Josh Allen leads Bills to first AFC East win of season over Patriots

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — At 6-5, the New England Patriots entered “Thursday Night time Soccer” two video games behind the 8-3 Buffalo Payments. And whereas the Payments had been tied with the Miami Dolphins atop the AFC East, they had been 0-2 within the division.

The Payments dealt with the Patriots with ease Thursday, selecting up a 24-10 division victory and pushing the Patriots farther from playoff rivalry.

Buffalo Payments

For the primary time since injuring his proper elbow in opposition to the Jets in Week 9, quarterback Josh Allen stood close to midfield and threw passes in pregame warmups. A step towards normalcy after a full week of observe.

What adopted within the Payments’ 24-10 win over the Patriots was related. Buffalo regarded extra in sync and nearer to the staff that put up dominating performances earlier than the Week 7 bye, albeit in opposition to a struggling New England offense, and have become the primary staff to beat the Belichick-era Patriots by double digits in three straight video games.

The Payments almost doubled the Patriots’ time of possession (38:08 to 21:52) and held on to a second-quarter double-digit lead for the rest of the sport. Allen regarded extra in management, finishing 22 of 33 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns with one fumble, whereas turning into the primary participant in NFL historical past with three seasons of 25 passing touchdowns and 5 speeding touchdowns.

The important thing collection for the Payments’ offense and Allen achieve the staff’s first AFC East win of the season was a 15-play, 94-yard drive within the second half that took virtually 9 minutes off the clock. Buffalo proved in a vital second that Allen & Co. may lead a drive and put a staff away.

Promising pattern: The Payments received the operating recreation going early with rookie James Cook dinner main the way in which. The bottom assault helped set up two drives of seven-plus minutes — together with a 15-play drive that was the longest of the season — after coming into the night time with three such drives all season.

The offense had three straight scoring drives to start out the sport, and that went a great distance when the offense fell right into a lull towards the tip of the second quarter and into the third. Cook dinner additionally confirmed how dynamic he may be with important alternatives over a complete recreation even with the offensive line not at its greatest.

Describe the sport in two phrases: Essential win. The Payments are within the midst of one of many staff’s greatest stretches of the season with three straight video games in opposition to AFC East opponents, and beginning with a convincing win on the highway versus the Patriots was important for the staff’s hopes for home-field benefit.

Underneath-the-radar stat that issues: Cornerback Tre’Davious White performed the second-most snaps of any Payments cornerback at 62.7%. For White — as he makes his manner again from a torn ACL sustained final Thanksgiving — and this protection, it is a important step in the precise path. White performed 15 snaps final week in opposition to the Lions, and the Payments clearly felt comfy sufficient for him to play virtually each collection. After Von Miller was positioned on injured reserve earlier Thursday, that is important information for this protection going ahead.

Eye-popping NFL Subsequent Gen Stats stat: Allen was 0.3 yards away from the sideline on his passing landing to large receiver Gabe Davis within the second quarter. It was tied for the closest to the sideline on any completion since NFL Subsequent Gen Stats started monitoring gamers in 2016. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts additionally threw a landing from 0.3 yards from the sideline final season in opposition to the Dallas Cowboys.

Subsequent recreation: vs. Jets (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots’ offense, already ranked within the backside third of the NFL in a number of key classes, sank even decrease in Thursday night time’s loss to the Buffalo Payments.

No juice. Not an opportunity to win.

The Payments utterly managed the sport, with a time-of-possession fringe of 38:08 to 21:52.

There was such promise in quarterback Mac Jones’ rookie season in 2021, however now there are extra questions than solutions.

Coach Invoice Belichick has mentioned repeatedly the buck stops with him with regards to the offense. He made the unconventional choice to exchange departed offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels with Matt Patricia and Joe Decide, two coaches whose major backgrounds have been on protection and particular groups, respectively.

Belichick additionally oversaw a streamlining of the offense, with gamers saying the aim was to permit them to play sooner.

It hasn’t labored.

Getting into Thursday night time, the Patriots had been thirty first within the crimson zone, thirtieth in interception proportion, twenty sixth in sacks taken per cross play, twenty seventh in first downs and twenty fifth in third-down conversions.

It solely received worse Thursday night time.

Describe the sport in two phrases: Offensively offensive. This was powerful to observe.

QB breakdown: Jones continues to wrestle, because the offense would not appear to have something that defines itself. He completed 22-of-36 for 195 yards, with one landing and no interceptions. When opponents have pressured Jones, the outcomes have been notably poor. He entered Thursday with no touchdowns and 5 interceptions when pressured this season, with a 1.5 Whole QBR. The Jets’ Zach Wilson (1.3) was the one certified quarterback with a decrease QBR in these conditions. On Thursday, Jones was 5-of-13 for 25 yards on passes when pressured.

Troubling pattern: Payments quarterback Josh Allen deserves credit score for making a exceptional play on an 8-yard landing cross to receiver Gabe Davis within the second quarter, however why did Patriots defensive backs appear to cease taking part in as Allen neared the sideline? That was one in every of a number of pricey errors that continued to point out up for the Patriots, which additionally included a delay-of-game penalty on a punt and a botched handoff on third-and-1 on the staff’s preliminary offensive drive.

Silver lining: Third-year defensive finish Josh Uche was among the finest gamers on the sector. He had two first-half sacks, one in every of which compelled a fumble. Within the first half alone, he was credited with 5 quarterback pressures, in keeping with ESPN Stats & Data analysis. That was a profession excessive.

Eye-popping NFL Subsequent Gen Stats stat: Rookie defensive again Marcus Jones, taking part in large receiver, reached a excessive velocity of 20.88 mph on his 48-yard catch-and-run landing within the first quarter.

Subsequent recreation: at Cardinals (8:15 p.m. ET, Monday)