New England (8-9) put up a fight and briefly led 17-14 in the third quarter before Nyheim delivered a cold knockout to Hines.
Hines scored his second touchdown after the Patriots took the lead, simultaneously whipping the crowd into a frenzy and taking the wind out of the Patriots’ sails.
It was a double dip for Hines, who sped through and around the New England cover unit on the opening kickoff to give the Bills a 7-0 lead in just 14 seconds.
Get point after
It’s been the perfect start for a team, a crowd and a region that have grappled with the health of Bill’s safety Damar Hamlin for the past week.
For a franchise known for the excellence of its special teams over the past two decades, it was particularly harrowing.
“It’s very difficult to process,” said Matthew Slater. “I’ve been playing this game for a long time and I’ve never been in anything like this before. This is of course very disappointing. As the captain of this unit, I feel like we cost the team the game. So it is very difficult.”
When asked how the breakdowns came about, an emotional Slater was blunt.
“We just have to use our hands better to get off blocks,” he said. “It comes down to the basics. You must be able to drop blocks. You have to be able to diagnose the return… It’s very disappointing when it shows up in that environment.”
Gallant in defeat
The Patriots showed plenty of determination, twice answering 7-point deficits on two Mac Jones touchdown passes to level the score at 14 at halftime.
Nick Folk’s 24-yard field goal is New England’s only lead, and even as Buffalo scored 14 straight goals to give them a 28-17 lead, the Patriots stayed tuned with DeVante Parker’s second touchdown to put them early in the fourth quarter to reduce to 28-23.
Allen sealed the affair with a perfectly placed 49-yard bomb against Stefon Diggs, who was actually well marked by Jonathan Jones. Allen’s pass was just so good.
The Patriots’ comebacks were thwarted by three second-half interceptions, none of which could actually be attributed to Mac Jones. Nelson Agholor slowed his route on the first and the second and third were deflections from Jones’ receiver hands.
“It’s frustrating because the offense was moving,” said running back Damien Harris (13 carries, 48 yards). “It just hurts to lose. i hate losing I’m having a hard time remembering some of the games at the moment just because it’s just an emotional time and I wish we could have done more to win today.
Support for Hamlin everywhere
The pregame scene showed many signs of support for Hamlin. Players and coaches from both teams shared frequent hugs and many, including Bill Belichick, wore jerseys that read “Love for Damar” during the audition scene.
“One positive thing about it all was just being able to be here in this atmosphere and see the love and all the emotion and everyone coming together for Damar and praying for him all week and wishing him a speedy recovery,” Harris said. “We’re all glad he’s doing better and while it wasn’t the result we wanted, it made me feel special to be able to wear a t-shirt with his name and number just to support him.”
comeback player?
Harris is one of many Patriots whose future is up in the air as he enters the final year of his contract. He said he would “love to” come back. “I know this is business and I know this organization will do what they think is best for them and at the end of the day I have to do what I think is best for me. So, we’ll see what happens,” he said… Another up-and-coming free agent, Jakobi Meyers, said he’d “definitely” like to be back… Cornerback Jonathan Jones said he hadn’t really thought about next year.
Finale for Emotional McCourty, Slater?
It was a very emotional post-game scene for Matthew Slater and Devin McCourty, the longtime veterans who have indicated they are thinking about retirement but haven’t made a decision yet.
Through tears, Slater said McCourty had “meant more to him than any teammate I’ve had” in his 15-year career. “It didn’t hit me until I sat there and [the Bills are] take a knee, just the emotions, everything that comes in,” said McCourty, who had one interception and a fumbled recovery. “Everything you go through in one season and not knowing your future. I just said to myself today to just go out there and give it my all and see where it got me.”
2023 opponents set
With the regular season on the books, the Patriots’ opponents for 2023 are set.
The home roster: the Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Chiefs, Chargers, Colts, Eagles, Commanders and Saints.
The street plan: the Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Broncos, Raiders, Cowboys, Giants and Steelers.
There is also a possibility that one of New England’s games will be played in Europe.
Bailey plot condenses
Suspended punter Jake Bailey was ineligible to play. Belichick disagreed with Bailey’s agent, who tweeted Saturday that Bailey’s suspension came as a surprise. Bailey’s agent said the player was hoping to return from IR.
When asked about it, Belichick said: “He was supposed to come back and couldn’t play. The suspension was a completely different matter.”
Milestone for Stevenson
Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 54 yards and finished the season with a career-high 1,040 yards. He’s the first Patriot to reach that milestone since LeGarrette Blount (1,161) in 2016… Hines is the first player with two kickoff return TDs in a game since Seattle’s Leon Washington in 2010… Brenden Schooler has his first Missed game as the rookie was a game-day inactive from a hip injury he sustained against the Dolphins last week. Schooler, who was undrafted from Texas, excelled on special teams, amassing 14 tackles and a few fumble recoveries in the kicking game. New England’s other inactives: running back Kevin Harris, safety Joshuah Bledsoe, defensive lineman Sam Roberts, cornerbacks Shaun Wade and Jalen Mills, and tight end Jonnu Smith.
Jim McBride can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @globejimmcbride.
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