Throughout the course of history, the New England Patriots have dominated the Buffalo Bills. And even though they’re no longer the biggest powerhouse in the NFL, Bill Belichick’s team still found a way to make history count and get a massive win over their divisional rivals.
The Patriots’ defense kept Josh Allen on his toes, leading to some forced throws and mistakes, and for the first time this season, the offense rose to the occasion and made the most of every chance they got to get on the scoreboard.
It was a well-rounded performance by the Patriots, even withstanding a late-game rally by the Bills and taking home the 29-25 win with a clutch game-winning drive led by Mac Jones.
Mac Jones Credits Offensive Line For Season-Best Performance
Following the game, the Patriots quarterback praised his team’s resiliency and determination to stay in the game, also lauding the offensive line for giving him enough time to operate and feed his receivers:
“It’s hard when the results aren’t there. But continue to do that and continue to get better,” Jones told the media. “We left some stuff out there, as always. But at the end of the day, we fought back. And the offensive line, especially, just gave me the time I needed today. And when I have time, I can read the offense how we’re supposed to and, I really appreciate those guys.”
Jones had his best performance to date, completing 25 of 30 passes for 272 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 126.7 rating. He showed strong chemistry with Kendrick Bourne, who hauled in six of seven targets for 63 yards and one score.
This much-needed win takes their record to 2-5, and while making the playoffs is still a bit of an uphill battle, the Miami Dolphins’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles kept that door open. Even so, Jones knows the win could be meaningless if they fail to build from that effort:
“[I]t’s just a crumb, right? That’s what I always say. And you’ve got to build off that,” Jones continued. “You’ve got to build off that and attack every day the same. It’s all about playing for each other, playing for the guy next to you, and understanding why. So we did that today, and we need to continue to do that every day in practice and in the games.”
It Was A Good Week In Foxboro
This win caps up a near-perfect win for the Patriots. Bill Belichick got his 300th career win and much more, as he reportedly ‘quietly’ agreed to a very lucrative five-year contract extension with the organization.
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While more than well-deserved, the timing of this agreement was kind of shocking. Team owner Robert Kraft had hinted at the possibility of moving on from him if the team didn’t improve, and the extension came on the heels of a major loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Barring a significant turn of events, this all but secures Belichick will be in Foxboro when he becomes the league’s all-time leader in wins ahead of Don Shula. And while it might take him a little longer than expected, he’s done more than enough for the Patriots organization to earn this vote of confidence.
