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If you had any doubt that the 2018 Patriots are relying more and more on a powerful ground game and, in particular, on Sony Michel, offensive production against the Bills should defeat it.
The Patriots ran 26 times for 76 yards and nearly a third of them were overshadowed by Cordarelle Patterson in the fourth quarter.
It was a key race, of course, as the Patriots scored their only offensive touch of the night on this record, but again, it was a wide receiver who was directing it. From the starting point. And it was not an act of novelty.
Patterson led the team with 10 carries, while halfbacks James White and Kenjon Barner combined 10 goals and 19 yards.
WHAT WE SAID BEFORE THE GAME
The absence of Michel and the absence of a game of assists that the Bills had to take seriously do not fully explain the offensive struggle of the Patriots.
The Bills defense when the Patriots are at the rendezvous was as difficult to maneuver as Bill Belichick and Tom Brady announced all week.
Seven of the first nine readers of the Patriots crossed the midfield. They stalled at Buffalo 7, 22, 20, 32, 46 and 7. They scored the seventh goal on a track of James White.
"They forced us to fix everything," Belichick said.
"They made it difficult for us," said Brady, who totaled 324 passing yards with 29 assists in 45 but no touchdowns, but this is the first time since the third week in 2005 that "we have not been able to play. he has amassed 320 yards or more without touchdown. "We will win, but we will be able to get it, they will not give up big games, we will enter the red zone but we will not be able to get into the end zone. we would feel much better, but they played well all year. "
Despite his lack of punch as a runner, White has once again been the most effective part of the offense. He finished with 10 catches on 13 targets for 79 yards. The key game was directed by White, as has often been the case this season. On a third and 8 of the 47 Patriots with 12:03 left and the Patriots ahead by a still lean margin of 12-6, Brady hits White in the left flat and gives a shimmy that lets linebacker Julian Stanford grab air. After that came the 22-yard skater and Chris Hogan's backhand to the Bills 1. White came in from there.
White now leads the AFC with 55 catches (he is sixth in the NFL). His six touchdown receptions are tied for fourth place.
It was also the best match of Julian Edelman. He rushed for more than 100 rushing yards (10 catches for 104) and amassed a significant 26-yard advantage earlier in the Patriots touchdown. Edelman also wore twice for 13 yards.
The Patriots are now headed for a Sunday night clash against the Packers. Green Bay will score. The Patriots – who have put 38, 38, 43 and 24 on the offensive in their last four games will need a bigger return than the 18 that they put up Monday night.
With Marcus Cannon missing another game on the right, Shaq Mason being kicked out of the game due to a calf injury and Michel battling a knee injury, the Patriots' attack will no longer work at full power on the ground against the Packers.
Green Bay faces its own problems after a demoralizing loss of Rams and anonymous remnants of locker rooms after the loss.
But the Patriots will have to do more on the field. Since Michel fell to the ground, they have had 154 yards on 49 runs (3.14 average) and 35 attack points in the last seven quarters.
Even if this results in a shift from the trade deadline to the semifinal position, the selected person will have to travel to Foxboro and get on a running train for a short week.
In short, their race half misses them.
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