The Buffalo Bills had to be kicking themselves as they watched Eric Lee fly around the field Sunday afternoon.
Lee had spent most of the season on the Bills’ practice squad before the New England Patriots signed him away last month. The 23-year-old defensive played well in his Patriots debut two weeks ago but reached another level entirely in his first game against his former team, tallying an interception, 1 1/2 sacks, three quarterback hits and one pass breakup in a 23-3 Patriots victory at New Era Field.
A locker room celebration video posted by the team showed Patriots owner Robert Kraft and president Jonathan Kraft congratulating Lee after the game.
“I think they realized they made a mistake,” Jonathan Kraft told him, referring to the Bills.
Lee’s breakout performance helped the Patriots withstand the loss of top pass rusher Trey Flowers, who missed the game with a rib injury. The three points allowed were a season-low for New England, which has surrendered just 11.9 points per game during its current eight-game win streak.
