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Six takeaways from Patriots’ 24-21 loss to Bills
After holding a 14-7 lead at the half, New England’s offense imploded with three turnovers in the second half against Buffalo.
Well, at least it wasn’t a blowout?
All things considered, the Patriots exceeded expectations during Sunday’s matchup at Highmark Stadium.
But after jumping out to a 14-0 lead, the Patriots couldn’t build any additional momentum against the Bills — dropping a 24-21 loss in Buffalo.
Here are six takeaways from Sunday’s loss for the 3-12 Patriots.
Patriots compete, but miscues loom large
The Patriots wanted to play spoiler down the stretch amid a rebuilding season, with a competitive game against a legitimate Super Bowl contender in Buffalo offering up hope that New England was on the right track.
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Considering that mindset, Sunday’s game was seemingly a step in the right direction for a rudderless roster — with New England playing complementary football out of the gate en route to an early 14-0 lead.
But in a game where New England’s defense did what it could to limit an explosive Bills offense, the Patriots once again let miscues and lapses in execution (three turnovers) doom them in what turned into a very winnable game on the road.
Even if the Patriots might have their QB of the future in Drake Maye (260 passing yards, two touchdowns), it’s clear that this team is still going to have to go through its fair share of growing pains moving forward.
Patriots start strong
For all of the talk of New England being primed for a blowout on the road, give full credit to the Patriots out of the gate.
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For the first time in a long time, the Patriots dominated in all phases of the game to open Sunday’s matchup, holding a 14-0 lead less than a minute into the second quarter.
After a 42-yard kick return from Antonio Gibson put New England in favorable field position to start things off, a stellar start from Maye allowed New England to build an early lead.
Maye converted on a 3rd-and-8 sequence off a throw to Hunter Henry before putting his team on the board with a highlight-reel throw to Kayshon Boutte for a 28-yard touchdown.
After New England’s defense responded by forcing Buffalo into a 3-and-out on their opening drive, Maye and Co. went to work once again.
Maye and the Patriots reeled off a 16-play, 91-yard drive that ate up the rest of the clock in the first quarter — with Rhamondre Stevenson capping the extended sequence with a hard-nosed, 14-yard touchdown run to build a 14-0 lead.
It was a night-and-day response from what we’ve seen from the Patriots throughout the 2024 season, with New England’s offense limiting its mistakes and lapses in execution — while the defense did its part to limit Allen and the Bills high-powered offense.
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At the end of the first quarter, New England held a 10-1 edge in first downs and a 127-11 advantage in total yards over Buffalo.
Defense bends, doesn’t break in first half
It was looking like a long evening for New England’s defense, especially with the Bills entering Sunday with eight straight games with 30 or more points scored.
But to New England’s credit, the Patriots defense held its own against Josh Allen and the Bills.
The lone lapse in the first half came after New England went up 14-0, with the Bills responding with a touchdown drive that ended with a 46-yard touchdown run for James Cook. It was an ugly sequence for Patriots’ D prone to giving up big plays, with both Jahlani Tavai and Sione Takitaki whiffing on tackles en route to Cook’s score.
But that was the lone productive drive for Buffalo in the first half, with New England’s secondary limiting Allen on deep throws down the field.
Safety Marte Mapu picked off Allen off a deep throw into the end zone in the second quarter, although the second-year DB committed a bone-headed miscue by taking the ball out of the end zone and subsequently getting tackled at the 1-yard line — putting Maye and Co. in a brutal starting position.
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Still, New England did its job in the first half, forcing a pair of punts and an Allen interception on three of Buffalo’s four drives over the first two quarters.
It was a welcome sight for a regressing Patriots defense that has taken on water all season long, especially given Sunday’s formidable matchup.
But offense unravels in second half
The good news? Even with New England’s defense relinquishing another touchdown to Cook on Buffalo’s opening drive of the second half, the Bills’ offense didn’t exactly torch the Patriots as many expected in this one.
The bad news? On a night where New England’s defense put together a competitive effort against Allen, Maye and the Patriots completely bottomed out — committing three turnovers in the second half.
After New England took that 14-0 lead off of Stevenson’s TD run, this was New England’s next six drives in Buffalo.
- 3 plays, 9 yards, punt
- 10 plays, 33 yards, punt
- 3 plays, 56 yards, end of half
- 2 plays, 9 yards, fumble
- 8 plays, 54 yards, interception
- 2 plays, -10 yards, fumble, Buffalo touchdown
Even if New England’s defense bailed out Stevenson’s seventh fumble of the season in the third quarter by limiting Buffalo to a field goal, the Patriots could not respond with a critical scoring drive down the stretch.
An eight-play, 54-yard drive by Maye after Buffalo’s field goal ended in crushing fashion, with a throw from Maye picked off in the end zone by Cam Lewis to take any potential points off the board.
New England’s defense forced another Buffalo punt on the next drive, but the Patriots’ next chance on offense was even uglier.
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A bizarre backward pass from Maye to Stevenson within New England’s 10-yard line bounced off the Patriots running back and was recovered by Buffalo in the end zone for a touchdown.
Maye and New England finally got on the board with 1:13 left in regulation after the young QB hit Henry in the end zone to make it a 24-21 game. But it was too little, too late.
The Patriots should give Maye every opportunity to push the envelope and take his lumps now during a rebuilding season. But those growing pains do sting in winnable games like this one.
Van Pelt, Patriots coaches end a promising day with questionable calls
One of the many pieces of criticism lobbed at New England’s coaching staff this season has been a lack of aggression on play calls for a Patriots roster often operating with a slim margin for error.
But Sunday initially marked a step in the right direction for offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt — who caught plenty of flak from both the team’s ownership group and his own head coach after last week’s loss to the Cardinals.
New England’s strong start on offense saw Van Pelt and the Patriots cook up a creative and diverse gameplan out of the gate — mixing in both Stevenson and Gibson on run plays, dialing up designed QB runs for Maye and opting for tight-end screens for critical first-down pickups.
After going 0-for-6 on third downs last week against Arizona, New England converted on its first four third-down bids Sunday.
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The Patriots even went for some trickery on a fourth-down situation in the first half — opting for a fake punt on a 4th-and-1 that ended with Dell Pettus moving the chains with a carry up the middle.
The argument can be made that New England should have been even more aggressive in the first half, especially with the team opting to punt on another 4th-and-short situation with just over 11 minutes left in the second quarter.
Still, Sunday seemingly was a slight step in the right direction for a Patriots coaching staff that is starting to realize more reps and playmaking opportunities for Maye will lead to stronger returns.
At least such was the sentiment entering the second half.
Fair to say, the decision to opt for a screen pass to Stevenson within the 10-yard line was a brutal decision in the fourth quarter. Even if Stevenson didn’t drop that pass from Maye that led to a touchdown, he would have been blown up by Greg Rousseau for a major loss of yardage.
New England’s decision to also punt from its own 45-yard line while down 24-14 in the fourth quarter was also a rough look — while a run-heavy Patriots drive on their final chance of the evening also ate up way too much clock.
It was an ugly end to what should have been a promising development for a Patriots’ staff taking on heaps of criticism.
Several standouts
While New England’s front-seven had a rough go of it stopping Cook and the Bills’ run game, the Patriots secondary had a strong evening.
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Veteran Jonathan Jones negated a touchdown with a pass breakup against Khalil Shakir in the end zone while later forcing a fumble with a “peanut punch” against the same Bills wideout.
Even with Mapu’s miscue after running out of the end zone following his first-half pick, the safety stuffed the stat sheet in this one — recording six tackles, a pick, forced fumble and pass breakup after getting scratched the previous two games.
On the offensive side of the ball, Boutte reeled in a career-high five catches for 95 yards in the loss.
LIVE UPDATES
7:30: Bills recover the onside kick. That should do it.
7:27: Maye and the Patritos finally convert, with Maye hitting Henry for a 9-yard touchdown. It’s a 24-21 game.
7:27: And Maye fumbles the snap. Ooof.
7:26: Play is overturned. Incomplete catch.
7:24: DeMario Douglas reels in a 1-yard touchdown. But it’s under review.
7:24: Patriots get another break with a DPI against Buffalo. New England is on the 1-yard line.
7:16: Austin Hooper converts on a first down, but is shaken up on the play.
7:14: Patriots eating up way too much clock on this final drive with these runs.
6:51: Absolutely brutal. Drake Maye throws a backward pass to Rhamondre Stevenson that is recovered by Buffalo for a touchdown after it goes off Stevenson.
The 2024 Patriots have arrived. Three turnovers in the second half.
It’s 24-14 Bills.
6:42: Jonathan Jones with a peanut punch to force a fumble, but the Bills recover. Jones having a strong game.
6:39: End Third: Patriots trail the Bills, 17-14, entering the fourth quarter.
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6:31: Ooof, Maye throws a pick in the end zone to end a very promising drive. Maye with a pick in seven straight games now.
6:28: An insane off-platform throw for Maye. 22-yard pickup to Boutte.
6:21: Full credit to the Patriots defense for keeping Buffalo’s offense in check after Stevenson’s turnover. Bass hits a 50-yard field goal to make it a 17-14 Bills lead.
6:20: Jonathan Jones with a key breakup in the end zone. Great play from the veteran.
6:18: Just a killer turnover from Rhamondre Stevenson. That’s his seventh this season. Bills take over.
6:12: James Cook does it again — reeling in a touchdown catch to tie things up, 14-14.
6:06: James Cook starts the second half with a 26-yard run.
5:51: HALFTIME: Patriots lead the Bills, 14-7.
5:46: Patriots defense stands tall and the Bills punt again.
5:39: Patriots punting. Allen and Co. will have a chance for a double-score here.
5:36: Patriots looking at another 4th-and-1 at the two-minute warning.
5:31: Patriots opt for some trickery. Dell Pettus with the fake punt and brings it up the middle for a first down on a 4th and 1.
New England moves the chains.
5:27: Despite being put in a dreadful starting spot because of Mapu’s gaffe, Maye moves the chains with a third-down throw to Hooper.
5:24: The good news? Marte Mapu picks off an Allen pass into the end zone. The bad news? Mapu tries to run it out of the end zone and is tackled at the 1.
Yikes.
5:14: Patriots punt on a 4th and 1. Josh Allen and Co. back up once again.
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5:07: And there’s the answer for Buffalo. James Cook reels off a 46-yard touchdown. It’s a 14-7 game.
Not a good response by the Patriots’ D.
5:01: Who are these Patriots? Rhamondre Stevenson trucks his way to the end zone off a hard-nosed, 14-yard run.
It’s 14-0 Patriots with 14:16 left in the second quarter.
4:59: Patriots catch a break after Douglas gets a DPI called against Buffalo. Patriots now at 1st and 4.
4:53: End First: Patriots hold a 7-0 lead over the Bills and are threatening in the red zone. That’s about the best first quarter we’ve seen from this team in some time.
4:52: After going 0-for-6 on third downs last week, the Patriots open this game in Buffalo 4-for-4 on third downs.
4:50: Maye picks up another pair of first downs — one with a rush and another off a pass to Hunter Henry.
4:48: Patriots get their first setback of the day as Jacobs is whistled for a false start.
4:40: Nice start for the Patriots defense, with a pass breakup from Alex Austin forcing a punt.
4:33: Another look at that TD throw from Maye. Best throw from a Patriots QB in some time.
4:31: That’s an insane throw from Drake Maye. Boutte reels in a 28-yard touchdown. Patriots take a 7-0 lead.
4:27: 42-yard kick return for Antonio Gibson. Nice start for the Patriots.
4:25: Bills win the toss. They defer. Patriots offense up first.
4:25: The vibes don’t seem that great.
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