The Patriots went into Week 16 expected to be blown out by the Bills in the worst way seen in a long time. Their AFC East rival has been on a wild run as of late, with quarterback Josh Allen padding his MVP contending resume with some of the most impressive performances of any player this season.
Surely, that meant he would easily dominate the struggling Patriots team.
Everything looked like it would go that way when looking at how they played against the beatable Cardinals the previous Sunday. It was an embarrassing effort that should have resulted in a win, only to further put the coaching staff's future in doubt, led by the Krafts disappointment being shown during the broadcast.
Shockingly, that's not how the game started. The Patriots led the Bills into the second quarter and gave them a run for the money until halftime. Although things fell off the rails for the remainder of the game due to questionable play-calling and bad fundamentals defensively, it didn't stop Josh Allen from praising his familiar foe after the game.
Josh Allen has strong praise for the 3-12 Patriots after the Bills lock down another win
While speaking with reporters after the game, Allen was quite complimentary of the Patriots despite their collapse, which helped the Bills seal the win. He pointed out specifics that they did well and threw in the ultimate praise by stating they are a "better team than their record shows."
#Bills QB Josh Allen on the win against the #Patriots:
— Carlos Talks Pats (@LosTalksPats) December 23, 2024
“That’s a better team than their record shows… they came out ready to play…” pic.twitter.com/dh8b6TybzX
Considering he has ruled over the division for the past five years and is on the run of his career in 2024, it's noteworthy to hear this kind of praise from Allen, even more so given how poorly the Patriots have played for most of the year.
They certainly played some of their best football in the first half of this game and proved they could hang with the Bills in enemy territory, which might mean they could get the job done in Week 18 when they come to Gillette Stadium.
The problem is that they need to continue that performance through 60 minutes and not just through to halftime. That's not going to win games, and falling flat on their face in the final quarters puts more doubt about the roster and the coaching staff than they might realize.
Their next matchup will inevitably be far more interesting than anyone could have imagined, but since the Patriots were able to avoid being blown out as expected, perhaps they will have a similar performance to close out the 2024 season on a good note.