New England Patriots - NESN.com
The Buffalo Bills were able to fend off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon, improving their record to 7-3 with a 44-32 victory.
The Bills’ quarterback and reigning MVP, Josh Allen, played phenomenally as he filled the stat sheet with 317 yards and three touchdowns through the air, with three more on the ground.
However, some would argue that needing six touchdowns from your best player to beat a team making a 1,200-mile road trip is not exactly a winning formula. But that is exactly what it has taken from the gunslinger in all three of the team’s biggest wins.
In Week 1, the Bills edged out the Baltimore Ravens, 41-40, in a win that looked much more impressive at the time. It took a 22-point fourth quarter and nearly 400 passing yards from Allen to do so. He recorded four total touchdowns in that game, two in the air and two on the ground.
Fast forward to Week 9, when Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs were in Buffalo. Allen once again had to punch it in twice on the ground and add one through the air to best the Chiefs 28-21.
While big games from your quarterback are always a welcome sight, this is a concerning trend for the New England Patriots’ biggest threat in the AFC East.
It highlights a potential lack of complementary talent on a roster that has faced criticism this season.
Compare Allen’s efforts in his team’s wins to Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. When Maye walked into Buffalo and led his team to a 23-20 victory in Highmark Stadium, the second-year quarterback finished with zero total touchdowns.
If the hotly contested division title comes down to which team is more complete in Week 15, New England may have the edge.
