Halftime: Patriots Trail Lions 16-3

It was an ugly first half for the New England Patriots offense as they trail the Detroit Lions 16-3 after 30 minutes.

The Patriots moved the ball at times, but their mistakes strongly overshadowed the positives.  The Patriots lost three fumbles (Zach Sudfeld, Brandon Bolden, Shane Vereen) and quarterback Tom Brady also threw an interception on a crossing route intended for Aaron Dobson.

One positive on offense has been the play of rookie free agent receiver Kenbrell Thompkins, who recorded six receptions for 93 yards including a big 37 yard gain.

Defensively, things were better for the Patriots.  The unit's 16 points allowed is deceptive, as the unit made the most of bad field position on several occasions.  They gotten a strong pass rush, and have attacked the ball in the secondary with multiple pass breakups (Aqib Talib, Logan Ryan).

The Patriots starters will likely open the third quarter, and they will want to fix some of their mental errors from the first half.