Patriots Give Bills Run for Their Money

The excitement surrounding the New England Patriots grew after their battle with the Buffalo Bills.

Dec 22, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New England Patriots quarterack Drake Maye (10) warms up prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots came into today's game against the Buffalo Bills being given zero chance to win. While they may not have won, they played much better than most expected.

Right off the bat, the Patriots made a statement. They went up 14-0 early in the second quarter and looked like they had a chance to pull off a shocking win.

Unfortunately, things went downhill from there.

When everything was said and done, New England ended up losing by a final score of 24-21.

Despite the loss, there was a lot to be excited about for the Patriots. They fought hard and competed with a top-tier Super Bowl contender. New England also made things very difficult on Josh Allen and a Bills' offense that had been playing at an unreal level.

Drake Maye ended up having an impressive game in his matchup head-to-head against Allen. He ended up completing 22 of his 36 pass attempts for 260 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. He also picked up 31 yards on the ground.

As for Allen, the Patriots were able to hold him to 154 passing yards, one touchdowns, and an interception. He completed 16 of his 29 passes and picked up 30 yards on the ground.

New England also received some help from outside of this game to make the day even better. Losing is not necessarily a bad thing for the Patriots. They are currently slated to have a top-three pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Due to the Las Vegas Raiders beating the Jacksonville Jaguars, New England now has an even better chance to move up higher in the draft order.

If the season were to end after this game, the Patriots would have the No. 2 overall pick.

All of that being said, the loss was disappointing, but the way the team played was exciting. New England may not be a contender this season, but with the right kind of offseason they could take a massive step in that direction in 2025.

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