No lead is safe when Josh Allen is the other quarterback on the field. The New England Patriots suffered a blowout loss on Sunday, blowing a 21-point lead and losing for the first time since September.
The Patriots’ 10-game winning streak was snapped with a 35-31 loss to the Bills in Foxborough, and suddenly the AFC East race is back in contention.
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Sure, people will talk about this Buffalo-leaning referee, but it’s hard to blame the men and women in pinstripes when the Patriots have every chance to win the game.
The offense was hot-headed from the start. Patriots quarterback Derek Meyer rushed for two touchdowns in the first quarter. But there is no doubt that he ended up playing his worst game of the season. For the first time all year, he threw for less than 200 yards, completing 14 of 23 passes for 155 yards, no touchdowns and just one interception.
Meanwhile, rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns in a game that looked like a football cheat code.
But this is not enough.
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The Bills started their running game led by running backs James Cook and Allen, which opened up their entire offense to exploit a Patriots defense that simply looked unmatched in the game. At one point in the second half, the Bills scored five consecutive touchdowns. It was a complete defensive meltdown for New England when it mattered most.
Allen completed 19 of 28 passes in the game, advancing 193 yards and three touchdowns. It wasn’t a terrible stat sheet performance, but it was enough to beat the Patriots in a successful revenge game. In addition to a terrible run defense, special teams gave the Patriots a rough night, taking penalties and too many tackles.
Bills return man Ray Davis returned four times in the game with an average return rate of 41.0.
The Patriots still lead the AFC East, but they have another tough game on the schedule next week on the road against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night. If they lose, things could get tricky and the Bills will continue to struggle.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Instant analysis of Patriots’ heartbreaking 35-31 loss to Bills
