Takeaways from the Patriots’ Week 7 Win vs the Bills

The Patriots snapped a four-game losing streak against the Bills this afternoon, securing a 29-25 home victory in the team’s first successful comeback since Mac Jones’ rookie season. When Kendrick Bourne fumbled late in the 4th quarter, New England seemed destined to follow their recent pattern of squandering chances to put opponents away. But this time, their offense answered the call by answering a Bills touchdown drive with one of their own to seal the game.

New England’s offense looked the best it has this season, gaining the most total yards (364) since Week 1 (382). Much of this success had to do with a fast start, mounting a 10-0 lead before Buffalo’s first score, and offensive tweaks that fans have been clamoring for. Mike Onwenu replaced Vederian Lowe at right tackle, Demario Douglas was heavily involved, and the run game featured more motion and misdirection. Mac Jones was rarely pressured, and Douglas made several big plays in multiple ways. The rushing attack sputtered out in the 2nd half, but the Patriots still ran for 96 yards with a 4.0 average. New England also had five Red Zone trips in the game, coming away with three touchdowns. There was the aforementioned turnover on a fumble, and the offense drew two flags, but it’s hard to complain about this bounce-back performance.

The defense had a solid 1st half where they often bent but rarely broke, highlighted by Jabrill Peppers intercepting Josh Allen’s first pass.

But the levees broke in the 2nd half, with Buffalo scoring three touchdowns on five possessions. The Bills also benefitted from three 1st downs due to penalties, though some were questionable, and allowed two 4th down conversions on three attempts. There’s plenty to clean up from today’s performance, and the All-22 might reveal multiple missed Bills opportunities, but Allen was held to a 90.0 passer rating, and Stefon Diggs was held under 60 receiving yards, which were major keys in today’s victory.

There were some moans and groans this morning when Bill Belichick was announced to have signed a “lucrative, multi-year extension,” but it’s clear the head coach still has players willing to fight for him. Here are my key takeaways from a gutsy and much-needed, Patriots win.

Mac Jones Caps Best Performance in Weeks with Clutch Game-Winning

The Patriots are 2-0 when Mac Jones doesn’t turn the ball over, but unlike Week 3 against the Jets, the quarterback was a driving force in today’s win. For the most part, he was accurate, on time, and made smart decisions with the football. He acknowledged there were a couple of plays where he dropped his eyes to the pass rush, and his lone sack was a standout example, but there’s not a lot to critique based on the initial broadcast angle.

Jones’ 126.7 passer rating was his highest since his rookie year, and his two touchdown passes were just his second game this season with multiple throws for scores. Similar to last week, this was a plan that relied heavily on short, quick throws with receivers making plays after the catch, but Jones also had impressive downfield throws, mostly to his tight ends and Demario Douglas.

The Bills may have been banged up defensively, with Tre’Davious White, Matt Milano, Ed Oliver, and DaQuan Jones all missing in this game, but credit to Mac Jones and his supporting cast.

Pop Douglas Proves to Be Offense’s Most Explosive Playmaker

The Demario Douglas hype train left the station early in training camp, as the explosive rookie quickly earned reps with the top offense. His limited workload in an anemic offense baffled many, though a closer look showed there were several mistakes peppered into Douglas’ in-game opportunities.

But with JuJu Smith-Schuster out due to a concussion and the offense needing a spark at 1-5, Douglas tied his season-high with seven offensive touches. He thrived in these opportunities, averaging 13.5 yards per catch and turning a jet sweep into an explosive gain. He also drew multiple penalties and had a big punt return to give the offense good field position,

It wasn’t a perfect performance, as Douglas also seemed to run the wrong route on a failed 3rd down attempt, but the positives today far outweighed the negatives that could be seen on initial viewing. If O’Brien and Jones are willing to tolerate growing pains as Douglas adjusts to the pro game, it could continue to pay massive dividends for a blossoming offense.

Pass Rush Improves, but Tackling Takes a Big Step Back

The Patriots’ pass rush has been almost nonexistent since losing Matthew Judon in Week 4, which seemed like a recipe for disaster against Josh Allen and his rocket launcher of a right arm. Things seemed even more dire when it was announced Josh Uche (foot) and Keion White (head) wouldn’t be playing. But similar to the offense, New England’s pass rush saw a resurgence against Buggalo. The Patriots front tormented Allen, with Christian Barmore, Deatrich Wise, and others bringing the heat and keeping the quarterback uncomfortable.

Barmore tallied a sack and a quarterback hit, though he was a consistent presence in the backfield, and the defense as a whole hit Allen eight times. The front also did an excellent job keeping Allen from scrambling up the middle of the defense and held him to just 17 yards on seven carries.

While that perceived weakness proved to be a surprising strength, the Patriots’ top-notch tackling mysteriously disappeared this afternoon.

Two of the Patriots’ touchdowns allowed were the result of missed tackles, and the Bill’s offense capitalized on several other whiffs for free yards. New England survived in spite of these deficiencies, but they won’t be so lucky against the high-powered Dolphins, so expect the defense to get back to the fundamentals this week.

Leftovers

• Anfernee Jennings continues to be an impactful run defender who contributes a couple of key pass-rushing reps a game. No one can replace Matthew Judon on their own, but Jennings’ early-down contributions and disciplined pass rushes have been key to stabilizing the Patriots’ front.
• Rookies Chad Ryland and Bryce Baringer were each excellent today. Ryland made all three of his field goal attempts on a windy day in Gillette, while Baringer booted two moon balls that pinned Buffalo in their own territory.
• Pharaoh Brown has been a sneaky good signing for the Patriots. Not only is he their best and most physical blocker, but he’s proven to be a massive target and a load to bring down after the catch. I’m not saying Pharaoh Brown needs to start getting five passes his way a game, but the tight end has been very efficient when targeted and converted on both of his catches today.