Bills playoff hopes sill alive despite loss to Patriots: 5 Takeaways
By Curtis Panke
4. Defence stops the pass but struggles against the run
On defence the Bills had an up and down game against Tom Brady and the Patriots.
Against the pass the Bills had a strong game holding Brady to 224 yards, the lowest he’s thrown all season. Brady would throw for two touchdowns along with one interception.
Jordan Poyer’s fourth interception of the season not only was his first career pick-six but it extended Brady’s interception streak to a career high five games.
That INT by Tom Brady marks the 1st time since 2002 that the Pats QB has thrown at least 1 INT in 5 straight games. It matches the longest streak of his career. #Bills #BUFvsNE
— Chris Brown (@ChrisBrownBills) December 24, 2017
Meanwhile Kyle Williams recorded one of Buffalo’s two sacks on Brady and in doing so moved himself into sixth place on the Bills all-time sack list with 43.5 career sacks.
Down. Goes. Brady.#BUFvsNE #GoBills pic.twitter.com/YSbojglSxo
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 24, 2017
Against the run the Bills had no answer for Dion Lewis who ran all over Buffalo for 129 yards one 24 carries with one rushing touchdown. Lewis also caught five passes for 24 yards with a receiving touchdown.
The inability to stop the running game is concerning for the Bills against the Dolphins who have a young running back in Kenyan Drake who is averaging 4.8 yards per carry this season and ran for 78 yards and a touchdown against the Bills two weeks ago.
If the Bills can stop the run and force the Dolphins to pass then they will be in a strong position to finish off the season with a big win.