New England Patriots links 10/24/23 - Personnel, attitude adjustments pay off; Will it last?

Regardless of the ‘to tank, or not to tank’ question, we all saw something different in the team last Sunday that paid off in a win against the Bills. Of all the games on the schedule when it came out last spring, this one was already in the loss column.

Instead, the Patriots charged into the matchup with a renewed life and a positive energy. But there was something else too, and as the game went on it hit me. No fear. The negative body language and lackluster spirit was gone. Mac Jones didn’t look terrified. The offensive line held up. Mac had time to throw, and step into and away from pressure. Personnel adjustments certainly helped, not only along the O-line, but as seen in the wide receiver snap counts too.

Could be that Dante Scarnecchia just gives a really mean pep talk, but I’m hoping this condition is a little longer lasting. Confidence in Bill O’Brien’s system and trusting in each other may be settling in. Here’s hoping the success they felt in Week 7 is the start of a reborn team. Confidence begets confidence as the saying goes. Practice with it then pack it all up and take it to Miami against the Dolphins on Sunday. I’m feeling it already!

TEAM TALK

• Evan Lazar’s After Further Review: Is the offense starting to come together under Bill O’Brien?
• Mike Dussault explores if the Patriots game-winning drive and new-found clutch can provide a season spark?
• Press Conference: Bill Belichick - Matthew Slater - Mike Onwenu - Hunter Henry.
• WEEI Patriots Monday: Bill Belichick and Mac Jones.
• Patriots locker room celebration after the win. (1.20 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Michael Hurley serves up some still-warm leftover Patriots thoughts: The attitude off the bat from a team that wasn’t supposed to win was immediately noticeable.
• Jerry Thornton gives us his knee-jerk reactions to Pats-Bills: Pats-Bills: Things to consider while acknowledging that just having Dante Scarnecchia in the building makes everybody block better.
• Zack Cox gives us seven takeaways from Patriots’ signature win over the Bills. It was the Patriots’ best win in years.
• Nick Goss shares his Patriots-Bills takeaways: Mac Jones comes up clutch in stunning upset.
• Mike Kadlick shares 5 immediate thoughts from the shocking 29-25 upset over the Bills. 5 - Jabrill Peppers keeps proving why he was a first-round pick.
• Mark Morse gives us his 13 observations from the comeback win. 1. It all started with the offensive line.
• Doug Kyed calls attention to one of the personnel changes made by Bill Belichick in Sunday’s win over the Bills: Reducing WR DeVante Parker’s workload while giving the bulk of his snaps to WR Jalen Reagor.
• Bob George details how out of nowhere, the Patriots rose up and conquered the Bills.
• Chad Finn writes, the Patriots are resilient. They haven’t quit. And hey, Bill Belichick has led unexpected turnarounds before.
• Zack Cox says Mac Jones’ game-winning drive was exactly what he needed. ‘They proved everybody wrong.’
• Doug Kyed details the key personnel changes on the offensive line - including moving Mike Onwenu to right tackle, that shored up the Patriots against one of the league’s top pass rushing defenses.
• Adam London explains how the defense bothered Josh Allen on Sunday.
• Michael Hurley details the play that had Sean McDermott most frustrated after the Patriots’ comeback victory: A 34-yard screen pass to Rhamondre Stevenson that flipped the field and instantly allowed the Patriots to start hunting the touchdown instead of the field goal.
• Mike Kadlick highlights Bill Belichick lauding Patriots’ ‘complementary’ offensive performance in win vs. Bills.
• Conor Ryan believes if the Patriots want to build on Sunday’s shocking win, Demario Douglas needs to be a featured playmaker.
• Ava Sirocco (OutForTheSeason) A tale of two QBs: Mac Jones saves the Patriots from the cold ire of le guillotine…
• Sara Marshall (MusketFire) Josh Allen shows off his flopping skills again in loss to the Patriots.
• Andy Hart picks his Pats-Bills thumbs up, thumbs down: Mac Jones leads comeback win.
• Zack Cox relays Bill Belichick calling for a “softball” question that yielded an interesting response.
• Jerry Thornton notes Gronk had the perfect answer when asked if Travis Kelce is the GOAT of tight ends.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Albert Breer (SI) Week 7 Takeaways: The Steelers are flashing their potential; Plus, the Browns are a quarterback away from being contenders, Mac Jones bounced back, Bears have survived the storm and much more.
• Mike Tanier (The Messenger) Monday Walkthrough: Eagles finally find their form in Sunday night beating of Dolphins; Plus, what’s wrong with Buffalo, the Browns win without Deshaun Watson again, everything goes right for the Ravens, and more from Week 7.
• Ben Sojak (The Ringer) The Hot Read, Week 7: Lamar Jackson for MVP; Plus, why the Atlanta Falcons are just fine, the do-it-all dominance of Myles Garrett, an impressive first start for Tyson Bagent, award picks, and more.
• Gilberto Manzano (SI) What we learned in Week 7: Steelers’ offense rolling, Lions’ secondary exposed, Jaguars perfect in October; More.
• NFL Nation (ESPN) Week 7: Biggest questions, risers and takeaways. Can this performance be the catalyst for the Patriots to turn their season around?
• Nate Davis (USA Today) 32 things we learned in Week 7. 6. But it’s unlikely any tight end will celebrate on par with the New England Patriots’ Mike Gesicki, who snared the game-winning TD pass with 12 seconds left in a shocking 29-25 upset of the Buffalo Bills. 7. And let’s give it up for legendary Pats head coach Bill Belichick.
• Gilberto Manzano (SI) Fact or Fiction: Bills are pretenders after ugly Week 7 loss to Patriots. After struggling against a one-win New England team, it might be time to take away Buffalo’s status as a potential contender this season.
• Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports) NFL Winners and Losers: Maybe we need to tone down the Lions hype for a while. Winners: Mac Jones and Bill Belichick.
• Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Bill Belichick says Sunday’s officiating was “unusual,” questions picking up flags.
• Conor Orr (SI) The NFL needs common sense referee reform.