The standout from the Buffalo Bills’ 33-21 win vs. the New England Patriots in Week 16 was the aggressive nature the offense played with.
The Bills (9-6) consistently went for it on fourth down in the victory, even sprinkling in some two-point attempts.
The Patriots (9-6) just couldn’t keep up.
After a first 2021 meeting which saw the Pats beat them up with their ground game, Buffalo wanted to turn the tables a bit. The Bills took the game to New England instead and it worked.
“I just felt like it was the right thing for this game,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said via video conference. “We just felt like we had a good plan overall.”
Overall, the Bills were a solid 3-for-4 on fourth down. That transferred over to third down, where Buffalo was 6-for-12 on offense as well.
Staying on the field under whatever circumstances is always ideal for an offense. Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen said being put in the position by coaches to succeed went a long way for the unit… and added it might even be something that carries over into future games.
“To have that trust in us means a lot,” Allen said. “When you continue to convert those, what a killer it is for a defense.”
“Having that trust to go for it on those fourth down situations, that’s big for us,” the QB added. “Gives us some grove. Gives us some confidence going forward.”
Kudos certainly go to the Bills coaching staff for putting the Patriots on their heels and keeping them. It’s a clear position that favored Buffalo.
However, this was a two-way street McDermott said.
The way the offense carried out the game plan on the field gave the coaching staff confidence to roll the dice.
“Those aren’t always easy decisions. I thought the offense did a great job executing,” McDermott said.
“I liked how the offense had moved the ball to that point,” McDermott added, referencing the first time Buffalo went for it on fourth down. “Wanted to be aggressive.”
The Bills were just that in New England. It gave Buffalo the inside track to win on Sunday, and did the same in terms of the Bills grabbing a second-straight AFC East title.
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