Was latest loss rock bottom?

Some terrific questions this week on a wide variety of topics, including the coach, quarterback, the future of the franchise, whether Sunday represented the nadir of the season, and where things go after the latest loss.

Have we hit rock bottom? — Carlos, Amherst

It certainly felt like rock bottom, given the woeful Giants’ record, the miserable conditions, the heartbreaking loss, and the Patriots’ scattershot personnel decisions, particularly at quarterback.

New York’s record was comparable to New England’s, and given that BIll Belichick has so much shared history with the Giants franchise, it felt like an embarrassment on a personal level for the coach.

All that being said, I believe a January loss at home to a Jets team quarterbacked by Zach Wilson or Tim Boyle has the potential to be worse.

When you are 2-8, are you playing to win or force overtime? If the latter, why? It was their best chance to win. I don’t understand.

— Tony Perna, Georgia

I believe the belief was not so much to play for the tie but about riding the hot hand in Rhamondre Stevenson. After Demario Douglas went down, Stevenson represented the Patriots’ best offensive option, especially at that point in the game. Keeping the ball on the ground also eliminated the possibility of a late pick by Bailey Zappe.

If Stevenson broke one for a TD, that would have been ideal, but they got down to the 20, which should be more than close enough for a field goal.

Did the Patriots consider bringing in a free agent quarterback during the bye week? Any chance they do so now?

— Mark Coen, Beverly

It was my understanding that they did not bring in anyone over the bye week. I think there’s a chance of them doing their due diligence if a player suddenly becomes available, something Bill Belichick alluded to Monday when he said, “I mean, I wouldn’t rule anything out, anything that would help our team. We’ve brought in players at any position. You never know what’s going to happen.”

That being said, I don’t think they are going to sign anyone impactful at quarterback between now and the end of the season.

Will Grier and Malik Cunningham can’t be any worse than the two guys we saw Sunday. Why not play them? At least the game would be more fun to watch.

— Lawrence Burns, Swansea

I feel the same way. The season is fundamentally lost. It’s time to see what you have with the rest of the roster. I’m not saying either one is capable of lifting the offense out of its doldrums, but you could start to get some answers regarding their possible future here.

The one condition I’d have with Cunningham is that they need to do a better job when it comes to setting him up for success than they in Las Vegas. Get him at home, put him in some winnable situations — red-zone packages, for instance — and work to maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses. Identify a half-dozen situations where he can execute successfully.

What do you think of this scenario for next year? Josh McDaniels is back as OC, and Jimmy Garoppolo comes back as the bridge quarterback until the Patriots get their draft pick Bo Nix up to speed?

— Pete J., North Carolina

Pete, while I don’t necessarily agree with you on the big-picture elements, I do agree on some smaller specifics. One, I think the only way McDaniels comes back is if he’s hired by Belichick, and that prospect is looking a little dicey. But I do think that the Patriots are going to flip the quarterback position through the draft. If Garoppolo is too expensive, I’d suggest Jacoby Brissett as the guy who could be the shepherd for the rookie signal-caller.

Have the Patriots ever had such a miserable season under the Kraft family ownership of the team? — Ed Helinski, via Twitter

No. The last time I can remember a season anywhere close to this was 2009, when they just sort of petered out down the stretch. That year had the most toxic locker room I’ve ever covered. As a reporter, it was a slog going in there every day because they were playing miserably, no one wanted to talk, and they legitimately had guys who didn’t want to be there.

For what it’s worth, the locker room is much better now than it was in 2009.