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The Patriots got off to 14-0 lead against the Bills and poised to pull off the upset, but three costly turnovers led to 10 points and they ultimately fell short, 24-21.
Here are seven points on the Patriots loss.
1.Fast start: The Patriots got off to the best start of any game this season, jumping out to a 14-0 lead after a Drake Maye touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte and a 14 yard touchdown run by Rhamondre Stevenson. Unfortunately, they could not hold the lead but it proved that if the Patriots can come out of the gate fast, they be competitive the rest of the season.
2. Turnovers prove to be costly: The Patriots lost the turnover battle 3-1. The turnovers led to 10 points for the Bills, including a defensive score. The turnovers cost the Patriots the game, it is that simple. You turn the ball over, you lose!
3. Maye looks the part and he’s proud to be a Patriot: Drake Maye played well. He had a costly interception in the third quarter that killed a possible scoring drive and he threw a bad ball on a swing screen that led to the Bills defensive score, outside of that he played. Maye completed 22-of-36 passes for 261 yards and 2 touchdown passes.
After the game, Maye was asked about the importance of competing for the coaches.
“Yeah, just trying to block out that noise. I think it’s a bunch of conversations about our coaching staff and stuff like that. I think it’s some BS, to be quite honest. Coach Mayo, those guys, like I said, we’ve got his back, and he’s coached us hard. He wants to win. We all want to win. We’re all frustrated. AVP’s [Alex Van Pelt] been – I feel like – calling great the past weeks. We’re just plays away, and it’s basically me turning the ball over. I think it’s just a testament to these guys that keep fighting. We keep fighting. Shoot, we’re not going to make the playoffs; we’re out of the race, and these guys are coming in, frustrated when we don’t score. They’ve got energy at practice, and they’ve got energy coming into the game. We want to win. There’s guys not even playing that are yelling on the sidelines and wanting to win. So, I think we’re building something good, building something that feels right here, and I’m proud to be a Patriot.”
4. Defense keeps the Patriots in the game: The defense kept the Patriots in the game. Considering how much they have struggled this season, it was a good performance. They still had fit issues against the run and they did not get enough pressure on Josh Allen, but they hung in there and slowed down an offense that had multiple 30 point performances this season.
5. Boutte balls out: Kayshon Boutte might have had the best game of his career, catching five passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. Boutte has the ability but he has not been consistently getting open and that has been a problem. He did on Sunday against a depleted Buffalo secondary and he gave Maye a reliable target other than Hunter Henry.
6. AVP calls a good one: Alex Van Pelt has been much maligned this season for his play calling but on Sunday, he called his best game of the season. He was aggressive, balanced and had answers when Buffalo adjusted. Van Pelt’s job status is up in the air for next season but he has done a good job developing Maye and I would like to see what he does with a better skill group next season.
7. Mayo gets the team to play hard: Jerod Mayo’s job status has been a topic of conversation this week. Despite that, you have to give Mayo credit. Amidst all the noise this week, he got his team ready to play and they had his back. After the game, several players talked about playing for Mayo and what they thought of him and the staff. It is abundantly obvious that Mayo has not lost the team and that bodes well for him moving forward.