Patriots’ Lessons-Learned from Wild Card Weekend Loss to the Bills
In this story:
Disheartening? …Demoralizing? …Disgusting?
Above are just some of the adjectives being used to describe the Patriots’ season-ending playoff loss to their bitter division rivals in the frigid night air of western New York.
Though quarterback Mac Jones finished the game completing 24 of 38 passes for 232 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, the story of the night for New England would be the inability to make plays when most needed on both sides of the ball. Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen finished 21 of 25 for 308 yards, setting a team playoff record with five touchdown passes, including two to tight end Dawson Knox. Running back Devin Singletary also rushed for two scores, en route to a 47-17 dismantling of the Pats by the reigning AFC East division champions.
With a great deal of frustration certainly circulating throughout New England’s locker room, there are still plenty of lessons to be learned from the Pats’ performance on Saturday against Buffalo.
Lesson One: The Buffalo Bills were simply the better team
In the coming days and weeks, slices of the Patriots’ ‘blame pie’ will be sliced, diced, served a-la mode, digested and regurgitated in print media, on the airwaves and among the team’s fan base.
However, do not let the numerous armchair evaluations distract you from the fact that the Buffalo Bills were the better team on Saturday. It is why they are advancing. Buffalo dominated on both sides of the ball, while New England’s late season struggles were exposed under the national spotlight at the most inopportune time.
As a result, the Patriots dropped four of their final five games, including the most lopsided postseason loss under head coach Bill Belichick.
Buffalo dominated this game in all three phases. Defensively, the Bills preventive unit held the Patriots to just 305 total yards (216 passing, 89 rushing), intercepting Jones twice. Buffalo bested the Pats in special teams, providing solid coverage in both punt and kick returns, while earning a 52-yard punt return of their own.
Still, it was Josh Allen’s dominance on offense that propelled the Bills to victory. Buffalo became the first team in NFL history to score a touchdown on all seven of its offensive drives, not including kneel-downs. 482 total yards and converted six of seven third downs. He had more touchdown passes (five) than incompletions (four) while throwing for 308 total yards, adding 66 more on six rushing attempts.
They attempted neither a punt, nor a field goal. They did not punt, did not turn the ball over, and did not kick a field goal. On the opposite sideline, New England looked to be a step too slow on defense, a bit too careless on special teams and not-quite-ready for prime time on offense.
The Bills have now won four of five against the Patriots since the 2020 season, and appear to be in the mix of the Conference’s elite teams for many years to come.
They have their work cut out for them in Foxboro…and it starts with striving to reach the level at which Buffalo is currently playing.
Lesson Two: The Pats have ‘ninety nine’ problems, but Mac Jones ain’t one
While questionable coaching strategy, poor execution and self-inflicted miscues will be among the reasons for the Pats’ Wild Card Weekend debacle, the play of rookie quarterback Mac Jones should not be included in that list. New England’s output was downright abysmal on Saturday. Still, while Jones was not perfect, he played with passion and purpose, especially early in this matchup. The Patriots’ rookie made athletic plays to convert two third-and-longs on their opening drive. He impressively evaded pressure, with both his legs as well as his eyes, to find tight end Hunter Henry for 33 yards on third-and-14. Shortly thereafter, Jones used his wheels to pick up 16 yards on a key third-and-ten to earn the first down. It was his connection with wideout Kendrick Bourne which allowed New England to add two touchdowns to the scoreboard at Highmark Stadium.
Jones also had his share of mistakes on Saturday. Despite being saddled with two interceptions on the stat sheet, only one of them was overtly his fault. His first pic was the result of a phenomenal play by Bills’ safety Micah Hyde. His second was a poor decision by the rookie, allowing the pass to be tipped by Bills’ linebacker Matt Milano and into the hands of cornerback Levi Wallace.
Down the stretch, Jones clearly had his struggles. He was less accurate, made more rookie mistakes and had difficulty with defenses adjusting to take away his preferred routes and targets. However, the 23-year-old maintained his poise, his focus and his drive to constantly improve. Those qualities will continue to make him the ideal steward of New England’s timing-based passing game, predicated on vertical routes and completions from quick, accurate throws.
Again, the Patriots have their work cut out for them in the offseason. However, their future under center is bright in the hands of Mac Jones.
Lesson Three: New England has more than one 'Priority One’
As he addressed the media on Sunday morning, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick routinely referred to 2021 as ‘last year.’ As such, Belichick and the Patriots appear to be moving on to 2022. Though New England is seemingly content at some key positions (i.e. quarterback, tight end, etc.) there are also a number of needs to be addressed. The ‘un-silent majority’ among Patriots fans on social media were immediately clamoring for a top-level wideout. In fact, “We want the weaponz” might be the rallying cry of the offseason. However, to ignore New England’s glaring needs on the defensive side of the ball, in favor of adding a marquee receiver at all costs, is short-sighted. The Pats need an infusion of speed at the linebacker position, while significant depth at cornerback may be the team’s top priority.
To be fair, an additional, capable pass-catcher to complement Kendrick Bourne, Jakobi Meyers and Hunter Henry will certainly be on the list of must-haves for the Patriots during the offseason. Whether it is their top priority is still a matter that is up for debate.
Lesson Four: Is it the End of an Era?
As Roman philosopher Seneca once wrote: “Every new beginning comes from another beginning’s end.” Though the end of the season always leads to uncertainty surrounding the future of several members of the roster, four key Patriots' stalwarts are heading for free agency: team captains Dont’a Hightower, Devin McCourty, James White and Matther Slater. Highly decorated with championships, All-Pro honors and Pro Bowl nods, the loss of any one of these players will create a voice within the Patriots roster. However, it is the insight, motivation and leadership they provide which makes each of the four irreplaceable.
While the law of averages favors the departure of at least one of these beloved Patriots, whether it be through free agency or retirement, McCourty, Hightower, While and Slater have come to embody ‘the Patriot Way.’ And, despite the best efforts of bitter blue checkmarks (masquerading as political journalists) to slander that ‘Way,’ the dedication, poise and class it takes to perform at a championship level for over two decades means something special to the Patriots organization and the great people of New England. That is the Patriot Way!
Though it may be early to speculate the individual choices which need to be made, the unkind reality is that at least one member of that beloved quartet may have put on a Patriots jersey for the last time. If it is the end of an era, it has been one hell of a ride.
