Report Card: Bills were aggressive from start to finish in burying Patriots

PASSING GAME: A+

In two words, too easy. Josh Allen did whatever he wanted all night long, finishing 27 of 36 for 320 yards and four touchdowns. Just think what those numbers would have been if Taiwan Jones and Dawson Knox didn’t drop touchdowns. Allen was in total command. Stefon Diggs was simply too good for the Patriots, finishing with nine catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns. No other Bills receiver finished with three catches, but nine other players had receptions. Knox bounced back from his drop to finish with 51 receiving yards, making a couple of really tough receptions. It was a fairly quiet night for Cole Beasley, who finished with three catches for 17 yards. Beasley limped off the field in the fourth quarter after appearing to get his foot stuck in the turf on a play a few minutes earlier. Bills fans need to hope that’s nothing serious, because Beasley is a huge part of the offensive attack. You know things are going well in the passing game when Lee Smith not only catches a 4-yard touchdown, but also gains 27 yards on a completion. That’s just rubbing it in at that point. Adding John Brown to the mix, which should happen for the postseason (if not next week) will make an already potent group even more dangerous.

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RUNNING GAME: B

It did enough. Rookie Zack Moss scored Buffalo’s first touchdown, bulling his way in from 5 yards early in the second quarter. Moss finished with a team-leading 57 yards on 12 carries. Devin Singletary added 36 yards on 10 carries. Singletary ran hard, but outside of an 11-yard rush, didn’t find a ton of room. Allen added 35 yards on four carries. Receiver Isaiah McKenzie picked up a first down early in the game on a third-and-1 run play. He finished with two carries for 5 yards. Overall, the team rushed 31 times for 130 yards, a total that includes minus-3 yards on three kneeldowns at the end of the game by backup quarterback Matt Barkley.

PASS DEFENSE: A

It was a pathetic showing by Patriots quarterbacks Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham. They combined to go 9 of 21 for 78 yards – a passer rating of 53.3. It’s fair to wonder if Newton will be in the NFL next year. The chances of him starting somewhere seem just about gone. Levi Wallace had the Bills’ only pass defensed, but there just weren’t that many chances to make plays on the ball. Quinton Jefferson and Dean Marlowe each had big hits. The only small downside was penalties. Rookie defensive end A.J. Epenesa was called for roughing the passer, while cornerback Tre’Davious White got flagged for defensive pass interference.

RUN DEFENSE: C

It was a fairly ugly first half, as the Patriots piled up 130 yards on the ground. That included three runs of at least 20 yards. The Patriots went up tempo early, leading to 21-yard gain by Sony Michel. That came after Michel had a 29-yard run in the first quarter. New England’s J.J. Taylor ripped off a 28-yard run up the middle on a play in which Vernon Butler and Quinton Jefferson were supposed to be plugging up that part of the field. Without the benefit of film review, it appeared Tremaine Edmunds did not have his best game. Edmunds finished with just five tackles. Linebacker Matt Milano, who got the start in the team’s base defense – another sign he’s closer to 100% as he plays through a pectoral injury – led the team with eight tackles.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A

The fake punt was a thing of beauty. Remember, too, that the Patriots beat the Bills last season thanks largely to a blocked punt returned for a touchdown. That had to make Monday night’s play even sweeter for coordinator Heath Farwell. Kick returner Andre Roberts came though with a big 49-yard return after the Patriots had taken an early 3-0 lead. That set the offense up with a short field. Rookie kicker Tyler Bass had eight points on a short field goal and five extra points. Punter Corey Bojorquez was only called on twice, but he drilled two huge punts, averaging 56.5 yards and pinning New England inside its own 20-yard line twice. The Bills’ kick coverage team limited Patriots returner Donte Moncrief to an average of 18.5 yards on four attempts.

COACHING: A+

Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier both might want to file this away for his head-coaching interviews this offseason. According to Stats by STATS, the Bills are the first team since the Oilers in 1961 to go on the road in consecutive weeks and outgain their opponents by at least 250-plus yards. Buffalo outgained the Broncos by 279 yards in Week 15 and the Patriots by 273 yards Monday night. That’s domination. The Bills were aggressive in every way Monday, going for it on fourth down, running a fake punt, calling deep balls into the second half, etc. Sean McDermott will never come out and say it, but an undeniable statement was made Monday: The AFC East belongs to the Bills now. One quick note to Daboll, though, from Bills fans everywhere: No more Allen runs in the fourth quarter of blowout wins, please.