‘Despite looking less than machinelike at times and actually giving the Bills chances to hang around with three turnovers Sunday – chances the Bills squandered with dropped passes, a pair of turnovers, a horrific run defense, and a nonexistent run game of their own – the Pats (10-5) were able to comfortably win their 10th consecutive AFC East crown.’
Archives for December 24, 2018
Bills’ LeSean McCoy doesn’t start because of disciplinary issue
‘McCoy wasn’t out for long – he carried the ball for three yards on the second play of the game – but ended up with just nine rushing yards on six carries, his third-lowest single-game output this season and the lowest in a game he finished healthy. He added three catches for 10 yards.’
Jason Wolf: Tom Brady wasn’t good, but Patriots dominate Bills again
‘“Limiting somebody like Tom Brady to what he had, we got some turnovers off of him and all that stuff, it’s huge,” Bills safety Micah Hyde said. “But at the end of the day, we’ve got to stop all their weapons, which they do have a lot. They do. We couldn’t stop that.”’
Jay Skurski’s observations: Bills’ run defense woefully inept in loss
‘The Bills allowed a whopping 273 rushing yards in a 24-12 loss at Gillette Stadium. That’s the most allowed since New Orleans gained 298 yards in Week 10 of the 2017 season and tied for the 17th most ever allowed by the Bills. For a time Sunday, it looked like the franchise record of 320 rushing yards against – set all the way back in 1962 against the Dallas Texans – was in jeopardy.’
Plays that Shaped the Game: With pass game in crisis, Pats play smash-mouth ball
‘The Pats gained 170 yards on 29 carries out of “big personnel,” using a fullback and/or two tight ends. And they succeeded in throwing a jet-sweep wrinkle at the Bills. In the October meeting in Buffalo, the Pats ran the end around or jet sweep only twice for 13 yards. This time, their first four jet sweeps gained 71 yards. A fifth was stuffed for a loss of 4 yards.’
Quarterly Report: No rhythm, squandered chances for Bills’ offense
‘No rhythm for the Bills’ offense. The Bills produced only four first downs in the first half and were 1 of 7 on third-down situations.’
Bills-Patriots Report Card: One good grade, a whole bunch of bad ones
‘LeSean McCoy had six carries for 9 yards. His future with the Bills is looking cloudier with each passing week.’
Except for Tom Brady looking old, nothing new as Patriots whip Bills
‘Still, the Patriots beat the Bills for the 33rd time in 38 games since Bill Belichick became coach in 2000, and there really wasn’t a point all day where it was in doubt.’
Maiorana: Tom Brady looks human but overwhelmed Josh Allen isn’t ready to take torch
‘Allen’s stock-market season took another dip as he looked overwhelmed at times against Bill Belichick’s defense. He completed 20 of 41 passes for 217 yards with a TD and two picks for a rating of 52.6. He rushed for only 30 yards, and simply wasn’t up to the task of beating the Patriots in his first try.’
Report card
‘The beat just goes on and on, and the Patriots proved yet again they are the haves, and the Bills are the have nots. Buffalo was a 13-point underdog, yet some believed that because New England had lost two games in a row, it was suddenly on the skids and could be ripe for an upset. Come on, did anyone really fall for that one? The Patriots are now 7-0 at home, and there wasn’t one point in the game where anyone could have believed the Bills had a chance to pull the upset. These teams are on different levels, even now. Whatever the Patriots needed to do, they did, just like they always have in their twice annual floggings of the Bills.’
What Bills’ Josh Allen took away from first matchup with Patriots’ Tom Brady
‘”Early on, they did a really good job of kind of disguising and dropping out and playing zone when they sure looked like they were playing man,” Allen said. “They did that for an obvious reason. Being young, it took (me) a little bit to adjust. At the same time, I’ve got to be better with my eyes, got to be better with where I put the football.”‘
Bills’ LeSean McCoy frustrated, says coach Sean McDermott ‘put me in my place’
‘“I’m a captain and I gotta be more accountable. Simple as that,” he said.’
Bills not ready for Patriots: 3 reasons to be encouraged, 8 reasons to worry
‘Jordan Poyer is one Bills player that performs well at Gillette Stadium. One year after recording a pick-six on Tom Brady, Poyer had an interception and sack on the first-ballot Hall of Famer.’
Report card: Josh Allen struggles, but ‘weapons’ do him no favors vs. Patriots
‘Allen wasn’t at his best against the Patriots, but there was a lot of blame to go around.’
Bills make Charles Clay inactive vs. Patriots, putting future with team in question
‘He has a $9 million cap hit this season and in 2019. His five-year deal expires after next season but the Bills could save $4.5 million if they cut Clay this offseason.’