Three Studs, Three Duds From Patriots’ Rollercoaster Loss To Bills

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Patriots put up a fight Sunday afternoon in Buffalo, as they've done consistently down the stretch of their lost season.

But in the end, the Bills outlasted New England for a 27-21 victory at Highmark Stadium.

The Patriots started as fast as anyone could hope for, with Jalen Reagor returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown. It arrived nearly a year after the Bills returned an opening kick for a TD against New England.

Reagor was off to the races 🏁

📺: #NEvsBUF on CBS@BudLight | #EasyToCelebrate pic.twitter.com/2y9SUB1moT

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 31, 2023

It was a rollercoaster from that point forward.

The Patriots turned the ball over four times in the opening 20 minutes, including three interceptions from Bailey Zappe. At one point in the second quarter, Zappe and Josh Allen hadn't even combined for 100 passing yards.

However, Buffalo eventually seized control of the game with a pair of short TD runs by Allen. New England got a touchdown from Ezekiel Elliott in the fourth to make it a six-point game, but the Bills responded with a drive that bled the clock and put the game away.

When the dust settled, Zappe completed 16 of 26 passes for 209 yards while running five times for 37 yards and a score. Elliott led the way on the ground with 14 carries for 39 yards, while Kevin Harris posted the most receiving yards with 54.

On the other side, Allen completed 15 of 30 passes for 169 yards and zero touchdowns to go along with one pick. He also rushed 11 times for 44 yards and two scores.

The Patriots outgained the Bills 294 yards to 281. Buffalo had the edge in first downs -- 19 to 16 -- and was better on third downs.

New England dropped to 4-12 with the loss while Buffalo improved to 10-6 with the win. The Patriots will finish their season next Sunday with a home game against the New York Jets.

Here are three studs and three duds from Sunday's entertaining game in Western New York:

STUDS
DL Keion White
White registered just three tackles and one QB hit, but those stats don't come close to telling the story of how he played in this game. The rookie defensive lineman was a force throughout, including posting a handful of QB pressures in the first half. White's been on an upward trajectory for the last month and is starting to stack success.

DT Christian Barmore
Rinse, repeat. Barmore is in this section every week, and for good reason. He was a beast again Sunday, constantly pressuring Allen up the middle and forcing him outside the pocket. Barmore finished with just six tackles and zero sacks, but as is the case with White, the stat sheet doesn't matter.

RB Kevin Harris
The Patriots offense wasn't going anywhere -- other than backward -- until Harris ran 15 yards on the last play of the first quarter. On the next drive, he ripped off a 48-yard catch-and-run that set up Zappe's touchdown run. There's a reason Harris has spent most of his career on the practice squad, but the second-year pro seems to make plays whenever he gets an opportunity.

Honorable mentions: Jahlani Tavai, Jalen Reagor, Davon Godchaux, Anfernee Jennings, DeMario Douglas, Deatrich Wise, Jonathan Jones

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DUDS
QB Bailey Zappe
Sure, Zappe turned things around after his wretched first quarter. But three interceptions are three interceptions, and it was somewhat surprising that Mac Jones didn't get a shot after the third pick. Nevertheless, Zappe does deserve credit for battling back and making some really good throws in the second half.

Offensive line
Zappe was sacked three times -- it could've been more -- and the running game wasn't able to do much outside of a few decent rushes. Yes, the O-line is dealing with a slew of injuries -- and Trent Brown now is getting healthy scratched -- but this was another bad performance.

K Chad Ryland
So much for using last week's game-winner as a springboard. Ryland missed another field goal Sunday, this time from 47 yards, and now is 15-of-24 on the season. The fourth-round rookie also had a missed 53-yarder wiped out by a delay-of-game penalty. It's fair to wonder whether Ryland has any future in the NFL.

Honorable mentions: Pharaoh Brown, Kyle Dugger, DeVante Parker