FOXBOROUGH - Looks like the hats and t-shirts will have to stay in cellophane for at least one more week. The Patriots’ 10-game win streak came to an end on an afternoon that started out as a picturesque snow-globe Sunday but ended gray, dark, and a little grumpy.
“I mean, we weren't able to get any stops,” Mike Vrabel said. “When we had an opportunity to make a play, we weren't able to make it. Penalties. That's how this game goes. A few small plays make the difference. We were very prepared for this team to ... we were going to need 60 minutes to beat this team. This is a good football team. We had a lot of good football in there. And we had a lot of plays that - a few plays - we'd like to have back that we'll have to learn from.”
There’s no denying that those good plays exist. But roughly 95% of them came in the first half, when Drake Maye was dazzling, out Josh Allen-ing Josh Allen, or hell, just being the best Drake Maye he is/could be. After the break was an entirely different story. Not only did Allen remind everyone why he’s the reigning NFL MVP, but the Pats’ 2nd year signal caller struggled to make plays, either with his arm or his legs.
“Came out in the second half and just gotta make a play, pick up the first first down, I think that's the biggest thing,” Maye (14-of-23, 155 yards, INT) said. “Were some throws I wish I had back, but at the end of the day gotta keep the foot on the pedal and keep it going and kind of don't let them dictate. It starts with me. ... Just gotta make a play and do my part when we had the ball and a chance to win the game, go win the game.”
At first blush, the Bills didn’t shelve their defensive game plan, even after getting their teeth kicked in during the first 30 minutes. They continued to pressure, and whatever magic Maye and the offense had in the first half all but vanished. The Pats had five possessions but ran just 18 plays, starting the third quarter with a three-and-out, and ending the next with an interception.
Buffalo, on the other hand, said we don’t need any lighter fluid. They just went right to the gasoline, scoring touchdowns on five straight series, dating back to their final touch of the second quarter.
“You can't give up 35 points as a defense and expect the offense to come save you,” K’Lavon Chaisson said. “So we’ve got some things to clean up.”
“We knew what they were doing, and they weren't running anything crazy,” Harold Landry said. “We just didn't execute, to be honest.”
Allen threw for 193 yards and three TDs, and also chipped in with 48 yards rushing. James Cook looked every bit like one of the best running backs in football, bouncing and picking and knifing his way for 107 yards and two scores of his own. The Pats’ red zone defense, dead last in the league coming in, actually fared worse (they were at 74% TD rate coming in), giving up five scores on six trips (and the last one was at the end of the game).
“They were able to get the running game going,” added Vrabel. “We missed tackles. We didn't build a good enough wall. Didn't get off on third down. Weren't able to create any turnovers. And weren't getting any stops in the red zone. It's no secret, you know what I mean?”
The Pats’ offense, on the other hand, managed to answer exactly one of those touchdowns - and that was all about TreVeyon Henderson. But after the Bills retook the lead, Maye and company had no answers. They went three-and-out and then, in desperate times, turned it over on downs without getting a first. The second-half offensive struggles have been a theme in recent weeks, and the Patriots have scored just two fourth-quarter touchdowns since their week five win in Buffalo.
“We just have to be better when we're up,” Maye said. “It starts with me making some throws. And from there, like Coach says, no naps, no relaxing. I didn't feel like we relaxed; we just didn't make enough plays. Credit to them. And I think it's one of the things that we're emphasizing during the week. And gotta do a better job.”
This, of course, is far from the end of the story. The Pats still lead the division, and still have a chance to earn the number one seed and a first-round playoff bye. In the short term, however, they must learn from the loss, make the corrections, and get ready for a Ravens team that, while disappointing, is still fighting for their playoff lives.
“I don't think our confidence is shaken at all," Landry said. "I mean, we still had a chance to win the game, and we didn't really execute at all at a high level defensively at the end of the game. ... This is just an opportunity for us to come in and learn and really look at ourselves and just improve. It's really that simple.”