PostGame Thread OFFICIAL POSTGAME THREAD: Patriots Fall 35-31 to the Bills

[Kargetina]

The Pats played about as well as they can play in the first half, and the Bills probably played as bad as they can, but they scored two TD's with a starting position inside the Pats 45. That's what lost the game. When you outplay someone as badly as they did in the first, yet a couple of minutes into the second half, the score is only 24-14, the writing was on the wall. Once the Pats fell from that high level, and the Bills rose, it was very difficult to hold on to the lead.

Considering how lopsided the first half was, those two gifted TD's kept the Bills in the game. They were down three scores, and that genius decides to grab the facemask on a falling player, gifting them a great field position, and two minutes later it's only a two-possession game with 28 minutes left to play.

After they lost the momentum, the entire team fell apart, and that's the concerning part. Everyone apart from Henderson went AWOL, dropped passes, bad QB play (Maye had WIDE OPEN space to run on both 3rd and 4th downs on the last drive, and froze), bad run defense, bad coaching.

The good thing is that Denver seems to be running the table, so if the Pats beat the Dolphins and the Jets, this loss will be irrelevant. The impression that they froze with the division on the line, does leave one to pause and ask whether this team is capable of playing a high pressure game in the playoffs. I still hope that's the case, and this was an aberration.

 

[Uptown]

It’s still NE vs LAR/SEA/PHI in the Super Bowl.

 

[scott99]

It’s still NE vs LAR/SEA/PHI in the Super Bowl.

I appreciate the incredible turnaround by the Pats this year, I’m hesitant to call them a SB team just yet.

 

[Uptown]

I appreciate the incredible turnaround by the Pats this year, I’m hesitant to call them a SB team just yet.

Besides Allen, which QB do you fear in the AFC?

Nix?
Lawrence?
Stroud?
Whoever the hell is quarterbacking IND?
Herbert?
Jackson?
Rodger?

 

[Uptown]

Early look..

 

[Sect140]

Based on what?

That they haven’t lost on the road this season.

 

[KCSVEN]

Early look..

Not surprised lost to the Bills, will be surprised if we lose to Ravens.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

That **** ain't gonna change Maye throwing 20 yards down the field to nobody on third down with game on the line.

Take off and ****ing run.

Except he's got these demons in his ear telling him not to run because Vrabel don't want him doing that.

He wanted Hollins to run a sideline up pattern and Hollins cut it off

 

[Ring 6]

Based on what?

Being a better football team.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

Besides Allen, which QB do you fear in the AFC?

Nix?
Lawrence?
Stroud?
Whoever the hell is quarterbacking IND?
Herbert?
Jackson?
Rodger?

Denver AND Houston have defenses vastly batter than anything the Pats have seen all year. Maye was vexed by very middling Bills defense today. Good news is he rarely has two stinkers in a row. I do wonder about weather with him. Bears monitoring

 

[scott99]

Besides Allen, which QB do you fear in the AFC?

Nix?
Lawrence?
Stroud?
Whoever the hell is quarterbacking IND?
Herbert?
Jackson?
Rodger?

Bo Nix, he’s proven he can come back after being behind by a lot, and also has a great defense to back him up.

 

[GreenCow]

Patriots started this game like it was their Super Bowl. They were energized, running tricks plays (reverses and throwbacks), and playing with their hair on fire. But once the adrenaline wore off, the game became about who is the better overall team.

The Bills started this game like a 6am shift at Wendy’s on a Tuesday. Going through the motions and running simple plays. They had no adrenaline to wear off because they had none to start with. They ran their usual boring plays and eventually the greater overall talent began to be the deciding factor on a play by play basis, and the Patriots were simply overmatched. That’s why they couldn’t stop anything Buffalo did and also why they couldn’t move the ball in the second half.

Pats will be ready for primetime in a year or two, but they just aren’t there yet. Division winner or not.

 

[VrabelJr]

I appreciate the incredible turnaround by the Pats this year, I’m hesitant to call them a SB team just yet.

As we learned today, knocking out a team that absolutely does not want to lose is a whole other beast. We need to do that 3-4 times to win a Super Bowl. we’re way ahead of schedule but I don’t like our chances just yet.

 

[Uptown]

Denver AND Houston have defenses vastly batter than anything the Pats have seen all year. Maye was vexed by very middling Bills defense today. Good news is he rarely has two stinkers in a row. I do wonder about weather with him. Bears monitoring

Fair, but I’m still us over them at our best. Nix is solid, but I think we can capitalize on his weaknesses & I don’t trust Stroud or that HOU offense to keep up with us. Today was bad in the second half, but I trust Maye & JMD to scheme something up for those Denver & Houston fronts. Denver would be the tougher test for various reasons:

-Good coach
-Their OL doesn’t allow anyone to touch Nix
-Defense
-Altitude at Mile High


Even with all that, I’m still riding with NE in playoff game. Especially after today. I honestly feel like today was our preview for the “feeling” of a playoff atmosphere…Even the players stated it…

 

[reflexblue]

Patriots started this game like it was their Super Bowl. They were energized, running tricks plays (reverses and throwbacks), and playing with their hair and fire. But once the adrenaline wore off, the game became about who is the better overall team.

The Bills started this game like a 6am shift at Wendy’s on a Tuesday. Going through the motions and running simple plays. They had no adrenaline to wear off because they had none to start with. They ran their usual boring plays and eventually the greater over talent began to take over moreso than adrenaline.

Pats will be ready for primetime in a year or two, but they just aren’t there yet. Division winning or not.

Oh now you show your face cow, where were you when the bills weren't playing well?

 

[TheRainMaker]

Patriots started this game like it was their Super Bowl. They were energized, running tricks plays (reverses and throwbacks), and playing with their hair on fire. But once the adrenaline wore off, the game became about who is the better overall team.

The Bills started this game like a 6am shift at Wendy’s on a Tuesday. Going through the motions and running simple plays. They had no adrenaline to wear off because they had none to start with. They ran their usual boring plays and eventually the greater overall talent began to be the deciding factor on a play by play basis, and the Patriots were simply overmatched. That’s why they couldn’t stop anything Buffalo did and also why they couldn’t move the ball in the second half.

Pats will be ready for primetime in a year or two, but they just aren’t there yet. Division winner or not.

Oh...so now you show up!

 

[Toofy]

Maye was pretty ordinary in second half and I still am skeptical, whether maye can rifle in passes to end zone in tight zones when offense is on RZ. I feel he is too afraid of throwing interceptions.

Dis barmore play ?

What happened to Diggs ?

Hollins was the only one who seemed to have a good game.

Boutte possibly one pass.

Pop was absent I believe ?

Landry is virtually useless as a pass rusher.

Where are the DB interceptions?

 

[smg93]

Surprisingly it didn't take too long for me to get over the disappointment over the loss. The ten game win streak was great and it afforded the team the ability to lose one of these games and still be solidly in control over their own destiny. It'll be nice to finally get rid of all the plaudits and complements over the last few weeks and I think this will help the team re-focus on themselves and watch the tape without being possibly too comfortabe about it because it finally cost them a win unlike in other weeks. Its not like this loss was a blowout from the start and we could see that the team was overmatched from the get go. The Pats won the first half, the Bills the second and overal by four points. This was a good lesson for the remainder of the season. There's a big part of me that is in a sense glad to see that this loss was really on the D and ST. The offense did their job and since TB12 left, I'm not sure how many times we've been able to say that.

 

[The Gr8est]

Oh now you show your face greencow, where were you when the bills weren't playing well?

Would he have been here today if the Pats won?

That is chickenshit!

 

[dliverey44]

This game was lost by the kickoff coverage team.

Not really, the O and D also contributed to the loss a great deal.