The Bills stormed into Foxboro and kicked the Patriots’ ass last night in a true show of dominance as the new Kings of the AFC West. With one eye on the offseason roster changes, we must still reflect on Week 16’s Ups and Downs.
Ups ⬆️
Jakobi Meyers
Whilst the passing game was almost non-existent last night, Meyers was the only receiver to show any spark, and to be fair, he’s been the best receiver on the team this season. Not a record-breaking performance, but the effort was there with some slight production at least.
Jake Bailey
Any concerns that the celebrity status that comes along with being a Pro Bowler would impact Bailey’s performances were dashed last night as once again, he showed why he’s one of the top Punters in the NFL.
Sometimes he goes under the radar given how bad the Pats have been at times this season, but, in close games, Bailey’s ability to switch field position a pin opponents in their own red zone is a priceless commodity.
Sony Michel
I’ve enjoyed seeing Michel have some better games more recently in the absence of Damien Harris, although his carries have been reduced for one reason or another, he’s been more efficient and had some great runs last night. One bright spot heading into the offseason is that the running back position is in a stable position for next year.
Downs⬇️
Cam Newton
The touchdown run was fine, it was clunky and a bit sloppy looking, but Cam made his way in and got the only touchdown of the game. Other than that, he was quite frankly terrible. The passing game again failed to even pick up at all, and I’m not joking – Newton went 5/10 FOR 34 YARDS! – I saw a stat showing that Josh Allen’s 4 touchdown passes last night were double the amount Cam had thrown in Gillette Stadium this season.
Shocking, but, it looks as if he will get one final game against the Jets on Sunday as Belichick refuses to humor the media by nodding to a potential Stidham start.
-Just a side note on Stidham, sure he probably isn’t a starting quarterback in this league, but at least give the guy a chance to have one full week of first-team reps and play an entire game, even if he goes full Nathan Peterman and throws 8 picks, at least he was given a chance, but hey, what do I know?
J.C. Jackson
Jackson, who was snubbed from a Pro Bowl selection last week, had a woeful performance last night trying to lock down Stefon Diggs. Jeff Howe’s report on the coverage against the pass last night sums up all you need to know.
A night to forget for Mr INT, who really could have used these final two games not in the shadow of Stephon Gilmore to show he is the future number one Cornerback for this team.
Damiere Byrd
Byrd dropped a gimme early on in the game last night, it cost the chance for the Pats to take a touchdown lead early on in the game. The Patriots have shown they can’t fall behind in games and recover, Byrd’s drop prevented them from getting off to a much better start.
Nick Folk
Folk has been on a hot streak of consecutive kicks since September which finally ended last night. He missed the only extra point of the game for the Pats, it may seem harsh, but I hold a high bar for kickers. It didn’t change the outcome of the game, but it was one of many things that just went wrong last night.
