Patriots vs. Bills analysis: 10 takeaways from the Pats’ Week 16 loss

The New England Patriots lost another close game on Sunday, this time against the Buffalo Bills. But even though they are now 2-6 in one-score games this year and suffered yet another frustrating loss, the 24-21 loss also brought plenty of encouraging things from head coach Jerod Mayo’s team.

Let’s take a look at our takeaways from the Patriots’ 12th loss of the season.

The Patriots haven’t given up yet

Based on the rumors surrounding the team, it appears that owners want to keep Jerod Mayo as the Patriots’ head coach through 2025. However, it seems a bit of a challenge for the coaching staff and players was also a problem: looking like a competent NFL team, or else.

The Patriots did that for much of Sunday against the Bills.

It wasn’t perfect and there were still plenty of mistakes, but the team fought tooth and nail against one of the better teams in the AFC and the NFL as a whole. In this regard, a statement was also issued on behalf of Mayo and his employees.

“I love playing for Jerod and I love playing for AVP,” team captain Hunter Henry said of his head coach and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. “Those are two guys I enjoy fighting with.”

Regardless of the outcome and actual decision-making during the game, it was nice to see the Patriots actually go out and compete – something it feels like they haven’t done in a while.

Coaching problems remain

Just because the team played hard for their coach doesn’t mean there weren’t a few surprising coaching decisions. They could have been more aggressive in the game and some plays on both offense and defense were also suspect.

For example, the decision to punt with 10 points left with eight minutes left in the game was pretty dubious. In the end, the Patriots scored and cut their deficit to three, but there wasn’t enough time left for them to actually win. Punting there felt more like an attempt to avoid falling into the air than actually putting yourself in the best position to win.

Of course, Mayo offered little insight into his decision-making after the game.

“I won’t delve too much into the thought process of that. I tried to do the best for the team,” he said.

In general, the Patriots needed to show some urgency late. Both their decisions and their laissez-faire approach to time management resulted in them having a better chance of winning the game.

On the other hand, the decision to fake punt on 4th-and-1 was the first time all season that it looked like the Patriots were actually trying. You would want a lot more of that from a team that has already been eliminated from the playoffs.

It’s still unclear what kind of team the Patriots want to be, as they seem to make most decisions in a vacuum rather than in the flow of the game. In short, despite Sunday’s effort, there are some real questions about this coaching staff as a whole. A performance should unnerve anyone.

Rhamondre Stevenson has a bad case of fumblitis

Rhamondre Stevenson is now the only running back in the last four years to have seven fumbles in a single season (and that doesn’t even include his reverse pass drop that led to a touchdown). He just doesn’t seem to be keeping up with the ball at the moment. Yes, he ran well – although he still needs 140 yards to break the 1,000-yard mark this season – but none of that matters if you can’t keep the ball.

The Patriots don’t have a lot of talent, so having one of your better offensive players make semi-consistent bad plays is simply unacceptable. The Patriots need to think long and hard about Stevenson’s future this offseason, or at least do a better job of splitting carries to limit his exposure.

The Patriots still can’t stop the run

With Christian Barmore, Ja’Whaun Bentley and Jabrill Peppers all unavailable, the Patriots had to deplete some key defenders in the center of their defense on Sunday. However, they still need to be able to at least come close to stopping the run, and the running adjustments of the guys out there make it seem like they don’t even practice how to stop the run.

Every week it looks like this and every week we come across the same questions about coaching. Yes, you need players to make the plays, but those players are nowhere near capable of competing at the appropriate level. If they were and just couldn’t get through the plays, that would be one thing, but sometimes they look like they’ve never seen a running play before.

It’s more about the coaching than the players.

The offensive line is showing some life

The Patriots were able to provide some running backs for their running backs today, and the right side of the line in particular did a good job of run blocking. Demontrey Jacobs has struggled most of the season and has been a liability against the pass, but he was good in the run game on Sunday. It was a step forward in one way, a step backwards in another.

What this all means with Caedan Wallace about to return remains to be seen. It is also not a given that a newcomer will step in to ensure improved play.

Mental errors continue

The Patriots haven’t had much of a pass rush this season, but on Sunday it seemed intentional; They were trying to contain Josh Allen, which is why it was so frustrating to see players running past the Bills’ MVP candidate and giving him easy chances to escape.

One culprit worth noting is team captain Deatrich Wise Jr., who seems to struggle with containment far too often; You can’t expect that from one of your experienced leaders. Other players who got past Allen on Sunday included Yannick Ngakoue and Keion White, although both have less experience than Wise Jr. in the Patriots’ system.

The mental problems are partly due to the coaching. However, the blame must also lie with the players, especially when someone like Wise Jr. is involved.

Drake Maye continues to deliver the good (and bad)

Drake Maye played fantastic in the first half on Sunday. His 31-yard touchdown to Kayshon Boutte on the first drive was outstanding, and the throw to Hunter Henry early in the drive might have been even better given the pressure he was under. The second half, however, was a different story.

The interception he made was obviously in the wrong place. The route certainly wasn’t perfect and the Patriots were unhappy about possible interference at the top, but the throw also came in a spot that made it difficult for Austin Hooper to even reach it.

In general, Maye’s accuracy was a bit spotty at times. The fumble that the Bills recovered for a touchdown may not have been entirely his fault, but it’s still worth seeing how he responded to defensive lineman Rhamondre Stevenson being tackled at that spot. He also suffered a delay of game on 3rd-and-1 in the fourth quarter; After the penalty they failed to win the first ball and had to punt.

Such mistakes are easily avoidable, but their culmination cost New England a loss on Sunday. Of course, not all of the problems are directly his fault, and he has been on offense at times this year. However, Maye looked more like a rookie than ever in the second half on Sunday.

Questions about playing time

For the second time this season – the other example being Kendrick Bourne – a previously healthy player played a significant role for the Patriots and performed well in doing so.

Marte Mapu has been a healthy backup the last two weeks, but on Sunday he appeared to be one of the better players on the Patriots’ defense. As a defensive signal caller on the field, he recorded an interception and was generally on the ball regularly.

Coaching is not just about play and development, but also about putting the best players in the right position to be successful. It’s hard to argue that the Patriots have done this consistently.

Jerod Mayo has also talked about seeing what he has in players like Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker and Cole Strange. All three were active today but played a total of 11 snaps, including zero from Strange. The staff can’t keep saying that the priority is on the young players and what they have, rather than the guys they say they need to see. At some point, Mayo and Co. have to show a certain amount of consistency.

A silver lining

With Sunday’s loss and the Las Vegas Raiders’ win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Patriots are now at No. 2 overall. This puts them in a prime position to trade with a quarterback-needy team and potentially get a significant haul in return.

Since the Patriots already have the quarterback of the future, they should be in a good position to take a step back and acquire more assets. Additionally, if the New York Giants manage to win a game in their next two games, the Patriots also have a shot at the No. 1 overall pick, assuming they fail to win one of their final two games against the New York Giants to win again the Los Angeles Chargers and the Bills.

Complete at home

The Patriots will close out the season with their final two home games; The first game was on Saturday afternoon against the Chargers. It will be the first time the Patriots play a standalone game since they played the Jaguars in London, a weak 32-16 loss.

It remains to be seen how the Patriots will perform in their final two games. The hope is that they develop a little bit and give some of these young guys some real playing opportunities.