Barry Chin/Boston Globe
Mac Jones throws just three passes in Patriots’ win over Bills
I’m not exaggerating when I say that this might have been Bill Belichick’s favorite regular season win of his head coaching career. Mac Jones threw three passes. He completed two of them for 19 yards. One of those completions wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for an incredibly acrobatic catch by Jonnu Smith.
Three pass attempts, 46 rushing attempts. To win in that fashion in today’s NFL is unheard of. The weather made it nearly impossible to pass or kick, hence the decision to go for two points after the first touchdown.
Bad weather games typically come down to turnovers. Nobody hates turnovers more than Bill Belichick. That’s why he nearly eliminated that possibility by refusing to put the ball in the air. If the Pats lost, he would be endlessly destroyed on local radio shows for at least the next week. But they didn’t, so he maintains his status as a football genius who will forever own the Buffalo Bills and the rest of the AFC East.
For Mac Jones, they won’t get much easier than this. Most importantly, the Patriots’ defense did everything they needed to do. Aside from the N’Keal Harry blunder on the punt return, New England played relatively mistake-free football when you consider the severity of the conditions.
The Pats are now 8-1 in their last nine games. They’ve won seven in a row since starting the season 2-4. Just when you might have thought the landscape of the AFC was beginning to shift, the cream has risen back to the top. Sorry Buffalo.
Check out the highlights from the hard-fought win here: