Foxborough, Mass. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Bills lost on Sunday in the final seconds, 29-25, to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium to fall to 4-3 on the 2023 season.
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Here are my Arrows Up and Down from the game:
ARROW DOWN:
Sean McDermott and staff
The Bills, once again, had a slow start, scoring only three points in the first half. They, once again, committed too many penalties and at critical times.
The energy seemed to be lacking again at the start. They weren’t good with the details that matter to winning football games, and that starts with the head coach.
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Ken Dorsey
The Bills offense, once again, came out of the gate slow, and scored only three points in the first half. They also had several short yardage situations they couldn’t convert.
Once again, there was a lack of urgency from the unit, and it’s been three-straight weeks for that.
The Patriots' final drive
The Bills held a three-point lead with just 1:58 remaining in the game and kicked off to the Patriots, who then went 75 yards on eight plays to win the game.
That’s unacceptable for this defense, especially against a team with as many deficiencies on offense as New England.
Tackling!
Tackling was an issue most of the afternoon, but really showed up on critical plays in the second half. This included Rhamondre Stevenson’s 34-yard catch-and-run to start the final drive.
Josh Allen’s accuracy
Allen‘s numbers weren’t bad, and he had some terrific moments in the losing effort.
However, he was off on several key throws that could have meant different results for the offense. This included a deep ball to Stefon Diggs that would have gone for a touchdown, and another shortly after where Diggs was absolutely wide-open in the middle of the field for a significant gain.
Allen also had trouble connecting several times when he rolled out to his right, something he is usually much more efficient at doing.
First play on offense
It wasn’t accuracy, but rather a poor read on the very first play of scrimmage for the Bills offense. Already down 3-0, Allen misread the coverage and threw it right to Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers.
New England scored a touchdown seven plays later.
Offensive line
Allen was under pressure far too often against an inferior defensive line. Officially, the Patriots only had one sack, but also picked up six quarterback hurries.
OT - Dion Dawkins
Dawkins was beaten a couple different times that led to pressure that Allen had to escape by rolling out and subsequently miss a throw.
G - O’Cyrus Torrence
Torrence also allowed several pressures and guys to get past him to make plays in the backfield.
Dawson Knox not holding on
Trailing 16-10 early in the fourth quarter and facing a 4th-and-2 at the Patriots' 33-yard line, Allen put the ball on Knox’s hands, but the tight end couldn’t complete the catch after a Patriots player got his helmet on the ball as he was tucking it in.
It wasn’t easy, but also a catch that needs to be made in that situation.
Still not enough from other wide receivers
Stefon Diggs caught six passes, while the next leading Bills wideout, Khalil Shakir, caught four passes.
Beyond that, Deonte Harty, Gabe Davis, and Trent Sherfield caught one pass each. That’s seven catches for wide receivers not named Diggs.
Once again, not enough.
Tyler Bass
Bass missed a critical 42-yard field goal that was kicked from directly in the middle of the field. He’s now missed three of his last four field goal attempts.
Penalties
Another game with too many penalties for the Bills. They were called nine times for 46 yards. Several of them also came in critical situations.
ARROW UP:
TE - Dalton Kincaid
Kincaid had his best day as a pro, catching eight passes for 75 yards. He did a really nice job to get open, and also get some more yardage after the catch with the ball in his hands.
RB - James Cook
Cook had a really nice all-around day, running 13 times or 56 yards and averaging 4.3 yards per-run, while also catching three passes for 46 yards and a score. The second-year running back put up 102 yards of total offense on the day.
Jordan Poyer and his punch-out
With the Bills trailing by six points late in the fourth quarter and needing either a stop or a turnover, Poyer stepped up and made a critical play, punching the ball out of Kendrick Bourne’s arms for a fumble and turnover at the Patriots' 29-yard line.
Josh Allen late
With the Bills trailing 22-10 with just 7:28 remaining in the game, Allen completed his next six passes and eight of his next nine, including a touchdown. He also ran a touchdown in, scoring twice in two drives and less than five minutes of game action.
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