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: