New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills: Full Report Card Grades for New England
Last week, the New England Patriots faced off-field turmoil that tested their mental toughness. This week, after injuries threatened to submarine them against the Buffalo Bills, the Pats once again illustrated their fortitude in pulling out a gritty 37-22 victory.
A largely haphazard first quarter saw the Pats move the ball into the red zone, only for Stephen Gostkowski to miss his first field goal of the season after a low snap from Danny Aiken. With neither team able to establish anything reliable on offense, the opening frame essentially served as an opportunity for the teams to feel each other out.
But New England's multi-tight end sets subsequently broke Buffalo's defense, as the Bills had a tough time finding the right combination to slow down Rob Gronkowski and Tim Wright. The latter's one-yard touchdown catch broke the scoreless tie early in the second quarter.
However, injuries quickly piled up for the Patriots, who lost Jerod Mayo and Dan Connolly, among others, in short order. Scott Chandler terrorized New England throughout the first half and tied up the game, but two forced turnovers led to a pair of field goals and a 13-7 halftime lead.
The third quarter saw each offense open up with impressive drives, as the Bills answered a Brian Tyms 43-yard touchdown with their own long drive, capped off by a one-yard Fred Jackson run. With both teams exploiting the middle of the field, the offensive stagnation that characterized the first quarter gave way to big chunks through the air.
However, the Pats benefited from Buffalo self-destructing due to penalties and miscommunication. An offensive pass interference and sack sabotaged one potential Bills scoring drive, while Brandon LaFell had an easy walk-in touchdown after the Bills exhibited noticeable pre-snap confusion on third down.
Buffalo responded with a lightning-quick touchdown drive that trimmed the deficit to 30-22 after a two-point conversion, but Tom Brady once again hit the deep ball on a game-clinching 56-yard flag route to LaFell. A week after Brady controlled the middle of the field with his tight ends, his ability to exploit favorable matchups in the deep perimeter sealed New England's second consecutive win.
Check out full position-by-position analysis of the Patriots' victory, which reclaimed solo possession of first place in the AFC East for New England.
Quarterback
1 of 10
After seizing control of last week's game, Tom Brady initially appeared tentative once again behind an offensive line that lost two of its starters (Bryan Stork and Dan Connolly) from last week. As expected, Brady was able to exploit Buffalo's coverage deficiencies in the middle of the field, hitting Rob Gronkowski seven times for 94 yards.
But in the second half, the Patriots opened up their passing game by exploiting perimeter one-on-ones. Brady's deep ball has been on the decline, but Sunday was a vintage showing from the 37-year-old in terms of attacking the deep third of the field. He repeatedly punished Buffalo outside the numbers, highlighted by a game-clinching 56-yard touchdown to Brandon LaFell.
After accruing just 87 passing yards in the first half, Brady finished with a season-high 361 yards and four touchdowns. His 9.1 yards-per-attempt average figures to be among the weekly leaders, as this passing game was unlike anything the Pats have seen over the past two seasons.
So long as New England's offensive line protects reasonably well, the Patriots have shown that they are now a complete passing offense. The Bills essentially forced New England to beat them with perimeter throws, and while frequent play-action usage helped loosen up the throwing windows, Brady was able to defeat the Bills' well-conceived game plan.
Last week may have suggested Brady's viability as a top starting quarterback, but this week reaffirms that notion. The Patriots are once again operating at an efficient, well-rounded pace through the air, as their newfound perimeter weapons are going to create some very difficult conundrums for defensive coordinators in future weeks.
Grade: A
Running Back
2 of 10
This area looked like a huge disadvantage on paper for the Patriots, given Buffalo's strength in the middle with Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams. Buffalo did win this matchup, but give the Patriots credit for committing and performing well in short-yardage situations, thus maintaining offensive diversity and preventing Buffalo's edge-rushers from teeing off on Brady.
Stevan Ridley ran well early on inside gap-blocking concepts, receiving the majority of the first-quarter snaps as the Pats sought to establish some control at the line of scrimmage. However, a third-quarter knee injury ended his afternoon after just 10 carries, and his visible despondence on the bench suggests that this may lead to a multi-week absence.
Shane Vereen was quiet on the afternoon, despite a seemingly favorable matchup in the passing game against Buffalo's linebackers. He caught just one pass for three yards, and the Pats mostly utilized him on inside draws that the Bills were prepared for. On the day, Vereen accrued just seven yards on six touches.
Brandon Bolden was also quiet in replacing Ridley as the early-down power back, compiling just 10 yards on six carries. He is not really a viable replacement for Ridley, so perhaps rookie James White will receive some early-down carries after flashing well in junk time two weeks ago.
Overall, the Patriots compiled only 50 yards on 27 carries—a putrid 1.9 yards-per-carry attempt that would have been worse if not for a 10-yard end-around from Julian Edelman. Still, the Bills were not able to pin their ears back and penetrate, so while the running game was ineffective, it did enough to maintain balance and help the offensive line pass protect.
Grade: C-
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
The Patriots stayed with the multi-tight end sets that worked so well last week, running regular Ace/12 personnel with Tim Wright and Rob Gronkowski. Despite a brief injury scare for Gronk, the All-Pro exploited Buffalo's weak coverage linebackers and the absence of starting strong safety Aaron Williams, posting seven catches for 94 yards. Wright also had a one-yard second-quarter touchdown, as he was wide open off a play-action Jumbo Flat-7 combination.
Among receivers, Julian Edelman once again led the way, accruing nine catches for 91 yards as the main target on early-down three-step drop concepts. He received a team-high 12 targets on the afternoon and helped keep the offense on schedule with a plethora of flats and slants.
However, this was not an entirely Edelman/Gronkowski-centric game, as a pair of perimeter "X" receivers finally made an impression. Brandon LaFell and Brian Tyms both had touchdowns, with the latter demonstrating impressive speed and ball skills on a 43-yard touchdown to open the second half. LaFell also sealed the game with 18- and 56-yard scores in the fourth quarter, as he has clearly established himself as New England's No. 2 wide receiver.
LaFell in particular deserves as much credit as Brady in helping open up the offense. His second fourth-quarter score came after he shook off press coverage from Leodis McKelvin. That's a skill set the Pats have been missing for years, and it appears the unheralded free-agent signing has provided that for the offense.
Even though neither Tyms nor LaFell was an expected source of offense, one cannot complain with the vertical stretches they have provided the passing game. For the first time all season, the Patriots appeared to possess a dangerous and multifaceted wide receiver corps.
Grade: A
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The offensive line initially did not miss a beat despite Bryan Stork's deactivation, protecting well throughout the first quarter. However, after Dan Connolly's head injury knocked him out of the game, Jordan Devey struggled to provide anything more than replacement-level ability, as the Pats stagnated during the second quarter.
Give New England credit for rebounding well and keeping the offense humming, however. The line was less consistent than it was during the Week 5 win, but it protected enough in key situations, like a 3rd-and-16 in the fourth quarter, to keep the Pats offense on schedule.
In terms of individual ups and downs, Marcus Cannon and Nate Solder had their share of struggles, while Sebastian Vollmer and Ryan Wendell were solid. Cannon was part of a tackle rotation that saw him play on both the right and left side, but he continued his subpar season with multiple penalties and pressures allowed. Solder also had some issues with the bendy Jerry Hughes, though he largely cleaned up on Hughes in the second half.
Vollmer, who has been New England's best lineman this season, was excellent on Sunday in shutting down Mario Williams. The big right tackle demonstrated nice nuance and awareness on a play in which he lightly redirected Williams with a quick shove to the back, allowing Brady to complete a first-down pass. Wendell was also not noticeably beaten during his return to center, which is always a good sign.
Most importantly, the Pats did not need to revamp their play-calling in an effort to protect this unit. Josh McDaniels mixed in plenty of play action, which certainly helped keep Buffalo's front seven off balance, but give credit to this patchwork unit for holding on in the second half.
Grade: B
Defensive Line
5 of 10
After a quiet start to the season, Rob Ninkovich posted three sacks to break out of a season-long pass-rushing funk. His sack at the end of the third quarter was particularly crucial, moving the ball out of field-goal range and preventing the Bills from moving to within one possession.
Chandler Jones was mostly silenced as he continues to work his way back from a shoulder injury. However, his strip sack at the end of the second quarter set up a field goal for New England, a critical play given how Buffalo had controlled much of the quarter up to that point. His nearly simultaneous sack and recovery was a reminder of the tantalizing athleticism that many believe will soon lead to Jones emerging as a premier edge-rusher.
On the ground, New England won in the trenches to limit Buffalo's prolific rushing attack to 68 yards on a meager 3.0 yards per attempt. It's a broken record, but the 32-year-old Vince Wilfork continues to exhibit vintage form, playing heavy snaps and controlling the interior line. Casey Walker, signed earlier this month, also impressed in place of the injured Sealver Siliga, playing useful snaps at nose tackle.
With Dominique Easley and Dont'a Hightower out, New England did a fairly solid job of collapsing the pocket even without an abundance of pass-rushing options. The Patriots had five total sacks and 10 tackles for loss, and though the numbers are not out yet, one would suspect a fair number of quarterback pressures. For a unit that started short-handed, this was an impressive showing.
Grade: A
Linebacker
6 of 10
Jerod Mayo's injury was a devastating blow that forced undrafted rookie Deontae Skinner into an overmatched role defending Bills tight end Scott Chandler. Skinner was an able interior-gap plugger against the run, but Chandler's route-running savvy allowed Buffalo to control the seams throughout the first half.
Jamie Collins did notch his first interception of the season, picking off a head-scratching throw from Kyle Orton in the middle hook zone. Collins also provided some solid underneath zone coverage in limiting Buffalo's catch-and-run opportunities in the short middle third of the field.
However, this unit's greatest contribution was in the run game, as Buffalo runs rarely passed New England's second level. Skinner and Collins filled in well for the absence of Mayo and Hightower and generally demonstrated solid awareness in executing their run fits.
Nonetheless, no one can replace Mayo's all-around stability and knowledge of the defense. The early indications are that this is a serious knee injury that could result in a season-ending surgery. If those preliminary fears are realized, expect Collins to take on a significantly greater role in this defense, since the Pats will likely want to keep Hightower in a role he has thrived in so far.
That figures to result in some future struggles for the promising second-year linebacker, but like Hightower last season, the Patriots will stick with Collins. But Mayo is a devastating loss for a unit that was thin to start the season, and now New England will likely suffer the consequences of failing to add depth beyond its starters.
Grade: B-
Secondary
7 of 10
This is the type of game the Pats envisioned when they signed Darrelle Revis. He shut down half the field on Sunday, limiting sensational rookie Sammy Watkins to two catches for 27 yards on three targets. Kyle Orton often limited his reads to a single side of the field, greatly easing the burden on the rest of New England's back seven.
Devin McCourty also forced a fumble on C.J. Spiller just six seconds before halftime, setting up a 53-yarder for Stephen Gostkowski that helped nullify much of the momentum Buffalo had built up throughout the quarter. The rest of the safeties had issues covering Scott Chandler, much like the linebackers, but Patrick Chung continued to excel in run support and prove his value in base 3-4 personnel.
On the downside, Alfonzo Dennard struggled at times defending Robert Woods. Dennard is best when allowed to play physically in short space, as he did in blowing up a rub concept on 3rd-and-3 to stop Woods short of the markers. However, when forced to change direction, as he did on Woods' touchdown reception and on a 35-yard wheel route, Dennard's lack of hip fluidity shows up.
Kyle Arrington also had some second-half issues against slot receiver Chris Hogan, though they were less pronounced. Arrington played some snaps outside, which has been a recipe for disaster in the past, but Buffalo was unable to exploit the slot corner playing out of position.
Ultimately, Revis' shutdown ability will cover up plenty of warts, and he stands out as the most indispensable asset on this defense. Apart from McCourty, the rest of the defensive backs are best utilized in situational matchups and game situations. Nevertheless, with two All-Pro caliber anchors, that has created one of the game's best pass defenses.
Grade: B+
Special Teams
8 of 10
While Stephen Gostkowski missed his first field goal of the year on a 36-yard attempt, long snapper Danny Aiken was the real culprit. After a five-yard false start nullified a successful 31-yarder, Aiken snapped the ball low and caused Gostkowski to shank the kick wide left. Aiken, who was cut then re-signed before the start of the season, likely has low job security after that shaky sequence.
However, Gostkowski rebounded with three straight field goals to calm any worries after that opening miss. His 53-yarder before the half was an impressive reaffirmation of his range, and six of his eight kick returns went for touchbacks.
On the downside, the penalties continue to pile up for the return units. New England had two penalties on kick and punt returns, which continues to cost the offense valuable field position. Flags on special teams and the offensive line continue to plague New England. The lower skill level on the latter unit could explain away some of those problems, but it's unclear why these problems persist on special teams.
Julian Edelman also could not break out in the return game, while Ryan Allen had a touchback in a directional punting situation. Overall, this unit, besides Gostkowski, was probably a net negative on the day, albeit not a particularly harmful one.
Grade: C+
Coaching
9 of 10
Much beleaguered over the first month, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has rebounded with two consecutive strong play-calling performances. He stuck with the run despite an ostensibly unfavorable matchup and Stevan Ridley's injury while also calling enough out-breaking concepts to exploit Buffalo's lack of range at safety.
It wasn't all impressive, as rotating in Marcus Cannon seemed questionable, given how poorly he fared at both right and left tackle. But Bill Belichick made the correct decision in installing Josh Kline at right guard, who brought more stability than either Cannon or Jordan Devey had earlier in the season.
Belichick's decision to pass up a 4th-and-1 first-quarter opportunity in the red zone seemed a bit conservative as well, and the missed field goal was a proper punishment for the bad process. For someone who has been one of the league's most aggressive coaches in fourth-quarter situations, Belichick has been a bit more conservative than expected in 2014.
Nonetheless, it is hard to criticize the coaching staff for how they responded to the injury crisis. Losing three starters is a tough circumstance that no one really prepares for, yet the Pats were able to hide noticeable deficiencies for the most part.
Much like Brady, Belichick has reasserted his status as one of the game's best over the past two weeks. He will have another extraordinarily difficult task for the short turnaround next Thursday, but on Sunday, Belichick pushed the right buttons for the Patriots to emerge with an important victory.
Grade: A-
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Position Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | A |
| RB | C- |
| WR/TE | A |
| OL | B |
| DL | A |
| LB | B- |
| DB | B+ |
| ST | C |
| Coaching | A- |
| Cumulative Grade | B |
The Patriots were far from perfect on the day, as Buffalo's mistakes played a large role in contributing to the victory. But New England was timely in its success, and in responding to every Bills surge, the Patriots demonstrated excellent mental toughness in a difficult environment.
The Pats are not likely to turn into a complete team immediately, as the injuries this week will make for an extremely difficult Thursday contest against the New York Jets. However, resiliency has been a hallmark of past Patriots squads, and after some early doubts, this rendition has reaffirmed its possession of that admirable quality.
New England is establishing control through the air, and though it has not dominated in the trenches, it is slowly reclaiming competitiveness at the line of scrimmage as well. As the Patriots continue to move past their opening-month struggles, this team is slowly rising as the season's second half approaches.
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