patriots don't say anything, we have no real way of knowing if the issue is Newton's surgically repaired shoulder, the abdomen injury he was on the injury report with last week, some sort of carryover ankle or foot issue from last year, or struggles with New England's offensive system. Whatever the case, he looks terrible.

And some criticism must be handed to supposed offensive genius Josh McDaniels, whose only play around the end zone seems to be putting Cam in the shotgun and having him lope up to the line of scrimmage to get pummelled by a couple of defenders. They ran that play on 3rd and 4th and goal from inside the 5-yard line when it was still an actual game. Nobody within 100 miles of the field didn't see it coming, or thought it would work. Idiocy. Newton was benched for the final 10 minutes so we could see exactly why Newton, bad as he looks, is starting over Jarrett Stidham. There is zero chance Stidham is starting for the Patriots in 2021.

Jared Goff didn't play great or anything. He narrowly avoided a Pick Six on a badly underthrown ball to Robert Woods, and had a couple other off-target pitches that nearly let the Patriots back into things. But he threw a couple of nice goal-line balls to Cooper Kupp, and managed the lead throughout. The book on Goff remains, Can win when things are right around him. That was the case last night.

RUNNING BACKS:

So uh did any running back have a decent game? Breakout game from Rams rookie Cam Akers, at last. He was on lots of benches, but we saw him start to take over the backfield last week, and he finished the job last night. Rams came out with their line and tight ends just blocking Patriots defenders into next week, and Akers ran with authority time and again. Malcolm Brown not only didn't get a carry but dropped his only target, about the easiest catch you'll ever see. Played 6 snaps, while Darrell Henderson (who I feel kind of bad for, since he's looked good in most of his opportunities this year) played 7. I don't care who the Rams are playing the next two weeks, make sure you find room for Akers in your lineup.

The Patriots used a three-back committee that was absolutely useless for fantasy purposes. Yeah, where have we heard this one before. Damien Harris ran well (11 for 50) but didn't get enough chances, story of his entire career. Sony Michel spelled him, went nowhere, but maybe he'll be their main runner next week because Harris got blown up on a late play. James White is a passing downs back in an offense that looks competent passing the ball once every six weeks or so. New England doesn't give these guys enough chances near the goal line while running these stupid Newton into the middle of the pile plays. Yes, I'm aware Newton has gobs of short touchdown runs this year. Here are some numbers: Newton has carried the ball 31 times inside the opposing 10-yard line this year. Nine of those plays have resulted in zero or negative yardage. Both of his attempts at 2-point conversions have been stuffed. Three other plays have gained 1 yard when 2 or 3 was required. Is the success rate actually good enough to keep running these plays? Debatable.

RECEIVERS:

I'm not breaking out "tight ends" from "wide receivers" this week because there's no point. New England didn't complete a pass to the position, as usual. Tyler Higbee caught a 25-yard pass on the first play of the game and then he and Gerald Everett each had a 9-yard catch the rest of the way. Those guys aren't usable when the ground game and defense are working, and they're not great regardless, since they divvy things up.

If you started Cooper Kupp, consider yourself fortunate you didn't wind up regretting it horribly. He caught a short touchdown on a nice throw and catch, one of two goal-line targets (where has that been all year?), but wasn't needed with Akers doing most of the work. Those who started Robert Woods weren't as lucky. I can't believe anyone anywhere started Josh Reynolds. There will be better days ahead for Woods and Kupp, when the opposing offense requires the Rams to air it out more, but New England wasn't going to be one of those.

I've long been disappointed/frustrated by N'Keal Harry, but he had a couple of nice grabs last night. I will argue with any Cam or McDaniels apologists claiming the problem with this team is the wide receivers. Harry has been a disappointment, to be sure. I drafted him 2nd in a rookie draft last year, I'm as disappointed as anyone. But at times he reminds us he was a good college player, while Jakobi Meyers has looked really good all along, whenever he gets his chances. I'll even stump for Damiere Byrd. These guys can play. The team doesn't have a functional quarterback. I don't know where they go from here, but the problem isn't that Julian Edelman is hurt. He had one good game prior to getting injured.

KICKERS/DEFENSE:

Kickers were perfect on their limited chances. Rams Defense was lights out as it's been for a whole lot of the season, with the Buffalo and 49ers games perhaps the only exception. Patriots Defense exhibited what we see from a lot of decent defenses who find themselves playing from behind -- lots of clever stuff doesn't work out when the opposing offense is punching you in the mouth. New England nearly had a Pick Six and it was a nice defensive play to intercept the low throw, but it was also just a really bad throw.

MISCELLANEOUS:

Credit must be given to what Sean McVay and the Rams are doing this year. Very often (Falcons, anyone) we see teams lose Super Bowls and go half a decade or more without rebounding. This has been one of the quicker rebuilds/revamps of a Super Bowl loser, with the Rams getting rid of things and players that didn't work and making some shrewd moves to bring in players that do. It could all go south and some opponent could force Jared Goff to beat them and he won't do it, but this looks like one of the three best teams in the NFC right now.

I think it's fair to call it on the Patriots' season. They're the 3rd-best team in the AFC East. If they win out they'll be 9-7, and there are currently seven AFC teams with 8 wins (and 7-win Baltimore and Vegas teams, one of whom will probably go 10-6). Not gonna happen for Belichick and company. Not enough offensive ability, not enough defense to play smoke and mirrors against the better offenses. All of those draft picks they stockpile each year, well, they need to actually hit on some of these skill guys, or they're not going to have a good offensive team. Like now.