Getty Bill Belichick
The tide has turned.
The New England Patriots and Mac Jones went from a seven-game win streak, talk of a potential Super Bowl berth and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors to a two-game skid and a woefully inaccurate passing stretch for the young signal caller.
The Patriots lost the rematch to the rival Buffalo Bills on Sunday in Foxboro by the score of 33-21. Absent the violent winds that hindered the two teams’ aerial attacks in the 14-10 handicapped first meeting, Josh Allen showed his superiority over Jones in dwarfing him from a production and bottom-line standpoint.
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Josh Allen > Mac Jones
Allen looked like an MVP candidate completing 30 of 47 passes for 314 yards and 3 TDs. Jones had one of his worst lines of the season completing just 14 of 32 throws for a modest 145 yards, 0 TDs and 2 picks.
While Stefon Diggs had a strong game with 7 receptions for 85 yards and a TD, it was Cole Beasley’s replacement, Isaiah McKenzie who tortured the Patriots’ defense.
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The 26-year-old, 5’8″ dynamo nearly doubled his reception count for the season in one game on Sunday. McKenzie came into the game with 7 receptions for 38 yards and 0 TDs on the season. On Sunday, he lit New England ablaze with 11 catches for 125 yards and a TD. If you had McKenzie in fantasy football, you’re thrilled. If you’re a part of Patriots Nation, you’re probably not a big fan of the Georgia alum.
The loss drops the Patriots out of first place. While both teams are now 9-6 and they split the head-to-head matchups, the Bills have a better division record at 4-1 compared to New England’s 3-2 mark in the AFC East. This loss was a big one for the Patriots. Neither team has an especially tough final two regular-season games with the Patriots finishing up against the woeful Jacksonville Jaguars and the Miami Dolphins, whom they have already lost to once this season. The Bills finish against the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Jets.
If both teams run the table, the Bills will win the division. New England needs the Bills to lose one or both of their final two games, while they take care of business against the Jags and Fins.
Here is a look at the Twitter reaction to the Patriots’ disappointing loss.
Twitter Reaction to Patriots’ Loss to Bills
Jones’ inaccurate passing was a major topic of discussion on Twitter after the game. The Big Lead says Jones has been “regressing rapidly” the last two games. I’m not sure the loss to the Indianapolis Colts last weeks falls into this same category, but the fact is he’s completed just under 54% of his throws over the past two weeks while throwing just 2 TD passes to 4 picks.
Boston Sports Journal’s Greg A. Bedard offers even more damning numbers for Jones’ recent performances.
Mac Jones completed 43.8% of his passes. His expected completion percentage was 63.3%. Jones’ -19.5 Completion Percentage Above Expectation is the 2nd lowest in the NFL this week … to Jake Fromm (-24.9).
Jones took full responsibility for his shortcomings in the postgame presser. He took the blame for the offense’s inability to match the high-powered Bills offense.
Mac Jones on 4th down plays: “Some of those plays shouldn’t have been there… we could have had bigger plays from me”
Presented by New England Ford Dealers
USA Today’s Henry McKenna posted Jones’ passing chart from the loss, which further conveys his ineptitude on Sunday.
Mac Jones’ passing chart ain’t pretty, folks.
He had as many INTs as completions on passes 10+ yards past the line of scrimmage.
This quote McKenna captured from Jones was like a dagger to the heart of Patriots fans.
Mac Jones: “It was obvious the Bills are the better team.”
While Jones and the offense have to take some of the blame, the Patriots’ defense gave up 33 points and couldn’t get Buffalo’s attack off the field despite multiple fourth down tries. In fact, as ESPN’s Mike Reiss pointed out, the Bills didn’t punt the ball once, which is something that almost never happens to a Bill Belichick defense.
From @ESPNStatsInfo: The Bills did not punt today. They are the first team with 0 punts in a game against a Bill Belichick coached team (474 games, including playoffs).
The Patriots will be hoping to bounce back next week against a Jags team that has already upset the Bills earlier in the season, but should be the right medicine for what ails New England–at least for now.
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