Patriots vs. Bills Instant Overreactions: Pats' offense shows genuine improvement in win

Share

The New England Patriots clinched their 11th consecutive AFC East title on Saturday with a 24-17 victory over the Buffalo Bills.

The Patriots defense held strong with a fourth-down stop in the red zone to secure the team's 12th victory of the season and maintain its position as the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoff race.

Let's take a look at four instant overreactions from the Patriots' win and assess their merit.

1. Patriots offense showed genuine improvement vs. Bills
Verdict
: Not an overreaction

The Patriots only scored 24 points, but several areas of their offense showed improvement against the Bills. Here's a quick list:

  • Tom Brady: The Patriots quarterback completed his first 10 passes of the game. He ended up completing 26 of 33 passes for 271 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions. Brady also ended his streak of nine consecutive games with a QB rating below 100.
  • Run game: The Patriots picked up 143 yards on 35 attempts (4.1 yards per carry) and scored a touchdown on a 1-yard run by Rex Burkhead. Second-year running back Sony Michel tallied a season-high 96 yards on 21 carries, giving him back-to-back games of 89-plus yards.
  • Pass protection: New England's offensive line didn't give up a single sack of Brady, and the unit allowed him to be hit just four times.
  • Playcalling: Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels showed off his creativity, especially in the run game, to create some big plays for the Patriots.

The Patriots offense still has a long way to go before teams are going to fear it in the playoffs. After all, they entered Week 16 having scored an average of just 20.3 points over their last six games. That said, Saturday's performance was without a doubt a step in the right direction against a highly rated Bills defense.

LIVE stream the Celtics all season and get the latest news and analysis on all of your teams from NBC Sports Boston by downloading the My Teams App.

2. Rex Burkhead will be a key offensive player the rest of the season
Verdict
: Overreaction

The Patriots probably don't beat the Bills without Burkhead, who tallied 97 total yards (77 receiving and 20 rushing) and the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. Burkhead recovered nicely from a fumble on the opening drive of the game, which led to a Bills field goal. He now has touchdowns in back-to-back games, and he's also been featured more in the passing attack with six receptions on eight targets over the last two weeks.

Burkhead has given the Patriots some quality performances this season, but the most ideal scenario for them is second-year running back Sony Michel finding the late-season form he showed at end of 2018 and during the team's run to a Super Bowl LIII title. 

3. Patriots still need to worry about the kicking game entering postseason
Verdict
: Overreaction

Remember when kicker was a huge weakness for the Patriots? Well, Nick Folk has helped stabilize the position. The 35-year-old kicker has converted on 13 of his 16 field goal attempts in six games for the Patriots, including a 3-for-3 mark Saturday. His 51-yard field goal in the third quarter was the longest for a Patriots kicker in 2019. Folk also has been successful on all 10 of his extra point kicks. By no means is Folk automatic, but his success does make head coach Bill Belichick's job a little easier on fourth downs. 

4. Bills are a threat in AFC playoffs
Verdict
: Not an overreaction

The Bills have a very good defense and their rushing attack is usually effective enough to eat up a lot of clock, and that combination should make them a tough out in January. Buffalo entered Week 16 allowing the second-fewest points in the league, in addition to ranking second in total touchdowns allowed, second in opposing QB rating, third in pass yards allowed per game, third in total yards allowed per game and sixth in third-down percentage. 

Bills quarterback Josh Allen is completing less than 60 percent of his touchdown passes this season, but he does have a strong arm and is able to deliver these throws while taking a huge hit. This was evident on his 53-yard touchdown pass that gave Buffalo a 17-13 lead in the third quarter.

The main engine that drives the Bills offense is the rushing attack. Rookie running back Devin Singletary is averaging more than five yards per carry this season, and that's helped Buffalo rank fifth in rush yards per game.

The Bills are unlikely to play a home playoff game, but going on the road hasn't been an issue for them. Buffalo finishes with a 6-2 road record, including wins over playoff-caliber teams such as the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys. Let's not forget the Bills barely lost to the No. 1 seed Baltimore Ravens two weeks ago and held likely league MVP Lamar Jackson to his lowest total yards number of the season. They lost to the Patriots twice but only by one score each time.

Buffalo is not to be taken lightly in the playoffs, and Saturday's game served as compelling evidence of that despite the loss.

Contact Us