Peter King explained why he wants to see the Patriots make another change at quarterback

Morning Sports Update

King also had a blunt explanation for the NFL decision to flex the upcoming Chiefs-Patriots game out of Monday Night Football.

Malik Cunningham warming up prior to the Patriots’ loss to the Chargers. AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

Peter King’s surprise at one aspect of the Patriots: Longtime NFL reporter Peter King had some blunt thoughts on the current state of the Patriots in his weekly “Football Morning in America” column for NBC Sports on Monday morning.

Regarding the NFL’s decision to move the upcoming Chiefs-Patriots game out of a Monday Night Football television slot to a midday kickoff on Sunday, King could only account for the move due to one conspicuous factor.

“The first Monday night flex ever moved Kansas City-New England from Monday night to the early Sunday window at 1 p.m. How the mighty have fallen,” wrote King. “The NFL moving Patrick Mahomes out of prime time is revolutionary—and then moving him to a regional Sunday game is almost as startling. That’s how bad the Patriots are now.”

New England is now 2-10 after falling 6-0 to the Chargers at home on Sunday. Stuck with an offense that appeared unable to move the ball even after switching quarterbacks, King expressed his frustration that the Patriots didn’t make an additional change at the position.

“I don’t understand why the Patriots, obviously going nowhere with two shaky quarterbacks (that’s being kind) don’t start the versatile Malik Cunningham at least a couple of times before the end of the season,” he noted. “What’s there to lose?”

The Patriots’ next game comes on Thursday in a short turnaround, facing the Steelers in Pittsburgh at 8:15 p.m.

Cunningham, who featured at quarterback briefly in preseason (and a few more snaps in November during the regular season), was signed as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft. He played quarterback at Louisville in college, but has partly shifted to wide receiver in the NFL.

Trivia: What player has the most rushing yards as a quarterback in Patriots history?

(Answer at the bottom).

Hint: He ran for 12 touchdowns during his second season in the NFL.

Scores and schedules:

The Patriots lost to the Chargers 6-0 at home on Sunday. New England is now 2-10.

Elsewhere, the Bruins defeated the Blue Jackets 3-1 thanks to a Brad Marchand hat-trick.

Tonight, the Celtics face the Pacers in Indiana for a quarterfinal matchup of the NBA’s in-season tournament at 7:30 p.m.

More from Boston.com:

Brad Marchand’s natural hat-trick: The Bruins’ captain stepped up to help his team get a win on Sunday.

Julian Edelman’s take on the current Patriots: The former New England wide receiver shared his thoughts on Sunday.

On this day: In 1982, the Bruins defeated the Canadiens 6-4 thanks to a Barry Pederson hat-trick. Pederson would score another hat-trick on Dec. 5 in second consecutive 6-4 win (this time over the Flyers).

Elsewhere, Larry Bird posted a triple-double (30 points, 16 rebounds, 12 assists) in a 119-112 win over the Pistons.

1982 Bruins Boston Globe Barry Pederson

Daily highlight: Liverpool scored a dramatic 4-3 win over Fulham in the English Premier League on Sunday, scoring a plethora of quality goals. While it’s hard to pick out one, Alexis Mac Allister’s wonder strike probably tops the list.

Trivia answer: Steve Grogan