The 62 snaps for slot CB Marquice Cole were easily a season-high, as one could view him as being rewarded for a strong performance against the Rams on Oct. 28. Entering the game, Cole had played a total of 41 defensive snaps for the entire season.
It appeared that when the Patriots went with a single-high safety in their defense, more often than not it was Devin McCourty, not Steve Gregory. The strategy should not come as much of a surprise, as Gregory, when previously active, struggled at times to keep the play in front of him, and McCourty has done well to do exactly that since becoming a safety. The Patriots’ secondary again was the culprit of allowing 300-plus yards passing, but if there was a silver lining – perhaps there was not in the eyes of some – the team did not allow any big plays over the top. McCourty helps to build the umbrella on the defense.
Forget the Bills, the New England Patriots’ season starts now – Patriots – Boston.com
Forget the Bills, the New England Patriots’ season starts now – Patriots – Boston.com
Nice wrap up from Bedard. I don’t know if I can delete this one immediately, sometimes you just have to watch a train wreck a couple times to get a full sense of the destruction. And yeah, it looked horrible but that was the bad Patriots defense when it’s off. At least when they’re on they tackle.
The Patriots, coming off a bye week that included extra study and practice time, took the field and couldn’t stop the run (162 yards), hit quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick four times officially (three sacks), allowed him to complete 68 percent of his passes (second only to Fitzpatrick’s game against the Titans), the Bills to set a franchise record with 35 first downs, and to put up a season-high 481 total yards.
New England Patriots with another ugly win over the Buffalo Bills
I’m still trying to wrap my head around this one. The Bills had:
- 481 yards of offense
- 7 of 11 on Third Down
- 5.8 yards per rush attempt
Yet it was losing the turnover battle 3-0 that did them in.
The Patriots for their part were pretty good on the area that has haunted them all year, twenty-plus passing plays, yet seemingly went to sleep in every other area.
I don’t really know where to start. The run defense? The pass rush outside a few plays? The inability to cover tight ends or anyone else in the middle of the field?
And then there’s the offense, who still just couldn’t put the game away, even when they had a chance from the four yard line.
It was all brutal. And I don’t think anyone feels confident in stopping Andrew Luck or anyone else at this point.
But it’s a tough way to go through a football season when you know at any moment your defense could just be invisible.
Had the Pats lost today, it would’ve looked exactly like every other loss this year and that is a disturbing trend that continues. The 2012 Pats have just seemed to run out of gas at the end and struggles closing games out.
Relying on turnovers this much is a dangerous way to play, but they got one against the Bills and finished.
6-3. I’ll take it.
But really, let’s hope Aqib Talib adds something. Anything.
Can someone put a javelin in his hands please?
https://www.patspropaganda.com/can-someone-put-a-javelin-in-his-hands-please/
