Going into their Week 9 matchup against the Falcons, the Patriots hoped to extend their 6-game win streak and remain near the top of the AFC ahead of another big test against the Bucs next week.
It wasn't expected to be an easy feat, as second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was set to return to the field after missing last week's game, and the talented Atlanta offense led by Drake London would make for a hard day for the Patriots' secondary. Fortunately, they had Christian Gonzalez ready to go.
But that wasn't exactly how things went, because the coaching staff continued to put Marcus Jones in a mismatch by having him guard London far too often in the red zone, leading to scores.