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With win streak snapped, Patriots 'got to get a lot better ... fast'
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- With win streak snapped, Patriots 'got to get a lot better ... fast'
FOXBOROUGH, MA – The New England Patriots made the big plays and ran the ball as well as the team ever has. Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson had two touchdowns of more than 50 yards. Quarterback Drake Maye had two rushing scores for the first time in his young career. And the Pats set a new team record by averaging 9.8 yards per attempt (246 rushing yards total).
In the grand scheme of the 2025 season and playoffs, none of it mattered much.
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The Patriots fell to the Buffalo Bills, 35-31 , on Dec. 14. The loss snapped their 10-game win streak. It also meant the "hat and t-shirt" plans to celebrate their first AFC East title since 2019 had to be delayed until at least next week, when a "Sunday Night Football" matchup against the Baltimore Ravens looms.
"I think it's tough to look back at all the other things, but this definitely can be a kind of kick in the butt," tight end Hunter Henry said. "We've had things go our way and everything go our way the last 10 weeks, so this is definitely a reality check. That's a good football team. We went toe to toe with them in every aspect, but we have to give them credit. We've got to get a lot better from this fast."
Patriots' defense overpowered by Josh Allen 's second-half performance
The issue for New England was, primarily, the inability to stop the Bills after the first quarter. Mike Vrabel's team forced three punts to start the game. They then proceeded to watch the Bills, led by reigning MVP Josh Allen (three passing touchdowns) at quarterback, score five consecutive touchdowns. A 21-0 first-half lead, accomplished after a 52-yard sprint by Henderson, and 24-7 advantage evaporated.
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"We were going to need 60 minutes to beat this team," Vrabel said.
Instead, the offense supplied a sublime and efficient first 30. Maye waltzed into the end zone twice in the first quarter.
There are throws Maye wants back but the lesson from this loss is more obvious, he said.
"At the end of the day, gotta keep the foot on the pedal and keep it going and kind of don't let them dictate. It starts with me," he said. "And we kind of felt during the week that we had a chance this was going to happen, and just gotta keep our foot on the pedal. It happened in the first game, they came back, came back."
Maye was referencing the Patriots' Week 5 victory when they took a 20-10 lead early in the fourth quarter only to have Buffalo tie it 10 minutes later. The difference between the two outcomes is that Maye and the offense sustained a drive at the end of the game to give Andy Borregales a chance to kick the game-winning field goal.
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This time, however, Maye couldn't make the clutch play. After Henderson's touchdown run, the Pats went three-and-out and turned the ball over on downs on their final possession. Maye lacked the confidence he often exudes that makes him look like a 10-year vet, let alone somebody with just 26 career starts.
"We just have to be better when we're up," Maye said. "It starts with me making some throws. And from there, like coach says, no naps, (we're) not relaxing. I didn't feel like we relaxed, just didn't make enough plays. Credit to them. And I think it's one of the things that we're emphasizing during the week. And gotta do a better job."
Interference calls loom large late in Bills comeback
The story of the game wouldn't be complete without some involvement from the referees. After Henderson retook the lead for the Pats, the Bills faced a third-and-4 from near midfield. Allen looked to deliver the ball to Keon Coleman , who was battling cornerback Carlton Davis . Davis broke the play up but one of the back judges ruled that the corner had tugged on Coleman's jersey from behind.
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Vrabel wouldn't assign blame to anybody other than his own team.
"The same guy thought it was a penalty the same way," Vrabel said. "So, it's a judgment call. Whether I disagree with it or not doesn't matter. He called it. That's how this thing goes."
Two plays later, Cook sliced his way into the end zone for the final go-ahead score. All of that came after another questionable pass interference call on cornerback Marcus Jones , despite Khalil Shakir coming down with the 37-yard completion anyway as the Bills trailed 24-21.
"We just played a playoff game, the first one, and it's cool because it wasn't a real playoff game, but the stakes were a playoff kind of thing," Davis said. "Like I said, it's good for us to learn this and make some corrections going into this backstretch."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Patriots defense stumbles against Bills in playoff atmosphere
