Patriots vs. Bills score, takeaway: Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs pass New England to lead AFC East

With their respective seasons on the line in January, the Bills beat the rival Patriots, sending New England home for the winter. Almost a calendar year later, Buffalo struck again, this time in Foxborough. Looking to take a temporary lead in the AFC East, Josh Allen and Co. didn’t have a perfect night on Bill Belichick’s field. But they never had to, using a pair of interceptions to star wide receiver Stefon Diggs and a stellar defensive display for much of Thursday night to outlast New England 24-10 in the first meeting of the 2022 campaign.

Rested after a promising start against the Vikings on Thanksgiving, Mac Jones and the home team threatened to take the Bills to the wire early, asking cornerback Marcus Jones for a trick touchdown. That gadget score was the last reliable and explosive play for the New England offense until late in the fourth, working against the injured Von Miller pass rush in the Bills “D”. Allen, on the other hand, played with fire at times, but never lost control of the contest, also relying on freshman quarterback James Cook, who emerged as a runner and receiver.

Here are additional entries from Thursday night’s Week 13 opener:

Why the Bills won

Stefon Diggs worked his magic. Josh Allen was also a big reason, as usual, and his efforts were never more valuable than on Buffalo’s second touchdown — a remarkable fumble on the run, after Allen waited until he found Gabe Davis in the end zone. at the last moment on the side. But Diggs is often the catalyst on otherwise stalled drives, and his numbers (seven catches, 92 yards, one TD) would be even better if he wasn’t. James Cook also did well with over 20 touches, leading the backfield, and Isaiah McKenzie was an effective safety valve. The defense, of course, deserves just as much, if not more, credit. Despite coming in with just one sack in the fourth, that unit dominated on third downs, bottling the Pats’ ground game and receiving heavy pressure and/or deflections from veterans like Tremaine Edmunds and Jordan Poyer.

Why the patriots lost

A week after teasing an offensive renaissance against Minnesota, the offense fell to Earth, and maybe even to Earth, like a grave. Mac Jones started well enough, and creative use of speedy corner Marcus Jones resulted in six. Rhamondre Stevenson also showed toughness on every carry. But once again, there was no real downward rhythm to their attack; Until the final minutes, four of the top five receivers on offense averaged less than nine yards. Belichick’s and/or Matt Patricia’s play calling and clock management in certain spots, such as before halftime, didn’t help. Defensively, keeping Buffalo under 30 can be considered a success, but special teams also affected them, as Nick Folk missed a 48-yard field goal in the second quarter.

Turning point

Second down At the beginning of the second quarter. The Patriots had just scored a TD on their previous drive to go up 7-3 and now trailed 10-7 after the Bills’ response. And then, with their backs to their 8-yard line, they tripped over themselves. Mac Jones was nearly hit in the end zone for a safety, barely getting rid of the ball beforehand, and Cole Strange held on to make things worse. The near-turnover, which also saw Jones penalized for roughing the passer, essentially killed the drive, but also all of the Pats’ momentum up to that point. Buffalo easily punched the ball in good field position on their next drive and quickly built a 10-point lead that would keep them ahead.

The Pats also shot to their feet late in the first half, cementing the hole. While Josh Uche put on a takedown clinic on Allen, the offense played too safe while using timeouts oddly, with Nick Folk missing a 48-yard field goal before getting any points off the turnover.

the game

Few QBs can pull off what Allen did on the Bills’ second TD, dashing all the way to the sideline, shaking off a defender and then sending it to Gabe Davis over two Patriots before getting out of bounds. . Every angle of the shot proved just how acrobatic he was, recalling Patrick Mahomes’ best performances in Kansas City, as well as his stunt pass last season the Bills beat New England in the playoffs.

What’s next

The Bills (9-3) return home for Week 14 of their three-straight division sweep against the Jets (7-4), who play the Vikings this weekend. The Patriots (6-6), meanwhile, will be out for another primetime affair, this time against the Cardinals (4-8) on “Monday Night Football.”