Brady, Belichick still torment Bills
Confidence is rarely high for Bills fans when the team travels to Foxborough to take on the Patriots. But that wasn’t the case heading into this Week 16 matchup. Part of the reason for high confidence in Buffalo’s ability to actually go and win in New England was the team’s 10-win record. The other reason were the struggles Tom Brady has experienced throughout this season.
Despite the 11-3 record, Brady and the Patriots offense have had some major issues scoring points throughout the 2019 season. Brady has looked like a 42-year-old quarterback in a season that has seen a major downturn in his passing numbers.
You wouldn’t know it though if you saw Brady throw the ball around Saturday against the Bills’ defense. Sean McDermott’s defenses have had Brady’s number a bit since 2017 and have made him look rather ordinary. Combine that with Brady’s recent struggles, and it’s easy to understand why so many thought the Bills’ defense would be able to get the best of Brady and the Patriots.
The Bills defense, while it wasn’t shredded, looked fairly average. Brady carved them up for 271 passing yards, completing 26 of 33 passes. Brady wasn’t sacked by the Bills defense and did not throw an interception, either.
While Bills’ fans were ready to dance on Brady’s grave, they forgot what this rivalry has been like for nearly two decades. Just when Bills fans thought it was safe to trust their defense against Brady, he pulls out a vintage performance to beat the Bills once again.
The Patriots coaching staff made some key adjustments to help jump-start their passing offense against a Buffalo defense that has given them plenty of headaches since McDermott arrived. The Patriots utilized play-action to freeze Buffalo’s talented linebackers and safeties, giving receivers and tight ends just an extra split second to create some separation. The Patriots also utilized the screen game well, which is something Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels must have noticed the Philadelphia Eagles did well against the Bills back in October. Patriots’ backs Rex Burkhead, James White, and Sony Michel combined to catch nine passes for 106 yards.
Brady and Belichick getting the best of the Bills is certainly nothing new. Many fans were hoping this game would be the changing of the guard in the AFC East. While the Bills battled it out right to the end with them, it was not to be as the old Ghosts of Christmas’ Past came back to haunt the Bills once again.