‘McDermott is right in that all three phases of the game can share in an inexcusable loss to a Patriots team that entered the game with a 1-5 record and had not scored more than 20 points since the season opener. The defensive collapse spoiled a comeback attempt, and dropped the Bills to 4-3 on the season and 1-2 in the AFC East, with massive questions on both sides of the ball.’
Archives for October 23, 2023
Ryan O’Halloran: Latest loss shows maybe the Bills just aren’t very good
‘This season is in trouble, on the edge of a full-blown crisis before the halfway point.’
Rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid ‘definitely a bright part’ of Bills’ loss to Patriots
‘“It looked like he had more targets today over the middle of the defense and man and zone, and I was excited to see that,” head coach Sean McDermott said. “We’ve got to continue to do that.”’
Three questions: Blame for loss begins with Bills’ stumbling offense
‘It’s a killer. There’s no minimizing it. Even if the Bills make a big rebound, this is going to hurt their playoff standing – and that’s presuming they do rebound and make the playoffs. The Bills’ path to the AFC East title looks a lot harder, because the schedule gets tougher.’
How it happened: Top plays, standout players, key statistics from Bills’ loss to Patriots
‘“Just not enough,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “We didn’t do enough.”’
Plays that shaped the game: Patriots’ Peppers on Allen’s interception, ‘We call that bait season’
‘Peppers was playing in between underneath receiver Dalton Kincaid, at the Bills’ 26, and deeper receiver Dawson Knox, at the 42. Allen ran a play-action fake and went deeper for Knox, instead of taking a short profit to Kincaid.’
Bills notebook: Jordan Poyer’s fumble kept hope alive; Ty Johnson makes debut
‘“Just trying to find a way to get the ball back to our offense and give us a chance,” Poyer said of the forced fumble. “We hadn’t had a takeaway all game and just trying to make a play on the football. The ball presented itself, and I was able to just punch it clean.”’
Report Card: Pass defense, coaching once again fail Bills in loss to Patriots
‘To borrow McDermott’s word, the team isn’t playing “complementary” football, and that starts with the head coach.’
Josh Allen says things are ‘pretty bleak’: 6 reasons Bills may struggle to make playoffs
‘“We’ve got to continue to find answers to some of the reasons why we’re stubbing our toe,” coach Sean McDermott said. “We’re beating ourselves at times and we’re not linking up all three phases to control a game.”’
Bills report card: Buffalo is a mess after disastrous loss to Mac Jones and Patriots
‘Coaching: F.’
Bills can’t complete comeback in inexcusable loss to Patriots (Instant observations)
‘Teams are forcing the Bills to work underneath and move the ball methodically down the field. Allen entered the game as the most accurate passer in the league at over 71% completion rate. But after sustaining the injury last week, his completion rate was hovering around 60% for most of the game before the fourth quarter, finishing close to his season mark.’
Buffalo Bills baffled by slow starts, don’t know how opponents keep stuffing offense early in game
‘The Bills don’t have any answers for why their offense keeps starting so slow. They’ve been held to 10 combined points in the last three first halves the past three weeks. Buffalo’s offense found their mojo in the second half at Gillette Stadium but it was too little, too late. The Bills defense wilted on the final drive, allowing Patriots quarterback Mac Jones to lead his first game-winning drive since his rookie season in 2021.’
Buffalo Bills running out of time to find answers after loss to bad Patriots team (Encouraged/worried)
‘This was the first real dud from the offensive line as a whole. Across the board, the unit struggled. It was the first time that O’Cyrus Torrence looked like a rookie, but he was not alone in his poor play. The line could not hold up today which led to Allen having to elude pressure all too often. This unit needs a bounce back performance on Thursday night.’
Buffalo Bills’ playoff odds plummet following loss to New England Patriots
‘The loss dropped the Bills to 4-3 on the season and greatly affected the team’s playoff odds. Following the loss, Buffalo’s playoff chances plummeted to 59% according to the New York Times simulator.’
Chickens come home to roost as Bills stagnant again in loss to rival Patriots
‘A week after being shutout through three quarters of a slim win over the lowly New York Giants, the Bills’ chickens came home to roost as they put forth another tepid performance throughout Sunday’s 29-25 defeat at the hands of their AFC East rival New England Patriots.’