Worth the Watch: Yay or Nay? Week Sixteen, Patriots vs. Bills
The New England Patriots fell to 9-6 on the 2021 season with an uncharacteristically subpar performance in their Week Sixteen loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Running back Damien Harris was the lone bright spot for the Pats, carrying the ball 18 times for 103 yards and three touchdowns. However, quarterback Mac Jones finished the game completing just 14 of 32 passes for 145 yards and two interceptions. Still, the story of the day for New England would be costly penalties, and the inability of both the Patriots offense and defense to make plays when most needed. For the second straight week, the Patriots could not overcome an early, self-inflicted deficit, falling to the Bills 33-21 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.
With the loss, the Patriots fell behind Buffalo in the race for the AFC East title, and now sit as the sixth seed in the AFC’s postseason positioning.
Prior to this Week Sixteen matchup, Patriot Maven highlighted three players on offense and three players on defense on which the fan base might have wanted to keep watch.
Let’s examine whether this six-pack of Patriots was ‘worth the watch’ on Sunday:
Mac Jones - Nay
Jones struggled for much of the day on Sunday, completing just 14-of-32 passes for 145 yards and two interceptions on Sunday. Though he has been praised for his poise throughout much of the season, the Pats’ rookie looked overwhelmed at times and was unable to restart the Patriots offense following an early deficit. Overall, the 23-year-old struggled with his accuracy, as well as adapting to pressure. As a result, Jones had difficulty developing a rhythm with his pass catchers. On a positive note, Jones should not be penalized for a few costly drops by his receivers. Also, he should receive some credit for converting four-of-five fourth downs in Week Sixteen. However, for the Patriots to find success in the playoffs, Jones needs to return to what he does best, operating under a timing-based system, predicated on vertical routes and completions from quick, accurate throws.
Damien Harris - Yay
Harris was the lone bright spot on Sunday for the Patriots. The Alabama product rushed 18 times for 103 yards and three touchdowns. He also had the longest run of the afternoon for either team, a 31-yard power run in the third quarter. Harris collected his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the 2021 season. Since 1970, only Curtis Martin (nine in 1995) and Corey Dillon (nine in 2004) have had more than five 100-yard games in a season for the Patriots. With Stevenson sidelined on COVID-19/Reserve, Harris was the only offensive player to consistently make plays in Week Sixteen. When provided with the space to maneuver, Harris is capable of breaking for significant yardage; a trait which he exhibited on Sunday. If the Patriots hope to have any success heading into the postseason, they will need to utilize their running game to its fullest extent, which includes having Harris continue to be their feature runner.
Jonnu Smith - Nay
While New England was thought to have procured Smith’s services to be a dominant target in the red zone, the Patriots have yet to deploy him in that fashion on a consistent basis. Surprisingly, the 26-year-old has been used more prevalently in run protection schemes. On Sunday, Smith saw the field on just 21 offensive snaps; logging neither a catch, nor a rushing yard. Although Smith is a more than capable blocker, the Patriots must come to the realization that his skillset is better utilized as an offensive scoring weapon.
J.C. Jackson - Nay
Despite being named a Pro Bowler earlier in the week, Jackson struggled for much of the afternoon. As expected, the Pats top corner was matched with Bills’ receiver Stefon Diggs in man coverage. Buffalo’s top wideout beat Jackson for some notable gains, finishing the game with seven catches for 85 yards and a touchdown. Jackson also dropped two key interceptions, each in having the chance to swing the momentum in the Patriots favor. Should Jackson wish to isolate the top pass-catching options of the Pats’ future opponents on his ‘Isle of Denial,’ he will need to tighten up his coverage heading into the playoffs.
Myles Bryant - Nay
Heading into Week Sixteen, New Enagld was thought to hold a defensive advantage in the slot. With Bills’ receivers Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis on COVID-19/Reserve, Bryant was expected to have the upper hand in coverage on reserve wideout Isaish McKenzie. After all, Bryant held Beasley to 11 yards on one catch in the previous meeting between the two teams. However, on Sunday, Bryant did not have the same success on McKenzie. The Bills’ receiver logged 11 catches for 125 yards and one touchdown. Though McKenzie had some success against the Pats zone coverage, Bryant was easily beat by the Bills’ receiver in man coverage, especially on the inside. With New England locked into their man coverage matches, Bryant often found himself playing from behind when releasing to the outside. As the afternoon wore on, it became evident that the Patriots’ second-year corner was overmatched by Buffalo’s three-wide sets.
Matt Judon - Nay
Despite being their front seven’s most explosive defender, Judon was a non-factor off the edge for the Patriots on Sunday. The 29-year-old registered one solo tackle, one quarterback hurry and one quarterback pressure against the Bills. Despite logging a sack in nine straight games earlier in the season, Judon has struggled when rushing the quarterback. As a result, the Patriots pass-rush, as a whole, has largely been ineffective. While Judon has temporarily been sidelined via COVID-19/Reserve, he will need to return to form upon his return, if the Pats are to be successful in the postseason.
