For weeks, Jerod Mayo has been hoping the Patriots would be one of those pain-in-the-butt, nuisance type of teams that “no one wants to play” at the end of the year.
That was his stated goal for the group as far back as early November, midway through the season.
It took awhile, but Mayo finally got his wish.
The Patriots came out with a sense of urgency against Buffalo, competed like crazy for four quarters, showed some game-planning prowess from the coaching staff, and gave the Bills fits.
For a time, they put a scare into the AFC’s second-seeded team, who probably didn’t expect to have to duke it out to the wire with a team whose playoff fate was decided long ago.
Of course, the Patriots morphed back into their 2024 identity before it was over. They were mistake-prone, overly-cautious and not helped by some late-game decision-making.
While it turned out to be infuriating and aggravating to watch the Patriots self-destruct and let Josh Allen & Co. off the hook, what played out was still meaningful in the big picture.
The 24-21 loss to the Bills sent a message about Mayo and Alex Van Pelt in particular, who have been under fire of late. In short, the players have their backs.
“We just have to stick together,” Kendrick Bourne said on WBZ’s post-game broadcast. “We do everything for AVP. We do everything for Jerod. We have to go out there and make plays for those guys. When they talk about firing and hiring, whatever, our jobs as players is to help them keep jobs.”
This was supposed to be a slaughter. The high-flying Bills had put up 125 points the last three games against tough opponents, and are still in the hunt for the AFC’s top playoff seed. Add in frostbite weather in Buffalo and the Patriots could have easily packed it in.
Perhaps the Bills took the Patriots lightly, but that shouldn’t diminish what Mayo’s team accomplished in defeat.
After a horrendous showing in Arizona after the bye week, this game showed a team that was still in the fight. It showed a team that was still pulling for its head coach, not to mention the offensive and defensive coordinators.
The Patriots played hard. They couldn’t escape without making the usual array of killer mistakes, but showing this type of effort, showing some levels of competence is exactly what they need to show to close out the year.
And, for the time being, put a pause on all the fire-the-coach talk.
It’s a bit of affirmation that the Patriots might be headed in the right direction – especially if de facto GM Eliot Wolf supplies an influx of talent during the offseason.
“At the end of the day, we’re in that game, and that’s a playoff football team we just played with an MVP candidate,” Drake Maye said following the loss. “We’re in that game, and I felt like we had a chance to come out with that one.”
Offensive coordinator Van Pelt finally let Maye off his leash when it came to giving him the ball in short yardage situations, and it paid off with his rookie quarterback moving the sticks with his legs.
On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington devised a good plan to keep Allen from padding his MVP stat totals. There were still issues stopping the run (James Cook had 100 yards on 11 carries), but holding Allen to just 154 passing yards was a credit to Covington’s plan, the pressure he was able to generate up front, and the play of the secondary.
Mayo also dialed up a successful fake punt, with safety Dell Pettus taking the direct snap and gaining the necessary yardage in the second quarter to keep a drive alive.
Then, almost on cue, the aggressiveness disappeared in the second half. There were curious play calls – Van Pelt calling for that backward screen pass that resulted in a fumble/touchdown for the Bills. Someone also fell asleep at the switch with the Patriots allowing 15 seconds to run off the clock late in the game without calling a timeout.
Maye had trouble holding on to a snap, and had to fall on the ball with less than two minutes to go down by the goal line, and the clock was left to run. He hit Hunter Henry with a touchdown pass on the very next play, but too much time had run off the clock.
Speaking of Maye (22 of 36 for 261 yards, two TDs, 1 INT, 1 fumble), he was part of what was good, and not-so-good in the loss. He threw a perfect ball to Kayshon Boutte, dropping it right in the bucket down the right side line for the Patriots’ first score, but he also had a pair of costly turnovers.
Looking at the future, though, Maye continues to present a brighter picture. He continues to provide hope. Once again, it’ll be up to Wolf to surround him with the necessary talent to get the Patriots heads above water and make them a contender once again.
“It’s not where we want to be,” said Maye, who made it a point to go to bat for both Mayo and Van Pelt with his post-game remarks. “I think it’s kind of a sneak peek, hopefully, into some meaningful games here, and hopefully, it’s at our place in the future years … I think we’re building something good, building something that feels right here, and I’m proud to be a Patriot.”
For a 3-12 team, that says something.
- BETTING: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
