Before the ball dropped on New Year’s Day, the New England Patriots were leaving it all on the field at Orchard Park in a hard-fought battle with the red-hot Buffalo Bills.
They didn’t come away with the victory on paper, but it’s hard to walk away from that game feeling like the Patriots lost. After being pegged as double-digit underdogs, the Patriots came within less than a touchdown of the Bills in a 27-21 loss at Highmark Stadium.
They also climbed back up the 2024 NFL draft board to No. 3 overall, which puts them within reaching distance of Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye or possibly even Caleb Williams at quarterback.
Granted, it might have still felt like a loss for the players, but for the Patriots organization overall, Sunday’s game was an absolute win.
Here are some leftover notes from the Week 17 matchup:
Patriots showed resilience after self-inflicted wounds
One of the biggest positives to take away from the Patriots’ performance against the Bills is the fact that they showed resilience when nothing seemed to be going right.
Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe threw three interceptions in the first half, and tight end Pharaoh Brown coughed up a fumble. Yet, the team still managed to keep it interesting against the Bills. The defense fought hard even when losing the battle of field position, and the offense kept making plays down the stretch.
It would have been easy for Zappe to hang his head and fold like a cheap lawn chair in the second half, but he continued to throw the ball downfield with confidence and threatened the Bills defense.
The offensive line play was spotty, and the Patriots couldn’t get the run game going. But they still found a way to compete with Zappe under center. It was an incredible effort under extreme circumstances for a visiting team.
Kicking is a real problem for the Patriots
After kicking a 56-yard game-winning field goal against the Denver Broncos, Chad Ryland was back to whiffing on kicks against the Bills. He missed a 47-yard field goal and a 53-yarder that was ultimately nixed altogether due to penalty.
But there’s no question that the Patriots have a kicking problem. Even for a rookie kicker, Ryland has been too inconsistent to count on as a starter in the NFL.
No one is denying the leg talent. The former Maryland prospect could blast a football to the moon when called upon, but the kicking accuracy hasn’t been there this season. Whether that’s a confidence issue or something else, Ryland will have to work that out for himself.
But the Patriots will seriously need to consider moving in a different direction in 2024. That doesn’t mean Ryland can’t stick around for a camp battle, but the team should make a serious effort to replace him in the offseason.
How close was Mac Jones to getting on the field?
Bailey Zappe clearly had a rough Sunday afternoon with three interceptions in the first half. At one point, cameras even caught Mac Jones shaking his head on the sidelines.
One has to wonder how close Jones was to being thrown back into the lineup. The biggest arguments for Zappe is the fact that not all of the interceptions were necessarily bad throws, and the Patriots were still in the game.
Nothing was likely going to improve by throwing a cold Jones into the lion’s den against a ferocious Bills pass rush. But it was still an option considering he dressed for the game.
If anything, it just shows how unsettling the Patriots’ quarterback situation is at the moment. Zappe has outperformed Jones this season, but he also clearly isn’t the long-term answer under center, if the team has any hopes of being a contender.
Help came from unexpected places
Coach Bill Belichick has had a blind spot for offensive talent, but he continues to hit big on defensive players. Rookie cornerback Alex Austin, who was passed up by the Bills and Houston Texans, looks like a potential diamond in the rough for the Patriots.
He came away with his first NFL interception after undercutting Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid and picking off Josh Allen. It was a spectacular play for a young defensive back that seems to be playing with more confidence on a weekly basis.
That first career pick is a beauty, Alex Austin 👏
📺: #NEvsBUF on CBS pic.twitter.com/LBtyCOPrcb
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 31, 2023
On the special teams side of things, Patriots wide receiver/returner Jalen Reagor deserved a tip of the cap after his explosive kickoff return for a touchdown on the first play of the game.
Reagor didn’t live up to his first-round talent as a receiver, but he can clearly help the team in other ways. His vision and speed is an absolute game-changer as a returner, and it showed up when the Patriots needed it most.
Gone, gone, gone ‼️@jalenreagor | #ForeverNE
📺: #NEvsBUF on CBS pic.twitter.com/PjWjWa4LA0
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 31, 2023
The Patriots need to continue getting more creative offensively and giving Reagor a chance to make plays. He’s one of those explosive playmakers capable of turning something out of nothing with the ball in his hands.
The Patriots move back up the draft board
The urge for the Patriots to win football games is understandable, but those small, feel-good moments are also shortsighted. Sunday’s game was another clear indication that the Patriots need a quarterback in 2024.
They now have a shot at getting their guy with the No. 3 overall pick of the draft. Granted, they could moonwalk backwards again if they beat the New York Jets in the season finale.
Even if the team builds around Bailey Zappe at quarterback, they’ll never be a legitimate playoff contender because they lack talent under center.
Zappe has done a tremendous job of throwing with confidence, not getting rattled under pressure and sticking to the offensive script. But at the same time, there’s a short ceiling on his talent at the NFL level, and it typically shows up when the Patriots go head-to-head with good football teams.
Great quarterback play can fix a lot of problems for an offense, which Patriots fans saw firsthand when Tom Brady was on the team. Fans want to see a win against the Jets, but the Patriots might be better off losing the game, drafting their quarterback of the future and building around him.
It’s time to turn the page on the veteran bridge options and game managers.
