BSJ Game Report: Bills 24, Patriots 21 - New England was game but turnovers ruined upset bid

Everything you need to know from the Patriots’ loss to the Bills in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:

HEADLINES

Patriots came out strong, aggressive: For the first time since Week 1 against a non-imploding team, the Patriots came out ready for this one, storming out to a 14-0 lead with Drake Maye and run game hitting, and the defense presenting a lot of difficulties to Josh Allen and the Bills' offense. The Patriots even - brace yourself - ran a fake punt from its own 23-yard line with 3:59 left in the first half, holding a 14-7 lead and converted. The approach, the coaching, the attitude of the team were everything we wanted to see at some point this season. It was almost as if the coaches were under a little pressure and coaching for their jobs. The sense of urgency had never been higher for the Patriots.

The second half was not great: Patriots were outscored 24-0 after taking the early lead, and these were the second half possessions:

Rhamondre Stevenson had his league-leading seventh fumble (3rd in 5 games), and his third lost fumble of the year.

Maye threw an interception in the end zone that cost the team at least three points.

Then, the worst infraction, was a lateral from Maye to Rhamondre Stevenson that was dropped for a Bills touchdown and ultimately of the game-winning score. It was a complete mess. Demontrey Jacobs missed his cut block. Maye didn't see the defender, threw a bullet at Stevenson. Not even sure Stevenson is supposed to go backwards and make it a lateral. A very complicated play for Alex Van Pelt to call from his own 10-yard line. 

More game management issues in second half: After being aggressive in the first half, Jerod Mayo regressed in the second half with the game on the line. First was the punt on their own 45 with 8 minutes left and trailing by two scores:

Then, after holding the Bills on the next possession, they didn't use their first timeout at 5 minutes to stop the clock. Got the ball back with 4:29 left.

Then, the Patriots, trailing by 10, had the ball at the Bills' 4 with 2:26 left and three timeouts remaining. They ended up scoring with 1:13 remaining.

Mayo also tried an onside kick instead of kicking it away with all three timeouts and only needing a field goal.

Maye acquits himself in first meeting with Josh Allen: Frigid temperatures, Josh Allen (16 of 29, 154 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 30 rushing yards) and Sean McDermott on the other side, there were largely no issues for Maye. He finished 22 of 36 for 261 yards, 2 TDs and the 1 costly interception. Maye ran six times for 30 yards, including two - two! - designed QB runs. One went for 11, the first was clunky and called back on a Hunter Henry holding penalty. Maye has several big-time throws on third down, a great touchdown to Kayshon Boutte and had a great scramble to convert a third down. Don't think we have to worry about Maye having to go up there in future seasons.

TURNING POINT

The Stevenson fumble wasn't quite as big as the lateral, but on the first possession of the second half after the Bills tied it up, it just sort of allowed the team to regress back into the loser's mentality that has been around them all season.

SECOND GUESS

Punting with 8:33 remaining. Don't understand it at all. It felt like a Belichickian move to avoid getting blown out. It was only 4th and 6. 

THREE UP

WR Kayshon Boutte: Had 5 catches for 95 yards, including a ridiculous touchdown catch. He also had a diving catch later in the game.

CB Jonathan Jones: Forced a fumble and played really good coverage. 

S Kyle Dugger: Seemed to finally play a consistently good game. Been a while.

THREE DOWN

RT Demontrey Jacobs: Allowed 5 pressures, didn't get the cut block on the lateral and two false starts.

RB Rhamondre Stevenson: Despite a sensational 14-yard TD where he ran a Bill over, he leads the league in fumbles and was involved in the lateral, although that seemed like a FUBAR play starting with the playcall.

DE Anferenee Jennings: Was absolutely brutal on the edge at times and missed at least two tackles.

INJURIES

None that I saw.

TWO TAKES BEDARD WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

Best possible outcome for the Patriots: Well, depending on your view of Jerod Mayo, who probably solidified his return with the performance of the Patriots. But, overall, the Patriots finally did what we've been asking of them for weeks - be a pain in the ass to a better team, compete for all four quarters, and show some competence on the coaching staff with the approach to the game. They did that.

Oh, and with the Raiders beating the Jaguars (thanks Mac Jones), the Patriots improved their draft position to 2nd overall.

I was set to give Mayo full flowers for this one ... until the fourth quarter: What the hell was with punting the ball back to Josh Allen down two scores? It's like playing Russian Roulette. Mayo wasn't trying to win the game with that decision. He was playing not to get blown out. And then the sequence down at the goal line was a borderline disaster to waste that much time. Didn't understand kicking the onside kick either. Made no sense. If Mayo would have been more aggressive in the fourth quarter, I don't think anyone would have said a peep. He opened the door for more criticism, but the late TD kind of covered his ass.