Preview: (12/1) BUF @ NE
The New England Patriots (6-5) host the Buffalo Bills (8-3) on Thursday night (8:15pm).
The teams are only two games apart in the standings, but there’s a world of difference between them. That’s true despite the nice three-win streak New England stitched together prior to the Thanksgiving night loss to the Vikings. That’s true despite the Buffalo’s recent two-game slide against the Vikings (#SKOL, amirite?) and the wobbly Jets. It will take the best Mac Jones’ offense and the Patriots D has to offer to slow down a talented attack led by MVP-candidate QB Josh Allen.
The Bills have demonstrated that they can lose some low-effort stinkers against lesser opponents – could a sneaky win orchestrated by HC Bill Belichick and Company be in the works?
If it’s going to happen, New England will have to do a better job containing running-QB Josh Allen on scrambles than it did against the Bears’ Justin Fields, who ran for an easy first-down whenever he didn’t like what he saw in coverage. Focus on shutting down Josh Allen’s scrambles, though, and you free up star WR Stefon Diggs. There might be too many holes in the dike for the Patriots to plug this week.
Last week’s action
The New England Patriots lost to the Minnesota Vikings last week on Thanksgiving night. Is there a silver lining?
It’s a sign of the times for Patriots Nation that New England loses the game, but local media still spin it positively. The Boston Globe’s Gasper dubbed it the “Mac Moral Victory.” Long gone are the days when the football writers would compete for the most nitpicking take during the Brady era. If you’re hungry for local “half-glass empty” takes, Celtics coverage is your best bet right now. The Garden Greenies are league leaders and Jayson Tatum is a top MVP contender, but they still have “room to improve.”
A good Mac Jones game also means a good offensive line game. The unit found a way to keep the quarterback upright, despite a lack of starters and depth with OTs David Andrews and Isaiah Wynn ruled out with injury.
Moral victories aside, the loss stung because it was a winnable game. The Patriots played the Vikings tight for three quarters, but things got out of hand in the third quarter for two reasons. At the top of the list is a botched call, which reversed a touchdown by TE Hunter Henry. The Boston Globe’s Nicole Yang wrote it up, but she’s far too forgiving in terms of the tone of the piece. It was a robbery, and stole four points from the Patriots, who settled for a field goal.
Of course, the New England’s special teams giving up a 97-yard kickoff return for a TD didn’t help either. Blame the refs for the Henry call. The Patriots have no one else to blame for the lapses on special teams and defense though. After coming into the Vikings game ranked as the number two defense in the NFL, the unit looked rattled playing a quality offense. No more Zach Wilsons, Sam Ehlingers, or Mitchell Trubiskys on the schedule – it’s sink or swim time.
What we’re wondering
How’s Damien Harris doing? Just after he returned from injury, looking great, he’s back out again. The running back suffered a thigh injury in the third quarter of the Vikings game. The one-two punch of RBs Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson is a potent attack, which New England will not have available for the short term. Early indications are that Harris will not suit up for Thursday’s match against the Bills.
Is Mac Jones righting the ship? Zappe Fever has been replaced by Mac Moral Victory. If the switcharoo doesn’t exactly light your hair on fire, console yourself with the fact that the Alabama product is playing good enough football to win games against tough opponents – for three quarters anyway. It’s an improvement over the dead-in-the-water offensive drives that has characterized the passing attack thus far this year. Add in a fourth quarter drive and complementary contributions from special teams and defense, and you’ve got a winning football team.
Has the Patriots offensive braintrust figured out its shit? Closely related to the previous question. The big story in Foxboro before and at the start of the season was: who’s calling the offensive plays, Patricia or Judge (or Belichick? Or some combination of all three, or two? Or alternating?!?!). The consensus appears to be that Matt Patricia is the guy steering the ship. Through three quarters with the Vikings, the ship sailed pretty smoothly.
What we’re watching for
Watch for a rebound game from the defense and special teams. These are two units that HC Bill Belichick hangs his hat on even the darkest days of his Patriots’ tenure. Neither unit may be as elite as they looked against soft competition in the first half of the season, but they’ve got the talent and coaching to be above average. Tough team to rebound against in the Bills, though.
Watch for New England trying to “solve” QB Josh Allen. He can make all the throws, or pick up massive chunks of yardage with his feet if the receivers are covered. The Patriots traditionally struggle against these uber-athletic running quarterbacks, like Justin Fields and Lamar Jackson. The Bills’ Josh Allen poses a similar threat. The home team won’t beat the Bills without quieting, never mind muting, the offensive production of the MVP-candidate.
For Boston Fans
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#humpFL #foreverNE #BillsMafia #GoBills
The New England Patriots (8-9) fell to host Buffalo Bills (13-3) in the final week of the 2022 season.