Four Studs, Four Duds From Patriots’ 21-Point Collapse Vs. Bills

All good things must come to an end, and for the New England Patriots, that saw their 10-game win streak get snapped by the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. After racing out to a 21-0 lead early, the Bills rallied back in the second half, handing the Pats a 35-31 defeat when all was said and done.

Losing is never fun, and while this presents several learning opportunities for New England, the way in which the team lost will surely leave a sour taste in the team’s mouth. Before we fully turn the page, let’s look back at the action and pick out four studs and four duds from this game.

Studs

TreVeyon Henderson

For a point in time, it looked like TreVeyon Henderson was going to carry the Patriots to victory. Henderson continued his huge second half of the season by racking up 148 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries, while also catching two passes for 13 yards. With three games left, Henderson has a real shot at winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

Jack Gibbens

Robert Spillane did not play in this one, despite being active, which forced Jack Gibbens to fill in for him. The defense as a whole was awful in this one, but Gibbens did everything he could to help his team win. Gibbens finished with nine tackles, two of which went for a loss, while also racking up one of New England’s two sacks early in the game.

Rhamondre Stevenson

Henderson’s huge day will overshadow what was an efficient day for Rhamondre Stevenson. He didn’t get nearly as much volume, but he turned his six carries into 50 yards, while also catching three passes for 27 yards. Had he been more involved in the second half, the result could have been different for the Patriots.

Carlton Davis III

It’s telling that the Bills began their rally when Carlton Davis III was on the sideline with a groin injury. Davis finished with four tackles (one for a loss) and a pass deflection, and while he returned late in this game, Josh Allen was cooking by then. Without him, New England’s coverage faltered, and that was all Buffalo needed to sneak back into this game.

Duds

Drake Maye

Yes, Drake Maye had a pair of rushing touchdowns (4 CAR, 43 YDS, 2 TD), but this was easily the worst passing game of his young career (14/23, 155 YDS, 1 INT). Even with the team’s defensive struggles, Maye had a pair of chances to lead game-winning drives, but he could not get the offense going. With this loss, his MVP chances have likely vanished.

Craig Woodson

It was not a particularly good day for Craig Woodson on defense. While he had seven tackles, including one that likely prevented a Ray Davis kickoff return touchdown, he struggled mightily in coverage throughout the day, as he was responsible for Dawson Knox’s first touchdown of the afternoon.

Hunter Henry

While Maye struggled in this one, he didn’t get much help from his pass-catching corps. For much of the year, Hunter Henry has been his go-to-guy, but he had just one catch for 18 yards. He also had a crucial drop on 3rd & 12 late in the fourth quarter on a pass that would have given New England a new set of downs.

Christian Barmore

The biggest reason for this loss was the Bills’ ability to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball in the second half. With Milton Williams out, Christian Barmore has had to take on a bigger role at the center of the Patriots’ defensive line, but he had just one tackle on the day, and he appeared to run out of gas as the game went on.