Five Takeaways from the Patriots Season Ending Week 18 Loss to Bills

The Patriots season is officially over.

In what truly felt like a no-win situation for New England on Sunday, Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY was rocking in support of Bills safety Damar Hamlin, and they took that momentum all the way to the finish line in a 28-17 win. Here’s a look at the scoring drives from the afternoon:

Patriots 0 – Bills 7 | Nyheim Hines 96-yard kickoff return TD

Patriots 7 – Bills 7 | 9 plays, 74 yards – Jakobi Meyers 2-yard TD

Patriots 7 – Bills 14 | 13 plays, 75 yards – Dawson Knox 4-yard TD

Patriots 14 – Bills 14 | 9 plays, 74 yards – DeVante Parker 2-yard TD

Patriots 17 – Bills 14 | 4 plays, 5 yards – Nick Folk 24-yard FG

Patriots 17 – Bills 21 | Nyheim Hines 101 -yard kickoff return TD

Patriots 17 – Bills 28 | 7 plays, 81 yards – John Brown 42-yard TD

Patriots 23 – Bills 28 | 8 plays, 85 yards – DeVante Parker 26-yard TD

Patriots 23 – Bills 35 | 4 plays, 60 yards – Stefon Diggs 49-yard TD

Let’s be real – there was no way the Patriots were winning this game – however they did show some fight, and they have plenty to build off of heading into next season. Here are my five takeaways from their season-ending loss to the Bills on Sunday:

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5. Playing for Damar Hamin was very real.

The beginning of Sunday’s game was like a Hollywood script. The number 3 was shown everywhere across Highmark Stadium, first responders were honored prior to kickoff for their courageous efforts in saving Damar Hamlin, and then Nyheim Hines happened:

The Bills running back returned the opening kickoff of Sunday’s for a 96-yard touchdown, and started Buffalo’s inevitable journey to a win. It was an incredible moment that Bills Mafia will remember forever.

4. Joe Judge has a place on this Patriots coaching staff.

New England’s special teams coordinator Cam Achord has to go. For the entirety of the Bill Belichick era, the Patriots prided themselves on playing great football in all three phases of the game – and they significantly dropped the ball on special teams side of that this season. They allowed two kick return touchdowns in Sunday’s game – securing their fate as a non-playoff team for the second time in the last three years.

Luckily, Bill Belichick has a quality ST coordinator already on his staff by the name of Joe Judge. Judge coached the quarterbacks this season – but when they ultimately shuffle this coaching staff around, they need to consider giving him his old job back. His success in the position was the reason he got a head coaching job with the New York Giants. Judge needs his unit back.

3. Mac Jones is good.

A simple takeaway from the loss, but it needs to be said. Mac Jones is not the problem with this New England offense, and he never was.

The quarterback went 26-40 for 243 yards and 3 touchdowns during New England’s season finale on Sunday, and basically carried the Patriots offense all afternoon.

With reports that Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien’s market could be robust, the Patriots will need to be on the horn with him ASAP if they want to bring him back to Foxboro and fix this offense. Other potential options are Kliff Kingsbury, Chad O’Shea, Zac Robinson, or in-house candidate Nick Caley.

Whoever it is, they have the quarterback already in place.

2. The problem was always the offensive play-calling, not the personnel.

Matt Patricia threw out all of his nonsensical rules today, pulled out all the stops, and it (sort of) paid off:

• The Patriots ran… PLAY ACTION?! a significant amount of times today and it actually helped their offense move the football. At one point, Mac Jones was Mac Jones is 8-of-8 for 82 yards and a TD off of PA, his most this season. What a concept.
• Kendrick Bourne, doghoused all season long, had four catches for 45 yards once he was finally integrated back into the game plan on Sunday. Again, what a concept.
• New England allowed Mac Jones to spread the ball around out of the shotgun quickly, and not just chuck the ball aimlessly downfield like they did to start the season. It amounted to 23 points.

It wasn’t enough, as they did not get a win, but the offense finally showed a real sign of life against a quality defense in the Bills.

1. The Patriots are closer than you think to being contenders again.

Despite a truly disappointing season where New England lost far too many close games due to crazy endings and stupid mistakes, the Patriots are awfully close to being a contending football team in the AFC again.

The pieces on offense are there and he defense has plenty of building blocks and already showed how great they can be this season.

New offensive coordinator, an offensive tackle, a boundary corner – and this team will feel like a brand new team next season.

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New England finished the 2022-2023 season 8-9 and on the outside looking in to the postseason for the second time in three seasons without Tom Brady.

There’s work to do this season – and surely Bill Belichick will be right back to it. Keep it here for the entirety of the offseason at CLNSMedia.com where I’ll have you covered with everything Patriots until they take the field again for rookie minicamp in April. Here’s to hoping next season has a far different result.

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