3 stat lines you wouldn’t believe from Patriots-Bills MNF showdown
By Jerry Trotta
1. Mac Jones: 2-of-3 for 19 yards
Read it and weep, haters!
As soon as it became clear (midway through the first quarter) that Jones’ right arm was only going to be used to hand the pigskin to his running backs, you got the feeling Pats cynics were going to use it as a knock against him.
That’s utterly ridiculous. If you want to point the finger at anybody, point it at Buffalo! Had they been able to stop New England’s run game, Belichick and Josh McDaniels would’ve had no other choice but to throw the football.
Alas, Jones went just 2-of-3 for 19 yards. In all honesty, he should’ve finished with just one completion, but Jonnu Smith showed off his vertical and wingspan to reel in a pass (Jones’ first of the game) thrown well over his head.
It marked the fewest pass attempts since the Bills attempted two against the Jets way back in 1974. In regard to Patriots history, Jones set a new record for fewest attempts in a single game, topping the 1982 “Snowplow Game” vs the Dolphins in which Steve Grogan dropped back to pass just five times.
The best teams in the NFL prove they can win in a myriad of ways, and the Patriots proved on Monday night in Orchard Park that they can beat one of the best teams in the conference with their QB being a literal non-factor.
Take a bow, Belichick.
