Three Patriots turnovers in the second half helped the Buffalo Bills pull away and defeat New England at Highmark Stadium last Sunday.
The first turnover was a fumble by running back Rhamondre Stevenson, his seventh of the season. The second was an interception on a bad throw by Drake Maye and the third involved both.
Maye threw a backwards pass to Stevenson out of the backfield. The pass hit Stevenson and fell to the ground, and Buffalo recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown.
On his Thursday media availabilityPatriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt was asked about the play involving Maye and Stevenson. He noted three Patriots errors on the play, which allowed the Bills to take a 21-14 lead into the fourth quarter.
“It was a difficult question. We really made three mistakes in the game and they were all critical. Without having one, we may have survived the drop,” Van Pelt told reporters at Gillette Stadium. “We were a little quick throwing the lateral. We expected it to be a forward pass. We ask our guys to cut the (defensive) wing on that side. We didn’t give up, that’s number 2. And then our backs… we lost a little bit of ground on the wide course… so those three allowed us to make a crucial play in the game.
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Although the play did not benefit the Patriots, Van Pelt defended the call deep in New England territory.
“It’s a very safe game,” he said. “It’s a kick in the back with a head blocker.”
The Patriots have been criticized throughout the season for their lack of creativity, and New England certainly remained competitive against the Bills with its aggressiveness for long stretches on Sunday. However, the risks didn’t pay off as the Patriots hoped.
