‘This was a somewhat alarming performance against a defense that should have had no business being as stingy as it was. It’s tough to rag on an offense that had scored 30 points in eight straight games, but the Bills need to get some things worked out, in particular, Cooper’s role. He had a nice game in LA, but otherwise, his play since he arrived in the trade from Cleveland has been underwhelming. Keon Coleman hasn’t done much either since his return from injury as he had just one catch for 17 yards.’
Archives for December 2024
Allen’s injury scare a reminder: his health is top priority
‘Allen didn’t have a great game on Sunday even before he knocked his right elbow on either a Patriot helmet or the cold, hard turf (he wasn’t sure which) early in the fourth quarter. He temporarily lost feeling in his throwing hand — and temporarily sent any Bills fan watching into a panic. Before anyone else knew it was a problem, Allen tried to throw deep to Dalton Kincaid on the next snap, but the ball slipped and fluttered out of his hand so badly it negated a clear case of pass interference for being an “uncatchable” ball.’
Turnovers save Bills defense after a slow start
‘The good news for the Bills defense is they didn’t allow another point until New England’s last drive of the game, with 1:13 remaining. What changed in the second half? “It was a couple of things,” linebacker and captain Terrel Bernard told the Times Herald. “A couple plays there where somebody might have been out of the gap or we weren’t necessarily on the same page all the way through. I think that and then in the run game, suffocating the line of scrimmage a little bit more and forcing it to a drop-back passing game, not letting them win first down. I think that was a huge part of why we were more successful in the second half.”’
James Cook makes Bills history in surprisingly tight win over 3-win Patriots (takeaways)
‘The Bills’ defense came out flat against one of the NFL’s worst offenses, and Buffalo faced a 14-0 deficit early in the second quarter. That’s when running back James Cook took over.’
Josh Allen injury: What happened vs. Patriots and what Bills QB said about it
‘“It took a good five to ten minutes (to get feeling back),” Allen told the media. “Just making sure, trying to get some blood flow back in there and some activation. When it’s cold like that too the more you leave it out the number the whole hand gets. It was a weird feeling. Glad it’s gone now.”’
Buffalo Bills sleepwalk early vs. Patriots, find way to win (encouraged/worried)
‘Penalties: The Bills were called for 13 penalties on Sunday. There was a phantom hold called on O’Cyrus Torrence, but many of the penalties called against Buffalo were legitimate. Buffalo cannot give up so many free yards.’
Bills survival guide vs. Pats: A game-saving interception & the next DB dinner tab
‘Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips applied the pressure on Maye, who thought he had tight end Austin Hooper breaking open in the end zone. But by the time Maye let the ball go, Lewis came flying into the picture, swooping in front of Hooper and intercepting the pass.’
Bills survive scare from division rival Patriots, move to 12-3
‘The turning point in the contest occurred in the fourth quarter. With the Patriots trailing 17-14 on their 12-yard line, New England quarterback Drake Maye tried to throw a pass to running back Rhamondre Stevenson in the backfield. Still, Bills edge rusher Greg Rousseau read the play and forced an inaccurate pass behind the line of scrimmage.’
Sabato: James Cook, Bills prove Josh Allen doesn’t need to bring his cape every week to win
‘Sunday’s win over the now 3-12 Patriots — a team that looked to be somewhere in the middle of trying to win and tanking for a better draft spot — probably isn’t a regular recipe the Bills want to use, but it’s one every contender needs to pull out on occasion.’
Monday’s New England Coverage
Patriots were competitive, but it just delayed the inevitable in loss to the Bills (Boston Globe)
Drake Maye played a big role in loss to Bills, but he remains accountable, an excellent sign for the Patriots (Boston Globe)
The fake punt was aggressive thinking, but Jerod Mayo’s decisions on fourth and short remain questionable (Boston Globe)
Rhamondre Stevenson ball security issues return in loss to Bills, and he no longer has a hold as Patriots’ featured back (Boston Globe)
Rookie report: Drake Maye threw two TD passes but also had two costly turnovers in loss (Boston Globe)
Top takeaways from Patriots’ 24-21 loss fumbled away to Bills (Boston Herald)
Patriots’ Kayshon Boutte put tumultuous week behind him in bounce-back performance (Boston Herald)
Patriots can no longer count on Rhamondre Stevenson to hold onto ball (Boston Herald)
Patriots’ Drake Maye calls Jerod Mayo, Alex Van Pelt job speculation ‘BS’ (Boston Herald)
Callahan: It’s time to forget about Jerod Mayo getting fired (Boston Herald)
Jerod Mayo gets aggressive with Patriots fake punt to pick up first down (Boston Herald)
5 Patriots takeaways from surprisingly competitive loss in Buffalo (Springfield Republican)
Here are 3 reasons why Patriots lost to Buffalo Bills (Springfield Republican)
Patriots took their best shot of the year. Then disaster struck. | What Happened? (Springfield Republican)
Will player support be enough to save Alex Van Pelt? | Mark Daniels (Springfield Republican)
Did Patriots coach Jerod Mayo finally get his wish? | Karen Guregian (Springfield Republican)
Drake Maye’s voice is getting louder | Chris Mason (Springfield Republican)
QB corner: After a terrific start, mistakes kill Drake Maye and the Patriots (Springfield Republican)
Patriots RB explains ball security issues (Springfield Republican)
‘I think it’s some BS.’ Drake Maye fires back at Jerod Mayo’s critics (Springfield Republican)
Jerod Mayo explains controversial 4th down decision in Patriots loss (Springfield Republican)
Ex-Patriots LB scores 1st career touchdown on pick-6 (Springfield Republican)
Patriots look unrecognizable, finally call that one Drake Maye play | NickNacks (Springfield Republican)
Patriots coaches change mind on Drake Maye run plays (Springfield Republican)
Bills QB Josh Allen offers Patriots some high praise (Springfield Republican)
Josh Allen lost feeling in his hand after Patriot’s ‘helmet to the funny bone’ (Springfield Republican)
Josh Allen has been playing with injury since Week 1 (report) (Springfield Republican)
Patriots former QB helped old team once again in draft position (Springfield Republican)
‘Somebody’s been working’ with Jerod Mayo to say less to media, Patriots champ says (Springfield Republican)
What they’re saying nationally after Patriots’ loss in Buffalo (Springfield Republican)
Mayo and some real silver lining (Lawrence Eagle Tribune)
Patriots’ Drake Maye launches TD pass to WR Kayshon Boutte (ESPN)
What happened to the Patriots’ defense this season? (ESPN)
Costly errors led to Patriots’ squandered lead and 24-21 loss to Bills (The Sporting News)
Drake Maye drops a ball in the bucket to Kayshon Boutte for Patriots first TD vs. Bills (The Sporting News)
Rhamondre Stevenson punishes would-be tacklers on TD run to extend Patriots lead over Bills (The Sporting News)
Drake Maye calls criticism of Patriots coaching staff ‘B.S.’ (The Sporting News)
How did Patriots’ Week 16 loss to Bills affect their 2025 NFL draft position? (The Sporting News)
Four Takeaways As Patriots Can’t Sustain Fast Start Against Bills (NESN)
Patriots Broke Historic Bills Scoring Streak Despite Team Defensive Flaws (NESN)
Two Studs, Three Duds From Patriots’ Tough Loss To Bills (NESN)
Drake Maye Report Card: How Patriots QB Fared In Chilly Battle Vs. Bills (NESN)
Patriots Fans Baffled By CBS Caption Of Josh Allen’s Interception (NESN)
Drake Maye Pleased With Patriots Aggressive Play-Calling Shift (NESN)
Was Patriots’ Aggressive First Half Vs. Bills Enough To Save Jerod Mayo? (NESN)
Patriots Fans Had Same Reaction To Mind-Numbing Decision By Defender (NESN)
Scott Zolak Said What Everyone Thought Amid Patriots’ Fast Start (NESN)
Patriots Captain Claps Back At Criticism Of Jerod Mayo, Coaching Staff (NESN)
Drake Mayes Calls ‘BS’ On Growing Patriots’ Narrative (NESN)
Drake Maye, Mac Jones Share Common Patriots Thread That Shouldn’t Matter (NESN)
Patriots Earn Huge Win After Mac Jones Loses Cellar-Dweller Clash (NESN)
Patriots Veteran Makes Very Lofty Comparison For Drake Maye (NESN)
Patriots Rumors: New Intel About Players’ Thoughts On Jerod Mayo (NESN)
NFL Insider Shares Update On Jerod Mayo’s Patriots Job Security (NESN)
NFL Rumors: Former Patriots QB Receives Noteworthy Promotion (NESN)
Ex-Patriots Assistant Reportedly Will Follow Bill Belichick To UNC (NESN)
Patriots-Bills recap: Late errors undo Pats’ upset effort in 24-21 loss (NBC Sports Boston)
Patriots show long-awaited progress in best loss of season vs. Bills (NBC Sports Boston)
Curran: Patriots ‘finally showed a pulse’ in loss to Bills (NBC Sports Boston)
Drake Maye endorses Patriots calling designed QB runs (NBC Sports Boston)
Drake Maye calls chatter about Mayo and Van Pelt’s job security ‘B.S.’ (NBC Sports Boston)
2025 NFL Draft order: Where Pats stand in first round after Week 16 loss (NBC Sports Boston)
Ups & Downs as Patriots put a scare into Bills, ultimately lose fifth straight (WEEI-FM)
Patriots blow early lead, comeback comes up short in 24-21 loss to Bills (WBZ-FM)
6 takeaways after the Patriots start strong but come up short against the Bills (WBZ-FM)
Patriots Ups & Downs: Who stood out in a loss to the Bills? (WBZ-FM)
Turnovers doom Patriots in upset bid against Bills (WBZ-TV)
Ups & Downs: Patriots actually showed up and put up a fight against the Bills (WBZ-TV)
Drake Maye backs Mayo, Van Pelt after loss to Bills: “I’m proud to be a Patriot” (WBZ-TV)
Rapid Recap: Pats Start Hot, Finish Cold in Buffalo (Patriots.com)
Game Observations: Eight Takeaways From the Patriots Competitive Loss to the Bills in Week 16 (Patriots.com)
Game Notes: Patriots Defense Is First to Hold Buffalo Under 30 Points at Home (Patriots.com)
New England Patriots Postgame Quotes 12/22 (Patriots.com)
Photo gallery (Patriots.com)
Photo gallery 1 (BuffaloBills.com)
Photo gallery 2 (BuffaloBills.com)
Photo gallery 3 (BuffaloBills.com)
Photo gallery 4 (BuffaloBills.com)
Photo gallery 1 (Buffalo News)
Photo gallery 2 (Buffalo News)
Photo gallery 3 (Buffalo News)
Photo gallery 1 (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
Photo gallery 2 (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
Josh Allen played most of season with fracture as Bills star sits in driver’s seat for MVP
‘Allen, 28, has played so well that you wouldn’t be able to tell he was dealing with an injury; he has 25 passing touchdowns against just five interceptions to go along with 11 rushing touchdowns for the 11-3 Bills.’
James Cook scores 2 TDs and Bills force 3 turnovers in 24-21 win over Patriots
‘Johnson fell on a loose ball — after Drake Maye’s backward pass went off of Rhamondre’s Stevenson’s hands — at the goal line for a touchdown to cap a defensive outing in which Buffalo forced takeaways on each of the Patriots’ first three possessions of the second half. Meanwhile, running back James Cook scored on a 46-yard rush and a 4-yard catch to help Buffalo overcome a 14-0 deficit.’
Josh Allen shakes off hit to his funny bone in Bills’ win over Patriots
‘“When it’s cold like that, too, the more you leave it out, the number the whole hand gets,” Allen said. “So it was a weird feeling. Just glad it’s gone now.”’
Bills RB James Cook rushes for 46-yard TD against Patriots
‘The touchdown drive came after a sluggish start for the Bills. The defense gave up two straight touchdown drives to the Patriots, while the offense’s first drive went for only six plays before it was forced to punt.’
MVP favorite Josh Allen has played through broken hand for most of Bills’ season, per report
‘Allen was on the injury report until after the team’s Week 12 bye with a hand injury, but the severity of the injury remained unknown until now. It has impacted some areas of his play, as he is taking snaps under center only 15.4 percent of the time, which marks the third lowest rate of his career.’