3 Takeaways from Patriots' Week 16 Loss

Since entering their Week 14 bye on a seven-game winning streak, the New England Patriots have not played nearly as well upon their return to action. And because of that, they're no longer in first place in the AFC East with two weeks to go in the regular season.

The division lead was on the line Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium as the Patriots hosted the Buffalo Bills. Although New England kept the game close until late in the fourth quarter, it couldn't overcome some early struggles as it fell 33-21 to Buffalo, which is now in first place in the AFC East.

Damien Harris scored on an eight-yard touchdown run with 7:37 to go in the fourth quarter, helping to cut the Patriots' deficit to 26-21. But the Bills put the game away when Josh Allen threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Dawson Knox with 2:30 remaining.

Here are three takeaways from New England's Week 16 loss.

In Week 13, the Patriots went to Buffalo and defeated the Bills 14-10 in a game that was heavily impacted by wintry weather and high winds. That was a big reason why New England rookie quarterback Mac Jones attempted only three passes in the victory as the team instead relied on its running game.

This time, Jones played a bigger role in the offense. However, he also made some mistakes that served as a reminder that this is still his debut season in the NFL.

Jones went 14-of-32 for 145 yards and two interceptions, marking the second week in a row that he was picked off multiple times—something that never happened during New England's seven-game winning streak. He's had some ups and downs throughout the season, which is to be expected from a rookie.

"There's no excuses, and there's really nothing to talk about. I didn't play great," Jones said of Sunday's loss, per ESPN's Mike Reiss. "I can play better and I can lead a lot better."

At times this year, Jones has proved just that. And there will surely be plenty of better games for him in the future. But on Sunday, he struggled against a tough defense and couldn't lead the Pats to victory.

In recent years, the Patriots have typically relied on multiple running backs on their offense, frequently sticking with whomever has the hot hand. And right now, that's clearly Harris, who continues to get better during his third NFL season.

Harris had 18 carries for 103 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, accounting for all of New England's offense against Buffalo. It was Harris' second consecutive 100-yard game, as he rushed for 111 yards vs. the Bills in Week 13. (He missed the Pats' Week 15 loss to the Colts because of a hamstring injury.)

In 13 games this season, Harris has career highs in rushing yards (857) and touchdowns (12). However, he's just focused on trying to get New England back on track and into the playoffs.

"We’ll show up tomorrow ready to work, ready to improve," Harris said after Sunday's loss, per Jim McBride of the Boston Globe. "We'll review it, go over the corrections, take the coaching, and after that, it's on to the next game."

And it's possible that next game will feature another big showing from Harris, who nearly led the Patriots back to victory Sunday.

Even though the Patriots are no longer in first place in the AFC East, they're still in a good spot in the playoff picture heading into Week 17. They're currently the No. 6 seed in the AFC at 9-6, and they still control their own destiny in the wild-card race, even if that's not the case in the battle for the division title.

New England will need Buffalo to lose at least one of its final two games in order to win the AFC East crown. However, the Patriots are assured of at least a wild-card berth if they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17 and the Miami Dolphins in Week 18.

FiveThirtyEight's projections have New England's odds of reaching the playoffs at 96 percent. It should have no trouble beating Jacksonville, which is an NFL-worst 2-13. Then, it will look for revenge against Miami, which beat the Pats 17-16 in Week 1 and is also in the thick of the AFC postseason picture.

However, if the Patriots are going to get into the playoffs, they'll need to play better than they have the past two weeks. But those losses came against the Colts and Bills, two teams that are likely heading to the playoffs. So New England's Week 17 matchup against Jacksonville will likely get it back on track.

Even though the Pats haven't looked great recently, it would be a surprise if they don't end up in the postseason.