WGR

‘If there’s one thing we’ve learned over an almost two-decade run of dominance for the Patriots over the Bills, it’s that you need every edge you can find and then maybe even some good luck to go along with it if you intend to beat them. That blocked punt touchdown was that opportunity Sunday and for whatever reason, the Bills were not prepared to take advantage of it.’

‘While that would be it for the scoring, the game still had plenty of drama. Josh Allen’s day would end early in the fourth quarter, as the second year quarterback was placed in the league’s concussion protocol after a helmet-to-helmet hit by Patriots safety Jonathan Jones. Matt Barkley would finish the game under center for the Bills, leading the Bills down to the Patriots’ 3 yard line. However, a pass on fourth and goal to Zay Jones would wind up incomplete and the Bills turned over the football on downs.’

‘There was a time in this game the defense had Brady in four three-and-outs and one 16-play-93 yard drive, but guess what happened on that one? Micah Hyde intercepted Brady in the end zone to stop the drive.’

‘But the Bills still managed to lose the game. While there were a number of reasons for that, the main culprit was Josh Allen. There’s no other way to put it other than the Bills second year quarterback absolutely killed them. Now Allen isn’t the first young quarterback to look bad against a Belichick coached defense and he won’t be the last but his numerous mistakes were the biggest factor in this defeat. Allen again tried to make too many hero throws and it came back to bite him. In the first quarter he attempted a deep throw for John Brown at the right hash but Allen apparently didn’t see the safety in the middle of the field who came over for the pick. In the second quarter Allen threw off his back foot with a pass rusher coming and just lofted a ball up for Zay Jones but it too was intercepted.’

‘”I wanna say thanks to all the guys that helped me get it,” Gore said. “All my offensive lineman, the receivers, coaches, now I just wanna keep playing.”‘

‘It is not clear if the two Patriots staffers were violating any sort of rule or decorum, but McDermott certainly did not like that they were out there.’

‘We saw the bad and good of Allen through three games. Against the Patriots, we certainly saw most of the bad.’

‘We know Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick likes to take away what a team does best. Last season, the Bills best offense was Josh Allen running, so that’s what Belichick did. In the six games Allen played after returning from his elbow injury, he had at least nine carries in every one of them, except for one – at the Patriots. In that game, the then-rookie QB only carried the ball five times, and for only 30 yards. Belichick made him try to win from the pocket. Allen was 20-for-41 for 217 yards, with 1 TD and 2 interceptions. Allen’s off to a much better start this year throwing the football, completing 64.1% of his passes. He’ll have to continue on that path, at the very least, against the Patriots defense, because Belichick will force him to.’

‘“It is tough. Coming in as the visiting team, their fans and the energy in there, they do a good job of making sure you don’t feel at home, or feel welcome,” Devin McCourty said Friday on Dale & Keefe with Andy Hart. “We know it will start as soon as we turn into the stadium and we drive through all the tailgates and we try to get around to that back entrance where we go in. We will get a little bit of everything — the middle fingers, ‘you suck’ — we will get it all.”‘

‘”It starts with every man doing his job. I know that’s kind of a cliche, but that’s true. You see a lot of teams that come out against the Patriots, because of the success they’ve experienced, and they try and do too much. So, we have to make sure we come in, and every man does his job, and we play disciplined football. That’s the challenge. You try and take away the pass, they beat you with the run. You try an commit to the run, they beat you with the pass. They’ve been together a long time, from a continuity standpoint, and so with that, they can spin the dial and do some things.”‘

‘After practice, head coach Sean McDermott said the rookie “did some good things out there” and “did some good work.” Singletary was officially limited from a pracrice participation standpoint. The running back missed the team’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday with a hamstring injury suffered in Week 2 against the New York Giants.’

‘It will only be the second-career game for Josh Allen against the Patriots, who missed last season’s Monday Night Football matchup at New Era Field as he recovered from an elbow injury. Allen did face the Patriots in their Week 16 matchup in Foxboro, where he struggled a bit by going 20-of-41 for 217 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.’

‘WR John Brown, OT Ty Nsekhe, DE Lorenzo Alexander, and DE Jerry Hughes all have veteran rest days.’

‘Now that Harrison Phillips is done for the season, the Bills at defensive tackle are down to Ed Oliver, Jordan Philips, and Star Lotulelei. Although they have a couple of players at the position on the practice squad.’

‘With less than 5 minutes to go, the Bills offense woke up from their rough second half, marching 78 yards in 7 plays to retake the lead, headlined by Knox’s 49 yard catch and run and Allen escaping a sack to put the Bills inside the Cincinnati 10 yard line. Gore would finish off the drive with a 1 yard run to end the drive and give the lead back to the Bills, 21-17.’