New England Patriots: Studs and duds from fourth straight loss vs. Bills
Stud: Run game
One thing that was the strong point for New England on Sunday afternoon and has been for really the entirety of the 2020 season has been its ability to run the ball on the ground and hurt opposing defenses with multiple different players using their legs.
In the Week 8 contest, the Patriots did that yet again and that paced the way for the offense on the road in Buffalo.
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New England as a team finished with 34 carries for 188 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, led by running back Damien Harris with 16 carries for 102 yards and one touchdown, followed by quarterback Cam Newton with nine carries for 54 yards and one touchdown of his own.
Given the struggles in the passing game for the Patriots this season, they have relied heavily on the running game to try and come away with some wins in 2020.
Dud: Limiting Buffalo’s run game
As much success as New England had on the ground in the game, Buffalo matched it on its side of the field as well. In the game, the Bills tallied a total of 38 carries for 190 yards and three touchdowns. That running back group was led by Devin Singletary with 14 rushes for 86 yards and Zack Moss with 14 carries for 81 yards and two touchdowns.
One common theme for New England’s defense has been it allowing opposing offense to run the ball often during games, and that was once again the case on Sunday.