The New England Patriots closed out the 2023 calendar with a triller. Sunday’s New Year’s Eve day matchup with the Buffalo Bills was one of the team’s wildest, most unpredictable games of the year, which they ended up losing 27-21.
For the second year in a row, the matchup between these two teams in Orchard Park began with a kick return touchdown – and only got wilder from there. The Patriots turned the ball over three times in the first quarter and four times in their first six drives.
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After combining for just 86 total yards in the first quarter with just three completed passes and no third down conversions, the two teams stepped it up in the second quarter. Despite the Patriots’ turnover issues, it was just a one-score game (20-14 Buffalo) at halftime.
In the second half it became much more of a drag-it-out battle, and while the Patriots hit a couple of big plays they couldn’t string anything together offensively despite the defense remaining competitive. In that regard, it felt a lot like the majority of the games this team has played in 2023.
What did we learn from the Patriots’ penultimate game of the season and final game of the 2023 calendar year? Let’s take a look…