Patriots Lose To Bills; Belichick On Doorstep Of NFL's Biggest 'Loser'
On another sad Sunday polluted by turnovers, missed field goals and a defeat, harsh reality set in for Bill Belichick.
Once boasting six Super Bowls and with an eye on becoming the NFL's all-time winningest head coach, he is now - thanks to the New England Patriots' 27-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills - on the doorstep to becoming its biggest loser.
This mistake-littered loss at Highmark Stadium dropped the Pats to 4-12. It's the first 12-loss season in Belichick's 29-year NFL career. It's also regular-season loss No. 164 for Belichick, just one behind NFL all-time "loser" coaches Dan Reeves and Jeff Fisher at 165. Including playoffs Belichick now has 177 losses, just one behind Tom Landry's record 178.
With his career in limbo entering next Sunday's potential "Foxboro Farewell" at Gillette Stadium, Belichick remains 14 regular-season wins and 26 total wins behind Don Shula.
The Patriots upset the Bills in October and got off to an impressive start in this one, courtesy of Jalen Reagor's 98-yard opening kickoff return for a touchdown. But in what might have been Belichick's final road game as coach of the Patriots, his team followed an ugly, sloppy script that has seen it plummet to its worst season in 30 years.
As usual, New England played hard. But not well. The Pats committed four first-half turnovers (including three Bailey Zappe interceptions), surrendered a Pick 6 and missed a field goal in falling behind 20-7.
With the Arizona Cardinals upsetting the Philadelphia Eagles, the Pats jumped back up to the No. 2 overall pick in next April's NFL Draft. The realization remains that the next time they play a road game their passes might be thrown by incoming rookie quarterbacks Caleb Williams or Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels.
The Bills took control of a crazy game by scoring on their first drive of the second half. Rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid beat Pats' safety Kyle Dugger for a 51-yard completion that set up quarterback Josh Allen's second rushing touchdown of the day and a 27-14 lead.
The Pats pulled within 27-21 when Ezekiel Elliott's 6-yard touchdown run up the middle capped an 84-yard drive with 11 minutes remaining. New England got the ball back, but was pinned inside its own 5-yard line and punted after a three-and-out.
The Pats never got the ball back, as Allen converted two 3rd-and-short runs and Buffalo engineered an 11-play drive that ran out the final 5:02.
Despite holding Allen to only 31 yards passing, the Patriots trailed 20-14 after a wild first half that featured a kickoff return for a touchdown, a Pick 6 and five turnovers.
Reagor set the tone by returning the opening kickoff for a 7-0 lead. But - thanks to veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas - Buffalo scored the next 20 points.
Zappe was intercepted on two of his first three throws, one that Douglas deflected into the air and one in which he jumped a slant route intended for DeVante Parker. After an Allen touchdown plunge and a field goal set up by a fumble by tight end Pharoah Brown, the Bills pushed their lead to 13-7 despite giving up the kickoff return and having Allen get off to a 1-of-7 passing start for just one yard.
Three of the Patriots' four first-half turnovers occurred inside their own 30-yard line. The other dug the hole to 20-7 when Douglas benefitted from a miscommunication between Zappe and Reagor. He picked off the pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown.
A sign of the wacky game, the teams combined for 20 points but only two pass completions in the first 13 minutes.
New England stayed in the game with a 17-yard touchdown run by Zappe. After an Alex Austin interception of Allen, the Patriots had a chance to pull even closer. But Chad Ryland - last week's hero in Denver - yanked a 47-yard field goal wide left.
It was the rookie's league-high ninth miss of the year and the fifth consecutive game he's missed a kick.
