I’m angry after this loss to Buffalo. I’m angry that the Defense couldn’t contain Josh Allen and James Cook in the 2nd half. The Patriots weren’t disciplined, and they could get away with that against inferior competition. This was the result of their historically easy schedule. Drake Maye has never led his team to a comeback in the 4th quarter. Yeah, they came back against Miami, but that was a kickoff return by Antonio Gibson for a TD, and after a Tua interception at the MIA 38-yard line, Maye couldn’t move the team, and they settled for an FG. They jumped out to the lead and never had the pressure of coming back.
Maye failed miserably. His decision-making in the second half was the worst he has shown this season.
Vrabel is having trouble coming to terms with how the game was officiated. Anyone watching can acknowledge it was inconsistent; the officials seemed happy to swallow their whistles in the first half but were quick on the trigger with penalties in the second. The Patriots ended up on the receiving end of multiple flags at very inopportune moments, which definitely contributed to the loss, even if they were not the sole reason for it.
If the coach and the media won’t say it, I will. I’m angry about the officiating. This one kept me up last night. The Marcus Jones Pass Interference penalty was a joke. The pass was underthrown, but the defender has as much of a right to the ball as the Receiver does. Jones turned and intercepted the ball. The receiver never had possession, yet the official said it was a completed pass. The Bills didn’t accept the penalty. That would have been penalty #8 and another 30 yards for a total of 95 yards in penalties.
That official who made the call changed the game. If the Patriots are awarded the ball, they stop the drive and take away another TD. That’s the difference in the game. Allen would have been held to 163 yards passing. The Patriots ran for 246 yards, and if you had told me those two stats, I would have said the Patriots blew the Bills away.
Here are 4 more non-calls by the officials. All I want is fair calls by the officials. What was a penalty by the Patriots wasn’t being called against Buffalo.
- Mack Hollins in the endzone gets clobbered across the front of his facemask by Tre’Davious White. No call. If you are going by the letter of the law, that is PI.
- Carlton Davis was called for PI when he grabbed Buffalo receiver Keon Coleman after stumbling. That penalty was called correctly even if the ref had trouble getting the flag out of his pocket. I don’t care if it’s late in the game or the 1st half.
- However, the refs didn’t call a penalty for holding/ PI on Buffalo when Stefon Diggs went inside and tried to break back outside on the last play by the Patriots Offense. The defender wrapped him around the waist and spun him around.
- The Bills came into the game with the most holding calls by any Offensive line in the league. They were called once. Christian Barmore was definitely held on a pass rush and no call. My final non-call was an outside run by Cook, where Christian Gonzalez was held by Keon Coleman. Coleman had both hands outside the shoulder pads, holding Gonzalez and allowing Cook to get around the edge. Marte Mapu got called for the exact same type of hold that wiped out a big Kickoff return by Kyle Williams. Mapu didn’t hold him for nearly as long as Coleman did Gonzalez.
The game wasn’t called fairly. What was a penalty against the Patriots wasn’t a penalty on Buffalo.
Offensive Line Stats (via PFF)
| Season | New York Giants | Season Stats | ||||||
| Overall | Offense | Pass Blck | Run Blck | Sacks | QB Hits | Hurries | Pressure | |
| Lowe | 55.3 | 68.7* | 66 | 61 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Brown | 67.2 | 73.3 | 60.9 | 74.4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Bradbury | 58.6 | 59.7 | 58.4 | 59.1 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 19 |
| Onwenu | 73.9 | 77.5 | 76.9 | 73.5 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 19 |
| Moses | 70.6 | 63.4 | 61.3 | 62.2 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 23 |
| Season | Buffalo Bills | Season Stats | ||||||
| Overall | Offense | Pass Blck | Run Blck | Sacks | QB Hits | Hurries | Pressure | |
| Lowe | 57.4 | 61.8 | 61.5 | 68.5* | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Wilson | 49.8 69 | 58.7 | 82 | 50.4 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 22 |
| Bradbury | 59.8 29 | 69.3 | 77.8 | 66 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 18 |
| Onwenu | 75.5 11 | 79.5 | 57 | 82 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 22 |
| Moses | 70.6 34 | 70.5 | 65.3 | 71.8 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 24 |
Lowes’ Run Blocking was his best of the season. Bradbury has cleaned up his sack problem from last year, but he is ranked 29th of 32 starting Centers.
Special Teams let the team down against the Bills. Buffalo utilized an Offensive Lineman in the exact place where Ray Davis ran. This is something they hadn’t done before, and it took the Patriots by surprise.
A reader posted that I omitted Offensive Line Coach Doug Marrone in my deep dive analysis, which I did. Not on purpose but I had already written 5500 words. Marone, Assistants Jason Houghtailing and Robert Kugler have done a terrific job with the Offensive line, especially the two rookies playing together on the left side. Two rookies playing at G and T have only been done one time, by the Ravens, and it didn’t work out nearly as well as it has this year with the Patriots. I thought the line play was very good against the Bills. I give the O-line coaches a solid B grade.
The video review revealed that Drake Maye’s decision-making was the biggest problem with the Offense. He had players open and just wasn’t looking for them. He pre-determined who he was throwing to (Mack Hollins) rather than scanning the field. He had good protection and time to throw. He also panicked in the pocket and ran when he should have been able to pick out a receiver or throw it away.
A secondary problem was Josh McDaniels’ play calling. Buffalo was playing two high safeties, and the Patriots should have been able to run the ball. McDaniels chose to pass. I can understand passing against 8-10 men in the box, but this wasn’t the case.
Mike Vrabel was pretty upset after the game, talking about cheap shots by the Bills. He wouldn’t elaborate but questioned the integrity of the league in enforcing the rules to ensure player safety.
Comings and Goings
The Patriots announced the signing of linebacker Chad Muma off the practice squad of the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday, as reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The 6’3” 239-pound LB from Wyoming was drafted by Jacksonville in the 2022 3rd round at No. 70 overall. He has 4.63 speed and can play all three Linebacker positions.
Muma, 26, a former first-team All-Mountain West honoree out of Wyoming, spent his initial three years with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was claimed off waivers by the Indianapolis Colts following the league’s roster deadline in August. In 5 games with the Colts he had 5 tackles.
LB Caleb Murphy missed a couple of tackles on Special Teams, and it cost the team. No coincidence that Murphy was waived on Monday.
Support Mark and buy him a coffee.
Support Us: Help Us Compete Against The Corporate Media Giants
We need your help. If you enjoy our content, please help us beat Google's Corporate algorithm by adding us as a preferred source on Google News.
Click the button below and check the box next to "PatsFans.com"
Add as a preferred source on Google News
Merrimack Valley native and lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. My earliest memories of the Patriots were attending as a child with my dad, the off-season practice at Phillips Academy. I was at the Patriots game at Harvard Stadium in 1970 where Bob “Harpo” Gladieux was called out of the stands by the stadium announcer over the PA to play in the game. Analyzing the draft since ESPN first started to televise it in 1980 and former writer for the Lowell Sun Newspaper.
Bottom line is Buffalo wanted that game bad coming in, and were experientially hardened steel in that big game spot. Buffalo was not wanting to hand the AFC east to nemesis NE with a month to go in the season.Conversely, the Patriots are the youngest team in the league. That game was a learning experience regards to momentum shifts and corresponding pressure. The momentum shifted with the Buffalo kick returns, with Josh Allen subsequently getting a short field and executing a TD score. The Pats just could not douse the flame of that momentum. Better now than in the playoffs.… Read more »