Ups & Downs: Patriots actually showed up and put up a fight against the Bills
BOSTON -- For the first 30 minutes of Sunday's frozen football game in Buffalo, the New England Patriots looked like a functional NFL team. Jerod Mayo's squad came out firing and controlled the clock on offense, which kept Josh Allen from lighting a fire for the Bills.
The Patriots led 14-7 at the break, and it looked like the 14-point underdogs had a shot at one of the season's biggest upsets. But the Patriots are now 3-12 for a reason, as they reverted back into being their own worst enemy in the second half.
In the end, the talent discrepancy won out at Highmark Stadium and the Bills are feeling nice and warm after a 24-21 win over their AFC East foe. But New England made Buffalo sweat it out (as much as one can make someone sweat in freezing temps), and while the Patriots are sick of losing, they should feel slightly good about themselves after making a bit of a statement on Sunday.
The Patriots did not get blown out by 50 points as many believed. Drake Maye continued to show that he is the guy for the future. The defense held a dangerous Buffalo offense under 30 points for the first time in two months.
This was the kind of effort that the Patriots needed after their no-show in Arizona last week. It was a sign that they are still fighting even though they have nothing to really play for, and an indication that Jerod Mayo can still get this team to battle.
The Patriots did not win on Sunday, and the football world does not work in "moral victories." But for the first time in a while, we have an actual list of "Ups" to accompany the "Downs" after a Patriots game.
DOWN: Three second-half turnovers
If that was too positive of an intro, let's take things down a few pegs.
After doing a lot of things right in the first half, the Patriots went out and turned the ball over on their first three possessions of the second half to flip the game in Buffalo's favor. After the Bills opened the second half with a game-tying touchdown drive, Rhamondre Stevenson lost his third fumble of the year. (It was his seventh fumble overall.) Buffalo turned that into a field goal to take a 17-14 lead in the third quarter.
Maye got the team to the red zone on New England's next possession, but threw an interception to Cam Lewis at the front of the end zone. His intended target -- Austin Hooper -- was tripped up by Lewis on his route and taken out of the play, leaving Lewis to make a nice diving pick.
Buffalo didn't score on that Maye miscue, but took full advantage of his next one. The Patriots were pinned on their own 12 and facing a second-and-8 when Maye threw a backwards pass to Stevenson. It was an extremely questionable play-call, and Stevenson had the ball bounce off his hands and into the end zone. The Bills pounced on it, and had a 24-14 lead off New England's third straight turnover.
Right tackle Deomntrey Jacobs also whiffed on his block on the play, which allowed Stevenson to get blown up as the ball arrived. It was just a bad play all around for the Patriots.
UP: Drake Maye
In his first game in a frozen Buffalo, Maye looked pretty darn good. The rookie finished 22-of-36 for 260 yards with two touchdowns, an interception, and a fumble on that backward pass to Stevenson.
There were questions as to whether or not the North Carolina native could play in the cold, but he showed no signs of slowing down despite saying after the game that he couldn't feel his feet at times.
His first touchdown was an absolute beauty, as Maye dropped a 28-yard dime in the bucket of Kayshon Boutte to give the Pats an early 7-0 lead. He picked up a pair of third downs on New England's second drive on a nice find to Hunter Henry and a 10-yard scramble. In the third he made something out of nothing when, under heavy pressure, Maye lofted a throw off his back foot to Boutte for 22 yards.
With the Patriots down 24-14 late in the fourth quarter, Maye did a little bit of everything, connecting on big throws downfield while also making things happen on designed QB runs.
He showed his ability to bounce back on that drive too. His touchdown pass to Pop Douglas on first-and-goal was called back after a quick review, and Maye fumbled the snap on second down while getting ready to throw, resulting in an eight-yard loss.
But on third-and-goal, Maye hung in the pocket and found Henry for a 9-yard touchdown strike. It was too little too late for the Patriots, but was some good on-the-job learning for Maye.
The rookie continues to show maturity in the face of defeat too, as he shouldered the blame for his two turnovers and, ultimately, the loss. He's never been one to point fingers, a sign that Maye is a true leader.
UP: New England's first two possessions
It's hard to draw it up better than the Patriots did to start Sunday's game. They were aggressive from the get-go, and Maye capped off the 6-play, 58-yard drive with his touchdown to Boutte:
Their second drive was even better and arguably the team's best of the season. The Patriots ate up 9:57 on a 16-play drive that covered 91 yards. Stevenson ran for 44 yards -- including a 14-yard touchdown to cap things off -- and Maye was 4-of-7 for 34 yards with a 10-yard scramble as well.
Josh Allen and the Bills had the ball for just 2:48 in the first quarter, and just 9:40 in the first half.
UP: Fake Punt!
The Patriots were aggressive in a number of ways on Sunday, including some designed runs for Maye for the first time this season.
But the most aggressive play-call came with four minutes to go before halftime when Mayo called for a fake punt at their own 23-yard line. Dell Pettus converted on a direct snap and the drive continued for New England.
It didn't amount to much, as the Patriots punted away three plays later when Antonio Gibson was stopped short on a third-and-4 carry. But it did take two more minutes off the clock and the defense didn't let Buffalo get anything, forcing a punt before halftime.
Down: Mayo didn't continue that aggressiveness
It looked like the Patriots were going to play aggressive, smashmouth football throughout. We saw it on their first two possessions, and then when they went for it with that fake punt. But it disappeared after that trickeration.
Mayo elected to punt a few plays later on a fourth-and-1 at the New England 34. He also opted to punt the ball when the Patriots were at midfield and down by 10 midway through the fourth quarter.
For a little while at least, Mayo got aggressive. But then when the game got tight, he reverted back to his old, safe self.
UP and Down: Marte Mapu's interception
Mapu got the start with Jabrill Peppers inactive, and he came down with an interception when Allen threw an ill-advised pass into the end zone midway through the second quarter.
The interception was good, as it looked like Buffalo was destined to score a touchdown for a second straight drive. What Mapu did next, however, as not.
For whatever reason, the hybrid safety didn't just take a knee in the end zone and decided to go for a big return. That return went to the one-yard line, which made life a lot more difficult on Maye and the offense than it needed to be.
DOWN: New England's run defense
James Cook was a monster against the New England defense, rushing for 100 yards on his 11 attempts. That included his 46-yard touchdown run, and the running back also had a scampers of 25 yards and 16 yards.
Overall, the Patriots surrendered 170 rushing yards on 27 Buffalo carries.
UP: Kayshon Boutte
The second-year receiver had a huge game for the Patriots, catching five passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. He also drew a pass interference in the end zone on a third-and-goal on New England's final scoring drive of the game.
