FOXBORO — Boos rained down on the Patriots as empty possessions piled up one too many late within the fourth quarter, and the truth set in on one other brutal loss to a division rival that continued to personal them.
As the ultimate seconds waned, Patriots followers principally cleared out, Bills followers took over the decrease bowl of Gillette Stadium, and so they let their voices be heard with chants down the exit ramps properly after their crew’s 24-10 win over the inferior Patriots.
On the sector, the Patriots’ frustrations hit a crescendo as Mac Jones appeared to let loose some grievances towards offensive coordinator Matt Patricia on the sidelines. The Bills had, as soon as once more, flustered Jones’ offense.
A yr in the past, the Patriots went into Buffalo in a traditionally windy sport and established the run in a 14-10 win. The Bills haven’t let it occur once more. Not of their blowout playoff victory in January, and positively not on Thursday evening.
“We knew what type of game it was going to be,” Bills defensive lineman Shaq Lawson mentioned. “Those guys wanted to run the ball, run the ball like they did last year because it was windy and stuff. We knew we just had to stop the run.”
The Bills executed their sport plan and, with the advantage of an early lead, compelled the ball into the suitable hand of Jones, who was unable to generate a lot of something offensively past his first quarter landing move to cornerback Marcus Jones and a rubbish time discipline aim when the sport was out of attain.
Even then, the Patriots had thrown the proverbial white flag. They went on a 17-play, 57-yard drive that included a number of performs during which Jones ran for his life within the pocket and made desperately failed heaves to the top zone. Down three possessions with lower than two minutes to go, the Patriots simply opted for a discipline aim.
The sport was misplaced properly earlier than then, however represented the hopelessness they operated for a lot of the evening towards a Bills protection that dared Jones to beat them.
“That’s why we play the game,” Bills security Jordan Poyer mentioned. “We wish to get them in conditions the place we be ok with it and we would like to have the ability to cease the run and get Mac right into a one-dimensional sport and attempt to win the sport along with his arm. We known as a better, we didn’t have a better immediately, so we have been making an attempt to get an interception or fumble to finish the sport, however we held them to a few factors on the finish of the sport and obtained the onside kick. …
“We got it done.”
Multiple Buffalo defenders echoed that message of their plan to make the Patriots offense one-dimensional. They actually succeeded.
Jones by no means regarded comfy behind a shaky offensive line as he led the Patriots on six consecutive empty drives whereas the Bills constructed an insurmountable lead. They struggled to get a lot happening early downs, continued their struggles on third down, the place they went 3-for-12 and have been unable to advance the ball downfield.
Jones was even fortunate to flee a turnover. An interception by Poyer within the third quarter was dominated incomplete as a result of he didn’t preserve possession as he landed out of bounds.
Jones merely couldn’t clear up the Bills.
“We just knew we had to make them one-dimensional,” Bills linebacker Tremaine Edmunds mentioned. “Obviously we pride ourselves on stopping the run. It wasn’t always pretty, but I think guys did a good job this week of taking accountability towards that and practicing hard and making sure that we had every assignment taken care of. Hats off to the defense, hats off to the guys up front, because that’s the unit to get this defense going.”
The victory was vital for the Bills, who notched their first division victory of the season as they continued to depart the Patriots within the mud. It was much more vital for Lawson, who has spent his total profession taking part in within the AFC East – with the Bills from 2016-19 earlier than stops with the Dolphins and Jets after which again to the Bills this season – and received his first sport at Gillette Stadium on Thursday.
That Patriots mystique is constant to put on off, too.
“It’s my first time winning at Gillette Stadium,” Lawson mentioned, excitedly. “I just said that, I said I never won at Gillette Stadium. I ain’t never won. This was my first time, so kind of feel good to get a win at Gillette Stadium.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com