J.J. Watt Not Pressing Panic Button After Patriots’ Letdown Loss

J.J. Watt isn’t signaling doom for the New England Patriots after their Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The retired pass rusher watched the Patriots let the AFC East title slip away when they blew a 21-point lead to the Bills on Sunday. Watt, who called the division game alongside Ian Eagle on CBS, discussed the aftermath on a CBS Sports recap show.

Sunday’s loss could renew questions about New England’s strength of schedule, but Watt won’t fault the Patriots for beating up on vulnerable opponents.

“Everybody wants to point to the schedule. They can only play who they play,” Watt said. “That’s not their fault that that’s how the schedule fell. They go out and they win the games on their schedule.”

Although Drake Maye posted a season-low 155 passing yards and 62.8 passer rating, Watt still praised the second-year quarterback. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year loved seeing Maye block for TreVeyon Henderson on a 65-yard touchdown run.

“Drake Maye is an impressive football player,” Watt said. “Make no mistake about it. He’s in the MVP conversations for a reason. My favorite play of the day was him sprinting all the way down the field, 50-plus yards, to lead the way for TreVeyon Henderson’s long touchdown … He’s leading this team the right way.”

The Patriots squandered a chance to wrap up the division, but they remain in a good position to capture the AFC East during the final three weeks. Watt noted that all of New England’s goals remain attainable despite Sunday’s setback.

“This one’s gonna hurt and sting for them, but they still have a chance,” Watt said. “Everything is in front of them that they want to accomplish.”