Lineup Tweak Improves New England Patriots' Offensive Line vs. Buffalo Bills
The New England Patriots achieved a lot of firsts during Sunday's upset of the Buffalo Bills.
*They finally scored on their first possession.
*They finally scored points off a turnover.
*They finally topped 20 points.
*And they finally have a signature win in an otherwise forgettable season.
The 29-25 upset was a huge improvement - especially from their previous performance at Gillette Stadium, an embarrassing 34-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints - but did the Patriots win a game or also discover a repeatable blueprint for the rest of the season?
"There was a lot of good football," said Bill Belichick, who recorded his 300th regular-season coaching victory. "Went in there and played with a good competitive level, better fundamentals and better execution. That’s a good place to start.”
A lineup switch in the offensive line provided big dividends for the Patriots against the Bills.
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Added tight end Mike Gesicki, who had the game-winning touchdown with 12 seconds remaining, "It was awesome. It was great. It was what we’ve been talking about doing, and finally went out there and did it.”
Of all the things the Patriots did right, it started with consistent play from what has been one of the NFL's worst offensive lines. Yes, the game plan featured more Demario Douglas and Kendrick Bourne and less DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster. But it also featured the moving of Mike Onwenu to right tackle in place of struggling veteran Riley Reiff.
That switch, along with the healthy return of left guard Cole Strange, led to the best line play all season. The Pats ran the ball on the opening drive and wound up with a season-high 96 yards.
Furthermore, pass protection that had forced quarterback Mac Jones into quick reads and scrambles vastly improved. Jones had his best game of the season, partially because he was only sacked once for four yards. And he was spectacular against the Bills' blitz, going eight of nine for 113 yards and touchdown.
Whether or not the Pats found the "secret" to their line will begin to be answered Sunday in Miami against the Dolphins. But for one game, at least, they did not resemble one of the worst offenses in the NFL.
“He's a smart kid that understands all the different positions on the offensive line," Belichick said of Onwenu. "Pretty good fundamental player and obviously has good strength. Number of things involved with the switch. I thought he did a good job for us.”
