While we never expected the Bills to be able to beat the Patriots, we didn’t expect the mauling they were given or the error-strewn performance they put forward.
Indeed after weeks of playing better than their record, the Bills couldn’t handle an extremely well-coached Patriots outfit, which negated the impact of their star player (Kyle Williams) and capitalized on numerous Bills turnovers to ensure that the road to the Super Bowl for AFC teams would run through them.
We’re not telling you anything you don’t already know, but the Pats need to be taken seriously.
Patriots: Performances of note
Want to know one of the reasons why the Titans have struggled to run the ball as well as they did last year, and why the Patriots are having such success? Well look no further than Alge Crumpler (+5.4). One of the best blocking tight ends in the league we've tracked, he hasn’t missed a beat since moving to New England. Crumpler got a nice tangible reward in the shape of catching a touchdown pass that reminded you of the player he was in Atlanta, but make no mistake about it. Crumpler’s worth to the Patriots is for his excellent blocking.
We haven’t always been the biggest fans of Jerod Mayo (+4.5), and think he's been a bit inflated by tackle numbers. But he was brilliant against Buffalo. He had one of his better days in coverage, exemplified by a bone-jarring hit that made the Bills receivers think twice (and possibly thrice) about coming over the middle into his zone. Mayo allowed only one reception for 3 yards and broke up a pass. If this Mayo is out there come playoff time, the Patriots' defense is a different animal.
If we’re going to point out a poor performance it’s one that will come as surprise to those who didn’t watch the game, but not to those who did. Just what was up with Wes Welker (-4.0)? It’s not often you’ll see Welker drop as many passes as he caught (three) but that is what he did against the Bills, turning his six targets into just 19 yards. It’s more than likely just a blip but considering the importance of Welker to the Patriots, it’s something to watch.
Bills: Performances of note
It wasn’t actually the worst day in the world for the Bills offensive line, who did a good job of giving their quarterback time, and had an above average day with their run blocking. The pleasant surprise? Chad Rinehart (+4.8), who put in another performance that suggested the Bills may have stumbled onto something for the long-term with the combination of Rinehart and Eric Wood (+2.0) at center and right guard for the foreseeable future. Wood gave up a sack, but the two allowed nothing else in pass protection and graded out positively with their run blocking.
It wasn’t the greatest day in the world for Ryan Fitzpatrick (-0.4). For as smart a guy as Fitzpatrick is he remains the kind of quarterback that forces throws after locking onto his receivers and making life easier than it needs to be for the defense. Fitzpatrick really struggled when pressured, turning those 11 dropbacks into just seven yards with a 28.6% completion percentage. He wasn’t much better with time; there was plenty in this performance to suggest the Bills need to be looking at the quarterbacks in the 2011 draft.
There was also a lot to dislike with the defensive display as the front seven was completely dominated by New England. The worst performer? Well take your pick between Marcus Stroud (-5.2) and Paul Posluszny (-4.6) who both struggled. Stroud was moved about at the point of attack by a rampant Patriots offensive line and didn’t manage a single quarterback pressure. For a player with such talent Stroud has been a disappointment for so long now that we’ve come to expect it.
Rookie report
This was another performance that made Rob Gronkowski (+3.6) look like a perennial Pro Bowler for years to come, with his touchdowns being the cherries on top of a cake made tasty with superb run-blocking. … We’ve seen Devin McCourty (+0.2) play better but he was never massively tested by a Bills unit he gave up 23 yards to. … We’re seeing more and more of Dane Fletcher (-0.2) but it wasn’t the most impressive of displays even with his garbage-time interception … The Patriots could have stumbled onto a solid player to put into their defensive line rotation in Kyle Love (+0.8) … Punter Zoltan Mesko (-0.3) walked away with a good stat sheet in tricky conditions.
Alex Carrington (+1.1) was the only defensive lineman for the Bills to come out of this game with any credit … Receivers David Nelson (+0.0), Donald Jones (-0.4) and Naaman Roosevelt (+1.1) had mixed days. Nelson left the game with an injury, Jones dropped two passes and Roosevelt picked up an impressive 74 yards on eight targets. … C.J. Spiller (+0.3) had a fumble and picked up 20 of his 30 yards after contact. … Torell Troup (-2.7) had some issues against an on-form Patriots offensive line in his 15 snaps. … Arthur Moats (-0.7) didn’t bring any pass rush.
Random Note
The Bills three or more receiver sets on 82.54% of plays. … Does anyone remember The Patriots experimenting with Kyle Arrington at defensive end on passing downs a few weeks back? In a year of getting so much right that is one thing the Pats flopped on and have given up.
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