Summary
Mac Jones completed two of just three attempts in the New England Patriots’ 14-10 win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday.
The weather conditions were intense to say the least for this highly anticipated duel in the East American division. Strong winds blew through the Bills stadium throughout the game and the Bills were recorded at speeds between 25 and 35 MPH. The snow was also present at the very start of the meeting.
So it wasn’t surprising to see both teams favor ground play, but the Patriots weren’t afraid to go to extremes. QB Mac Jones threw just one pass in the entire first half, a ball grabbed by Jonnu Smith over 12 yards.
However, they were still in control thanks to a touchdown following a 64-yard run from Damien Harris into the end zone. The running back finished the game with 111 rushing yards, but had to quit due to a hamstring injury.
The door opened for the Bills after that touchdown when on a clearance, the ball hit N’Keal Harry’s helmet before being picked up by the Buffalo team in Pats territory. Moments later, Josh Allen joined Gabriel Davis for the touchdown and cut the lead to one point.
The winds were also a challenge for the kickers in this game. If Nick Folk had his two field goals for the Patriots, Tyler Bass was able to add three runs on 35 yards, but a kick against the wind for 33 yards to approach the Bills to a point in the fourth quarter was missed.
Meanwhile, the Patriots’ offense was relying on ground play. Jones threw his second and third pass with the wind at his back in the fourth quarter. He spotted Brandon Bolden a short distance and the night of the quarterback ended with a slim 19-yard harvest.
The Patriots became only the third team in NFL history to attempt just three passes in a game. We had to go back to 1968 and 1946 for the other two encounters with such a statistic.
According to Elias Sports, the Patriots had the lowest total passing yards and became the first team to attempt a single pass in the first half since at least 1978. The last team to win a game with three or fewer assists , it was precisely the Bills in 1974 with two in a game.
In return, the Patriots attempted a total of 46 runs throughout Monday night’s clash. Rhamondre Stevenson was the most in demand with 24 carries for 78 yards.
The Bills still had a chance to take the lead late in the game, but Allen’s pass to Stefon Diggs in the end zone was knocked down and the Pats later confirmed their seventh straight win.
With a 9-4 record for the Patriots to 7-5 for the Bills, Bill Belichick’s squad not only lead the division, but they also lead in the American Association.
