‘“Yeah, I mean, it took a good five to 10 minutes, so just making sure, trying to get some blood flow back in there, some activation,” Allen said. “When it’s cold like that, too, the more you leave it out, the number the whole hand gets. So, it was a weird feeling. Just glad it’s gone now.”’
BillsBeat - December 23, 2024
Three questions: Run defense remains a worry after Bills hold off Patriots
‘New England rushed 17 times for 80 yards, a 4.7-yard average in the first half. The Patriots are not a dominant running team. They held the ball for 20:20 in the first half. The Bills are staring at potential playoff games against power running teams Baltimore or Pittsburgh. The Ravens, of course, destroyed the Bills on the ground back in Week 4.’
Takeaways, game balls, gassers from the Buffalo Bills' tough win over New England
‘The Patriots, with rookie quarterback Drake Maye, rolled up 238 first-half yards and converted five of their first six third-down opportunities. When New England made it 14-0, it was the sixth consecutive touchdown drive by a Bills opponent. Six! The Patriots’ 16-play drive was tied for the longest allowed by the Bills this season, the 91 yards third longest and the 9:57 time of possession the longest. In the second half, though, the Patriots were held to 131 yards.’
Plays that shaped the game: Long arms of Greg Rousseau create key turnovers for Bills' defense
‘“I got cut-blocked, so I knew it was a screen,” Rousseau said, referring to a low block from tackle Demontrey Jacobs that he avoided. “I went straight to the running back and got a hit on him. I should have recovered it, but Taron got it.”’
Report Card: Bills' running game was strong in narrow victory over Patriots. As for special teams ...
‘Another week, another notable error. Head coach Sean McDermott was not happy that the Patriots pulled off a fake punt in the second quarter. It certainly feels as if special teams coordinator Matthew Smiley is going to be on the hot seat after this season. Tight end Quintin Morris committed a penalty on special teams. It wasn’t all bad, though, as Tyler Bass drilled a 50-yard field goal in the third quarter to give his team the lead. Bass has hit 50-plus-yard field goals in back-to-back games, the third such streak of his career and only the 12th time that’s been done in team history. Sam Martin placed two of his four punts inside the Patriots’ 20-yard line, making his 37.8-yard net average look a little better. Ray Davis had a 24-yard kickoff return that gave the Bills a decent drive start. Rookie Brandon Codrington’s decision-making was solid as a returner.’
Bills avoid upset scare with depleted defense forcing 3 turnovers to put away Patriots
‘In the end, the talent differential between the two teams finally began to show up in the second half as the Bills tied the game on their first possession of the third quarter, and then three consecutive New England turnovers led to a field goal and a Taron Johnson recovery of a backward pass in the end zone for a defensive touchdown that gave the Bills a 24-14 lead, and that turned out to be the decisive blow in a 24-21 victory that was so much harder to achieve than anyone expected.’
Bills report card: James Cook helps Buffalo overcome struggles by Josh Allen and defense
‘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.’
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.’