Patriots Offensive Report Card: Week 16 vs. Bills
The New England Patriots moved to 12-3 on the year with a 24-17 win over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday afternoon. Although we later learned that the Baltimore Ravens clinched home field advantage throughout the postseason, this win for the Patriots secured their 11th straight AFC East title and put them in a prime position to secure the second seed and a first-round bye.
The New England offense played better against Buffalo's stifling defense than most people expected, and that finally provided a glimmer of hope for the playoffs. In this game, the offense saw production from their usual suspects, but also a few under-the-radar guys as well, a mix that must continue for the rest of the year.
Here are the grades for a some of the Patriot's most intriguing offensive performances.
Tom Brady: A
The biggest takeaway from the Patriots vs. Bills game was that Tom Brady legitimately looked good, as he produced his best performance since Week 2 by registering a 111 passer rating and 78.8 completion percentage. Brady fed off of a productive run game, which allowed him to open up the field with play action. Brady completed 26-of-33 passes for 271 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. The lone touchdown pass came late in the first quarter, when Brady found Matt LaCosse open in the end zone for an eight yard reception. Brady's performance in this game finally broke through some of the rubble, there is light at the end of the tunnel yet again.
Rex Burkhead: A-
Everyone had a bad feeling about Saturday's game when Rex Burkhead lost a fumble on the Patriot's opening drive. Luckily, the rest of the game could not have gone better. Burkhead finished with five carries for 20 yards and a touchdown, and added 77 yards on four receptions. In last week's offensive report card, it was mentioned that Burkhead's role will expand as the playoffs continue to near, and this game against Buffalo proved to be a great start.
Julian Edelman: A-
It is no secret that Julian Edelman is banged up, and his latest head stinger that he received against the Bills certainly doesn't help. But the way he came back and produced when the Patriots needed him most was vintage-Edelman. The veteran wideout finished with five receptions for 72 yards and was on the receiving end of the huge two-point conversion in the fourth quarter that put New England up 24-17. Edelman has been everything the team has needed and more, and although it's finally nice to see production from the other receivers, none of it would be possible without Edelman.
Sony Michel: B+
Sony Michel has been frequently criticized this season; however, his last two performances against the Cincinnati Bengals and Bills have provided a glimmer of hope. Michel finished with 96 yards on 21 carries, a 4.6 yard-per-carry average. Michel is finally running the ball more aggressively and finding those lanes. Michel and Burkhead were both great Saturday in the Patriots’ third-best rushing performance of the season. A solid run game makes everyone better, it is no surprise that New England's offense looked good Saturday due to the run game being productive.
