Category: Patriots Analysis

Instant analysis of Patriots’ 23-16 win over Bills

Instant analysis of the Patriots’ win over the Bills

The New England Patriots ended a six-game losing streak and tied last year’s regular season record in Sunday’s 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills.

Fans would have rather seen the Patriots tank the season finale to guarantee the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft. Instead, they watched the team celebrate a meaningless win that did more harm than good to the team’s future.

Rookie quarterback Drake Maye played on the first possession of the game, but once that initial drive was up, the team handed the reins of the offense over to rookie backup Joe Milton III.

It was a solid day for Milton, who went 22-of-29 passing for 241 yards and one touchdown. His ability to run around in the pocket and extend plays with his legs was known well before this game.

However, on Sunday, the sixth-round draft pick showed off his accuracy and decisiveness when throwing downfield. Second-year wideout Kayshon Boutte stood out as his top target with seven receptions for 117 yards and one touchdown.

If anything, Milton showed he’s ready to serve as the No. 2 option at quarterback for the Patriots, and Boutte proved he can be a high-volume receiving threat for the team moving forward.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots shut down Buffalo’s passing attack with starter Josh Allen riding the pine. Allen came in for one snap earlier in the game and passed the reins to Mitchell Trubisky and Mike White. The Patriots struggled against the run, and the defense failed to register a single sack in the game.

With that performance, the Patriots’ disappointing 2024 season comes to a close. They can now shift their focus to an offseason of uncertainty with the player personnel, coaching staff and front office.

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WATCH: Patriots QB Joe Milton III scores first NFL touchdown vs Bills

Joe Milton III scored the first touchdown of his NFL career against the Bills

New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton III scored the first touchdown of his NFL career on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.

The rookie quarterback ran it in from a yard out to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead following the extra point.

It was a drive that saw Milton execute at a high level throughout, going 6-of-6 passing for 51 yards. Wideout Demario Douglas was one of the primary targets on the drive, as he caught two passes for 19 yards. Running back Antonio Gibson also caught two passes on the drive for 15 yards.

It was a tone-setting drive for the Patriots following a week where they were shut down offensively by the Los Angeles Chargers.

Milton is making a case to be the No. 2 option at quarterback for the Patriots in 2025. The rookie looks like he might be ready to move up the depth chart.

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Patriots Wire staff game picks for Patriots vs. Bills Week 18 matchup

Patriots Wire staff make their official picks for Sunday’s Patriots-Bills game

The New England Patriots close out the 2024 season at Gillette Stadium against the visiting Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

On one hand, the Patriots must be itching to get back in the win column after getting blown out on their home field in a 40-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last week.

However, a win could put their spot on top of the 2025 NFL draft board in jeopardy. So how they approach the Week 18 matchup could have a long-lasting impact on the team’s future.

The Bills would usually be expected to crush the Patriots into the dirt. They’re the class of the AFC with one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

Yet, they’ve already locked up their spot in the playoffs, which means quarterback Josh Allen and the rest of the Bills’ starters will likely spend most of this game watching from the sidelines.

So it’ll either be the Patriots’ starters taking on the Bills’ backups or a game of backups facing backups.

The Patriots have lost their last six straight games, while the Bills have won three consecutive games, including a lopsided 40-14 win over the New York Jets last week.

Here’s the full round-up of Patriots Wire staff picks for the Week 18 matchup:

Jordy McElroy (7-9) – Patriots 17, Bills 14

Danny Jaillet (9-7) – Patriots 28, Bills 31

Cam Garrity (6-10) – Patriots 14, Bills 21

Who are you picking in Sunday’s game? Be sure to let us know who you are picking and why.

You can find us on Facebook and X.

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POLL: Who wins Sunday’s Patriots-Bills regular season finale?

Who wins on Sunday? Patriots or Bills?

The New England Patriots will take on the Buffalo Bills in their 2024 regular season finale.

This will be an opportunity for the Patriots to end things on a positive note after getting blown out by the Los Angeles Chargers in a 40-7 loss last week. Meanwhile, the Bills are likely looking to rest their starters after blowing out the New York Jets and clinching a spot in the playoffs.

The Patriots couldn’t get anything going offensively against the Chargers, and they also struggled on the defensive side of the ball. They converted only 11 first downs and were 2-of-10 on third downs. They tallied only 48 total plays offensively and had under 20 minutes in time of possession.

On the defensive side of the ball, they got carved up by Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who went 26-of-38 passing for 281 yards and three touchdowns.

The Patriots nearly pulled off an upset win on the road against the Bills when the two teams last met in Week 16. However, they failed to overcome MVP-candidate quarterback Josh Allen in a 24-21 loss in the end.

Allen is expected to play for an extended period of time in Sunday’s game. He could very well start, take one snap and sit for the rest of the day. It’s clear how the Bills plan on approaching the matchup.

Things are a little more uncertain for the Patriots, who currently own the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft. If they play their starters for the entire game, they could very well beat the Bills on Sunday. However, a win could ruin their draft position.

Who do you have winning on Sunday? Make sure to vote in our poll below.

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Gimme Him: Dion Dawkins would be major piece on Patriots’ offensive line

Dion Dawkins would be a solution to the Patriots’ offensive line woes

The New England Patriots have multiple holes that they need to fill on both sides of the ball. However, the left tackle position has been one of the most glaring holes on the roster throughout the season.

That paves the way for Bills three-time Pro Bowl tackle Dion Dawkins as my pick for this week’s “Gimme Him.”

Dawkins has played in 128 games over his eight-year career and started in 122 of them. That experience combined with his availability would be huge for the Patriots. He has played in nearly every game since he was drafted, and he has played in at least 95 percent of offensive snaps in six of the last eight seasons.

The left tackle position has been a revolving door of players this season for the Patriots with the team settling in on Vederian Lowe as its best option. However, Lowe has struggled throughout the year with pass protection and penalties.

Lowe has an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 54.9. His pass-blocking grade sits at a 66.9, while his run-blocking grade is at a lowly 46.3 mark, which ranks 128th out of 137 tackles.

He has played in 782 offensive snaps and allowed five sacks on the year. That is enough for 108th out of 137 total tackles. On top of this, he has allowed 31 pressures on the year.

Meanwhile, Dawkins has a 72.9 overall grade. That includes an 81.2 pass-blocking grade and a 68.7 run-blocking grade. He has only allowed three sacks out of 959 total snaps and 22 total pressures on the season.

A stable left tackle would go a long way in fixing the Patriots’ offensive line. New England would be wise to protect their young quarterback as well as build around him. Dawkins helps check both of those boxes.

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POLL: What should the Patriots do with the No. 1 overall draft pick?

What should the Patriots do with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft?

The New England Patriots would own the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft if the season ended today.

But what should they do with the pick?

Everyone will have a strong opinion on how the Patriots should approach the draft if their current position stays intact. Some would argue that the team should draft a top receiver, like Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.

Others would prefer the team focus more on the offensive line, particularly at the left tackle position. LSU’s Will Campbell and Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr. appear to be the top offensive line options in the draft.

The Patriots also can consider trading the top draft pick to another quarterback-needy team. They could end up moving down only a few spots to pick up an extra first-round pick for 2026, along with multiple other picks.

If they moved down, they’d possibly still be within reach of Campbell or Banks, or if they wanted a receiver, Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan would be the next likely option behind Hunter.

What should the Patriots do with the No. 1 overall pick? Be sure and vote in our poll below.

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Instant analysis of Patriots’ embarrassing 40-7 home loss to Chargers

The Patriots dropped their most embarrassing loss of the season

So much for the moral victory hangover from the New England Patriots nearly upsetting the Buffalo Bills on the road last week.

Whatever juice that team had was left at Orchard Park. They clearly didn’t bring it with them for Saturday’s home game against the Los Angeles Chargers, who scored a season-high 40 points on the Patriots.

The defense was completely outclassed by the Chargers in every way possible. However, the salt in the wounds was seeing Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey torch them for eight receptions, 94 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

The Patriots passed on McConkey in the 2024 NFL draft and instead decided to trade down for wideout Ja’Lynn Polk instead. Polk has only 84 yards and two touchdowns on the season.

McConkey had more yards on Saturday than Polk has all season.

It didn’t help matters that Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez left the game early with a concussion. But this game was already headed in the wrong direction, even when Gonzalez was on the field.

On the offensive side of the ball, rookie quarterback Drake Maye couldn’t get anything going. This wasn’t anything like his performance at Buffalo last week. The offensive line struggled in pass protection and left their young quarterback at the mercy of the Chargers’ pass rushers.

Maye took a hard hit early in the game after refusing to go out of bounds and was sent to the locker room for medical tests. Yet, he managed to return for a game that ended up being the biggest blowout loss of the season for New England.

Losing to better teams in close games is fine, but it’s hard to find any hope in losses like the one the Patriots experienced in this one. Some major questions are lingering about the future in New England, particularly with the coaching staff and the currently constructed roster.

The Patriots won’t have long to wash away the stench from this defeat with a rematch with the Bills on tap for the season final in Week 18.

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Patriots schedule: Is New England playing today?

Is New England playing today? Here’s a look at the schedule and the games to come. 

The New England Patriots will be looking to get back on the winning end of things when taking on the Los Angeles Chargers in a rare Saturday afternoon game.

It will be an opportunity for the Patriots to bounce back from their 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills last week and put an end to a five-game losing streak. The Chargers, on the other hand, will be looking to stack consecutive victories after defeating the Denver Broncos last week.

This is a much different matchup than it was when the teams last met in 2023, when the Chargers earned an ugly 6-0 win over the Patriots. Bill Belichick was the head coach in New England, and Mac Jones was still the starting quarterback under center.

Now, it’s Jerod Mayo as the Patriots’ head coach with rookie Drake Maye at quarterback facing Justin Herbert and Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh.

Kick-off is at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Patriots 2024 schedule

  • Nov. 24: at Miami (L, 34-15)
  • Dec 3:  vs. Indianapolis (L, 25-24)
  • Dec. 8: BYE WEEK
  • Dec 17: at Arizona Cardinals (L, 30-17)
  • Dec 24: at Buffalo Bills (L, 24-21)
  • Record: 3-12

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Patriots Wire staff game picks and scores for Patriots vs. Chargers

Patriots Wire staff make their official picks for Saturday’s Patriots-Chargers game

The New England Patriots will be looking for their fourth win of the season in Saturday’s head-to-head clash with the Los Angeles Chargers.

The team came close to pulling off an upset win in last week’s 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills. They started off strong and had the lead at halftime before they fell apart with three turnovers in the second half.

Quarterback Drake Maye went 22-of-36 passing in the game for 261 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. His favorite receiving target in the game was Kayshon Boutte, who hauled in five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown.

On the ground, Rhamondre Stevenson led the way with 60 rushing yards in a combined 126-yard rushing effort.

Meanwhile, the Chargers earned a 34-27 comeback win over the Denver Broncos in their last outing. Quarterback Justin Herbert went 23-of-31 passing for 284 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Running back Gus Edwards carried the ball 14 times for 68 yards and two touchdowns, while rookie wideout Ladd McConkey caught six passes for 87 yards in the game.

The Patriots lead the all-time series with the Chargers by a 27-16-2 margin. Here’s the full round-up of Patriots Wire staff picks for the Week 17 matchup:

Jordy McElroy (6-9) – Patriots 24, Chargers 27

Danny Jaillet (8-7) – Patriots 21 Chargers 27

Cam Garrity (5-10) – Patriots 6, Chargers 13

Who are you picking in Saturday’s game? Be sure to let us know who you are picking and why.

You can find us on Facebook and X.

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Gimme Him: Ladd McConkey would give Patriots an instant playmaker

Ladd McConkey would give the Patriots a consistent playmaker on offense

The New England Patriots could use a boost at the wide receiver position, and the Los Angeles Chargers happen to have one of the more consistent young wideouts in the league right now.

This week’s Gimme Him features a Chargers rookie receiver who many Patriots fans thought the team should have selected in the 2024 NFL draft.

Former Georgia standout Ladd McConkey is the pick for this week.

McConkey was selected by the Chargers three picks before the Patriots took Ja’Lynn Polk with the No. 37 pick in the second round. His production has been evident throughout the season, as he has recorded 69 receptions for 960 yards and five touchdowns on the year.

He is coming off a game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday where he racked up six catches for 87 yards. He has three games of over 100 yards this season and is fourth among rookies in receiving yards.

The Patriots have managed to get some production from receivers such as Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas, but it hasn’t been enough to truly elevate the offense. It hasn’t helped that both rookies, Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, have failed to break out.

That would change with McConkey’s ability to get open and make plays after the catch. It’s still a bit too early to write off Polk and Baker, but it’s fair to say the Patriots could have used McConkey’s production this year.

The jury is still out on how both Polk and McConkey will ultimately progress through their careers. Nevertheless, McConkey has gotten off to a solid start and has become a key piece to the Chargers’ future.

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