The Patriots went deep on 1st and 10 and almost pulled off a big play.

Jalen Reagor had a chance to make a big play on Sunday, but he didn’t deliver. AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper

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The Patriots don’t produce a lot of explosive play. They entered Sunday’s game with 16 plays of 20 yards or longer, which in the bottom 5 among NFL teams.

The Patriots had a real chance to complete one with 47 seconds left in the third quarter. New England, trailing by three, went on play-action on first-and-10 and Mac Jones threw a deep pass intended for Jalen Reagor.

Reagor, a former first-round pick who the Patriots recently signed to the 53-man roster after a stint on the practice squad, failed to capitalize on a well-placed throw from Jones.

Despite taking a step toward the nearest Washington defender, the ball went straight through Reagor’s hands and fell to the ground as an incomplete pass.

The Patriots punted the ball at the end of the five-play, 22-yard drive.

Reagor helped the Patriots with his blocking of New England’s most explosive play of the day, a 64-yard run by Rhamondre Stevenson. The offensive line, led by David Andrews and Sidy Sow on the play, opened a huge hole for Stevenson and a block down the field from Reagor set Stevenson up for the score.

But the fall on the deep ball certainly didn’t help matters in a game the Patriots lost, 20-17, to fall to 2-7 on the year.