5 takeaways from the Patriots’ AFC East-clinching win over the Bills

The New England Patriots won the AFC East crown in Saturday’s soul-crushing 24-17 win over the Buffalo Bills.

Michel is running with authority

Where has this version of Sony Michel been all season?

The Patriots’ second-year running back stepped into a time machine and traveled back to 2018 against a top-10 Bills rushing defense. For the first time all season, he looked confident in his cuts and showed the power to shed tackles.

Isaiah Wynn being back full-time at left tackle has played a significant role in the Patriots rushing attack being resuscitated. Yet, Michel deserves a ton of credit for running with the type of ferocity that spearheaded the team’s late Super Bowl LIII surge last season.

He finished with 21 carries for 96 yards on a night where the offense racked up 143 total rushing yards and one touchdown.

The offense looked much more efficient when the ground game was working. For all of the identity questions surrounding the Patriots, they finally got their answer on Saturday. The running game is the key to unlocking everything.

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