The New England Patriots entered Sunday as co-owners of the NFL’s longest win streak, but they saw it snapped by a division rivals. The Buffalo Bills, who needed a win in order to prevent the AFC East title from staying in Foxborough, were able to complete a 35-31 come-from-behind victory that dropped the Patriots to 11-3 on the year — still good enough for first place in the division, but clearly looking up in the conference now.
The game itself was a mixed bag. There were some impressive individual
outings, particularly in the first half, but the ultimate taste left in the mouth was a bitter one. A look at our weekly position grades shows this as well.
Patriots position grades from NFL Week 15
Quarterback: In the first half, Drake Maye appeared to seriously bolster his MVP case. Besides going 9-for-11 for 108 yards passing, he also scored two rushing touchdowns in an offense that started to add the quarterback run game to its arsenal. The second half, however, was an entirely different story. Maye registered no additional carries after the break, and saw his passing efficiency decrease: he went just 5-for-12 for 47 yards and an interception in the third and fourth quarters, failing to get himself and his offense into a rhythm behind off-target throws and dubious decisions. For once, the lights seemed to be a bit too bright for the second-year man. | Grade: D+
Running back: Granted, Buffalo’s run defense does not strike fear in anybody’s eyes so far this season. That being said, the same was true for New England’s ground game. And yet, the Patriots dominated proceedings in that area. When all was said and done, they had 246 yards and four touchdowns to show for on 25 carries, including two long TreVeyon Henderson scores from 52 and 65 yards out, respectively. The rookie was the star of the show, but the team also got good contributions from Rhamondre Stevenson, who averaged 8.3 yards per carry and looked as good as he had all season. The only blemish was Henderson giving up a sack. | Grade: A-
Wide receiver: Stefon Diggs willed the Patriots to victory over his ex-club in Week 5, but he was unable to make the same impact in Week 15, finishing with only three catches for 26 yards. The rest of New England’s wideouts also had a hard time producing. Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins had some chunk plays, but registered just five receptions for 71 yards between them. DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams were not even targeted on the day. The success on the ground and limited possessions did not help their cause, but New England — going against a team missing its No. 1 cornerback — also did not see anybody step up in the second half like Diggs did during the first game against the Bills. | Grade: C
Tight end: Hunter Henry had a solid outing as a blocker and did catch an 18-yard pass, but he also saw a crucial 3rd-and-12 go through this hands in the late fourth quarter with his team down four points. The other tight end-types on the roster, and we are including fullback Jack Westover here, had similar up-and-down days: neither Westover nor Austin Hooper were a factor as receivers, while the former was hit-or-miss as a lead blocker and the latter mostly solid. On the whole, it was a mostly positive day from a blocking perspective but the group was quiet in the passing game. | Grade: D+
Offensive line: Getting Jared Wilson back to man the left guard spot helped the Patriots keep Drake Maye clean for much of the day: he was sacked three times on the day — although only one was on the O-line — and faced pressure on 32.1% of his dropbacks. Considering that New England operated with a backup left tackle and a different-looking lineup for a third straight game, that was a strong outing. The same, of course, was true on the ground: Henderson and Stevenson could not have gotten the job done alone, they also received some help from the guys up front. Despite the ultimate end result, this was a “get right” game for the rushing offense. | Grade: A-
Defensive line: The Patriots played a strong game against Josh Allen in the first half, limiting him as a runner and putting consistent pressure on him through the use of line games, unbalanced pressure and blitz schemes. The D-line played a big part in that, with Harold Landry registering a sack and Christian Barmore disrupting the MVP on several occasions. And then came the second half. The Bills’ run game, which already had some positive plays in the first half, started taking over to finish with 171 yards on 34 non-kneel-down carries. The Buffalo O-line simply dominated in the second half, which also led to the pass rush failing to have much of an impact on Allen. It was ugly. | Grade: D–
Linebacker: The circumstances did the Patriots’ linebacker group no favors. Even though he was active for the game, Robert Spillane did not take the field because of the toe injury he sustained in practice leading up to the game. With Spillane out, New England was not just without its lead communicator on defense but also one of the better run-defending linebackers in the NFL. Jack Gibbens and Christian Elliss did have some good moments, including the former registering a sack, but they also missed three combined tackles and were far less successful stopping runs from getting past the second level while also having a tough go in coverage. The Patriots better get Spillane back quickly. | Grade: D
Cornerback: The Patriots went with an even split of man and zone coverage into the battle, like they did in Week 5 against Josh Allen and company. And when they rolled out their man looks, their cornerbacks played a solid game. Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis led the way, surrendering zero catches on four combined targets. Fellow CBs Marcus Jones and Charles Woods were less effective in man-to-man coverage, however, with the former giving up a much-discussed 37-yard reception on 4th-and-3. Still, cornerback play was the least of New England’s defensive worries on Sunday. | Grade: B
Safety: While Gonzalez and company mostly won their battles on the outside, the middle of the field was repeatedly open for Allen to exploit. The safety group, namely Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson, had a hard time containing Bills tight ends Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid, with the pair teaming up to catch six passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns. Hawkins also missed a tackle, while their ability to positively help a leaky run defense also limited. | Grade: D+
Special teams: The Patriots’ special teams operation laid an egg on Sunday, and the unit’s failure to compete in the field position game proved a catalyst to the Bills’ comeback. Covering kickoffs was the main issue — Buffalo’s Ray Savis averaged 41 yards on four runbacks — but not the only problem: Marcus Jones was neutralized in the punt return game; a long Kyle Williams kick return was called back by a penalty on Marte Mapu; Brenden Schooler cost his team 15 yards on a facemask call. And even though Andy Borregalws and Bryce Baringer had solid outings, the entire body of work from the group was not up to the task. | Grade: D–
As you can clearly see, the Patriots failed to play their best football against a formidable opponent equipped to capitalize. That is precisely what transpired, resulting in a disappojting and avoidable defeat.
How would you grade the Patriots’ performance in Week 15? Do you agree with our assessment? Please head down to the comment section to discuss.
