Patriots take sole possession of first place in AFC, only needed Mac Jones to throw 3 passes
Bills and Patriots were faced with tough weather conditions, which meant an emphasis on the ground game
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The New England Patriots took sole possession of first place in the AFC with a 14-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills and only needed rookie Mac Jones to throw three passes.
Patriots relied heavily on the ground game due to the wicked weather conditions that posed a problem for both teams. Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., saw high winds throughout the game along with some snow before kickoff and flurries toward the latter stages of the matchup.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) looks to throw a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y., Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Luckily, New England was able to break off some runs early.
Damien Harris ran for a 64-yard touchdown in the first quarter and New England went for two points to go up 8-0. Harris finished with 111 yards on 10 carries but was forced to come out after suffering an apparent hamstring injury.
Jones two completions were for 19 yards and for Jonnu Smith and Brandon Bolden. He only had one pass in the first half. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Patriots were the first team since 1978 to attempt just one pass in the first half. StatMuse noted the Patriots were the first team since1974 to win a game with three or fewer pass attempts.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New England Patriots running back Damien Harris, center, takes a hand off from New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y., Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. () (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)
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Josh Allen and the Bills couldn’t get one last chance of life on their final drive on 4th-and-14 and the Patriots stood tall to end all hope for Buffalo. Allen was 15-for-30 with 145 passing yards and a touchdown in the loss. He led the team in rushing with 39 yards on six carries.
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 06: Mac Jones #10 of the New England Patriots hands the ball off to Damien Harris #37 of the New England Patriots during the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on December 06, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York. (Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He had one touchdown pass to Gabriel Davis in the first quarter but couldn’t get anything beyond that. Davis finished with two catches for 30 yards. Stefon Diggs led the Bills with four catches for 51 yards.
Buffalo couldn’t figure out the Patriots’ defense, which is one of the best in the league. Lawrence Guy recovered a Matt Breida fumble while Siran Neal recovered a N’Keal Harry fumble.
With the win, New England goes ahead in the AFC with a 9-4 record. Buffalo fell to 7-5.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) is tackled by New England Patriots outside linebacker Matt Judon (9) during the first half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
The Patriots have a slight lead over the Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs who are all 8-4 after Week 13. New England had the tiebreaker over those teams due to best winning percentage in conference games but now stand alone.
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The Patriots have now won seven games in a row and it doesn’t appear that Bill Belichick and his new rookie prodigy are stopping any time soon.