Best Plays
7. Tom Brady completes a 14 yard pass to Danny Amendola and Rex Ryan gets penalized 15 yards for an Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty (+1.92 EPA). This was the crazy whistle play. It was awful. It was also the Patriots 7th best play on the day, which says a lot.
6. Chandler Jones stops Tyrod Taylor for -6 yards on 3rd and 3 (+1.94 EPA). Classified as a run stop, Jones made a huge play and was great against the run.
5. Defensive pass interference on Stephon Gilmore in coverage of Aaron Dobson on 3rd and 9 on the Patriots opening drive (+2.09 EPA). It was this kind of day. Two of the Patriots top seven plays were the result of penalties.
4. Dan Carpenter misses a 48-yard field goal (+2.90 EPA).
3. Tom Brady completes a 20 yard touchdown pass to running back James White on 3rd and 10, right before the half (+3.99 EPA). This was a huge play and it absolutely swung the momentum of the game. The Patriots were able to get the ball after the half to go for the double whammy. Give White a shot!
2. Tom Brady completes a 41 yard completion to Danny Amendola on 3rd and 7 (+4.41 EPA). The Bills absolutely broke down in coverage and Amendola was off to the races in the third quarter with the game tied 10-10.
1. Brandon King forces a fumble on punt returner Leodis McKelvin, recovered by Jonathan Freeny and returned to the Bills 30 yard line (+4.56 EPA). How crucial was this play? The Patriots followed up with four straight runs and then an incomplete pass to lead to a field goal, but the Patriots were able to get up two scores on the Bills as the result of this play.
Worst Plays
7. Tom Brady intercepted by Stephon Gilmore on the Buffalo 2 yard line (-2.21 EPA). This was an absolutely awful throw by Brady off of his back foot and to a young receiver Chris Harper who was never open at any point in his route. Brady wants this one back.
6. Tyrod Taylor completes an 18 yard pass to Robert Woods on 3rd and 8 early in the 2nd quarter from the Buffalo 17 yard line (-2.39 EPA). Taylor shook a Chandler Jones sack before rolling out and throwing a strike between Malcolm Butler and Patrick Chung in bracket coverage on the sideline.
5. Stephen Gostkowski misses a 54-yard field goal attempt (-2.74 EPA). The field position granted to the Bills after the blown whistle call really hurt the Patriots.
4. Tyrod Taylor completes an 8 yard pass to Sammy Watkins on 4th and 6 on the Bills final drive (-2.84 EPA). The Patriots were in clock killing mode, but the officials still got this call incorrect in live time and had to review it.
3. Tyrod Taylor completes a 31 yard pass to Chris Hogan on 3rd and 4 on a blown coverage by Malcom Butler (-2.99 EPA). Butler was too focused on Sammy Watkins and didn't drop back to cover his third of the field against a streaking Hogan.
2. Tyrod Taylor completes a 42 yard pass to Chris Hogan with 5:39 left in the 4th quarter (-3.47 EPA). This was an absolute dime over Patrick Chung in coverage. It's hard to fault Chung for being in this match-up, but this was a huge play that the Patriots wish they didn't let up.
1. LeSean McCoy scampers 27 yards for a touchdown early in the 3rd (-3.49 EPA). The Patriots run defense broke down on this play, but were fantastic for the rest of the game.