Drake Maye has been on the move for the New England Patriots much of this season. (AP photo)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Patriots Will Campbell was standing getting ready to leave the locker room on Sunday, and he didn’t look happy.

The music was on but players were zipping out, the atmosphere still upbeat. And why shouldn’t it have been; the Patriots escaped losing to the Atlanta Falcons thanks to their former kicker missing an extra point. Hey, it’s better to be lucky than good.

But Campbell knew he and his offensive linemates didn’t do their jobs on Sunday. And the numbers say they haven’t all season as the Patriots lead the NFL in quarterback sacks allowed.

Campbell and Maye were at TD Garden Monday night so no doubt he protected his quarterback from any harm their celebrity status could have attracted. But the Patriots are finding out that they’re not perfect, they’re not without weakness, and they’re not without the ability to overcome all that to win.

But finally this weekend those weaknesses might come back to haunt them. But if they don’t start to protect the quarterback soon, that quarterback won’t be around long. And Maye is what and who matters most.

“We just talked about it,” Patriots center Garrett Bradbury said on Monday. “We were like ‘It wasn’t our best game.’ It makes everyone sick. Six sacks yesterday, that’d not good enough … We need to get that number lower. We can. And we have. I believe we will.”

They really have no choice. Now it’s not noticed as much as a year ago because the talent level on this team is completely different.

The Patriots will head to Tampa with some good things going for them. Their depth needs a boost, and one wonders if today’s trade deadline might accomplish that. Will the Patriots make a move? We think so. They may look for more pass rushing help or some more depth for the secondary which doesn’t have a lot of it.

The best way for the Patriots to approach a game against a contender – finally – is to start fast. Put Baker Mayfield back on his heels and set the tone for the game. Limit that Tampa Bay energy.

“They start fast,” Mayfield said of the Patriots. “We have to start fast as well and match that energy.”

The Patriots are due for a flat game. Head coach Mike Vrabel is trying not to hint at that and make sure the Patriots keep their collective foot on the gas. Todd Bowles will blitz the Patriots like crazy and New England has to be prepared to pick that up. With the way they’ve played overall, Vrable will knows this team is a delicate balancing act. “It’s a fun group to coach,” Vrabel said, “because I think that they’re always going to want more.”

The coach wants more, too. Let’s see how he approaches things leading up to Sunday, and how his front office handles today.That will set the tone for the rest of the season. We want to see a smile on Campbell’s face.

This week’s rankings:

AFC

1.Denver (7-2). 2. New England (7-2). 3. Buffalo (6-2). 4. Indianapolis (7-2). 5. Kansas City (5-4).

NFC

1.Philadelphia (6-2). 2. Detroit (5-3). 3. L.A. Rams (6-2). 4.Tampa Bay (6-2). 5.Seattle (6-2)