The Patriots are 3-9 in their last 12 games played on grass. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports)
Whether it is pure coincidence or not, the Patriots have an issue playing on grass.
Over the last three seasons, including the playoffs, the Patriots are 3-9 when playing on grass. That includes going 0-3 this season.
For whatever reason, it also has had an impact on the offense’s production as in those 12 games, the Patriots have scored more than 24 points just twice.
According to NFL Network research, over the last three years including the playoffs, the league average is 22.3 points per game on grass, and 22.2 points per game on turf — not a big difference at all from a league perspective.
It’s worth noting a few factors. One, the games are all on the road (except Super Bowl XLIX) and two, the opponents. Three of the losses came to the Broncos and three of the losses came to the Dolphins.
Tom Brady hasn’t seen his numbers dip much, as over the 12 games his completion percentage is 61 percent and he is averaging 277.5 passing yards per game. There is a bit of a noticeable impact in his touchdown to interception ratio, as he’s thrown 20 touchdowns and 10 interruptions — a bit above his usual average.
The thing that stands out most is the sacks. Brady has been sacked at least once in all 12 of these games for a total of 24 — an average of two a game. Again, it’s worth looking at who these games were against — as the Dolphins and Broncos both can get after the quarterback — but it should be acknowledged that sacks have been a commonality in games on grass.
Here is a look at the last 12 games played on grass:
November 18, 2013: Panthers 24, Patriots 20
This game was most remembered for the non-pass interference call in the end zone on Rob Gronkowski on the last play of the game. The Patriots trailed 10-3 at the half, but came back in the second half and nearly won the game. New England actually led 20-17 late in the fourth quarter, but a 25-yard Cam Newton touchdown pass with 59 seconds left was the difference.
December 22, 2013: Patriots 34, Texans 31
Houston didn’t make the switch to turf at this point, as they changed to grass early in the 2015 season. The Patriots actually trailed 17-7 at the half, but exploded for 27 second half points to come away with the victory.
December 15, 2013: Dolphins 24, Patriots 20
New England led 10-0 in this one, but the Dolphins scored 17 unanswered points. The Patriots came back and took a 20-17 lead with 4:07 to go, but Ryan Tannehill threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Thigpen with 1:15 to play to give Miami the win.
January 19, 2014: Broncos 26, Patriots 16
The Patriots really didn’t have a chance in this one from the start as Brady was throwing passes to Austin Collie, Michael Hoomanawanui, Matthew Slater and Matthew Mulligan. Peyton Manning threw for 400 yards and two touchdowns, as the Patriots were never really in this one.
September 7, 2014: Dolphins 33, Patriots 20
The first game of the 2014 season didn’t go very well for the Patriots and it started right away on the first possession when Ryan Allen’s punt was blocked and returned for a touchdown. New England did bounce back to end the first half, taking a 20-10 lead into the break, but got outscored 23-0 in the second half.
September 29, 2014: Chiefs 41, Patriots 14
This may have been the worst loss of the Bill Belichick era and certainly was the turning point of the 2014 season. The Patriots were embarrassed in Kansas City on Monday Night Football and the media turned on the Patriots and even questioned Brady aferwards. Brady was 14-for-23 passing for 159 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He was benched in the fourth quarter.
November 30, 2014: Packers 26, Patriots 21
This was the last Patriots loss of the 2014 season. Jordy Nelson scored a 45-yard touchdown with 14 seconds left in the first half for the big play in the game, as Green Bay led 23-14 at the half. The Patriots cut the deficit to 23-21 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but that was as close as they would get.
December 7, 2014: Patriots 23, Chargers 14
The Patriots spent the week leading into the game in San Diego as they played in Green Bay the previous week and it eliminated an extra cross-country flight. New England trailed 14-13 at the half, but outscored the Chargers 10-0 in the second half to come away with the win.
February 1, 2015: Patriots 28, Seahawks 24
In arguably the best Super Bowl ever, the Patriots beat the Seahawks thanks to Malcolm Butler’s interception at the goal line in the final seconds. Brady was outstanding in the game, as he finished 37-of-50 with 328 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. The Patriots came back from being 10 points down at the start of the fourth quarter.
November 29, 2015: Broncos 30, Patriots 24
The Patriots suffered their first loss of the season in overtime against the Broncos. The defense allowed three rushing touchdowns and a season-high 179 yards on the ground. New England was also missing key players in Jamie Collins, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and lost Dont’a Hightower and Gronkowski in the game with injuries.
January 3, 2016: Dolphins 20, Patriots 10
It was the last game of the regular season and a strange one at that. The Patriots opened the game with 14 straight running plays, even on third-and-long situations. New England had many of its top players sit out, as a way to get fully healthy for the playoffs and they ended up by dropping their second game in a row to end the season.
January 25, 2016: Broncos 20, Patriots 18
Brady was under constant pressure all game long, as the Broncos totaled 20 total hits on the quarterback in the game. The Patriots scored with under 20 seconds left, but couldn’t convert on the potential game-tying two-point conversion. They needed to get the two-point conversion since Stephen Gostkowski missed an extra-point in the first quarter.
Coincidence or not, this should be noted next season when the Patriots have to play on grass, which will be a few games, as half of their away games will be played on grass.
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