To close out the 2024-25 regular season, the Bills vs Patriots should be an interesting conclusion to each team’s regular season. What started out as a year with little to no expectations turned out to be just that for the Pats. Somehow, someway, this team was even more painful to watch than last season.
Bills vs Patriots to Close the Regular Season
The offense showed serious flaws that plagued the team week after week, while the defense shockingly regressed due to a combination of injuries and ineffectiveness. The only silver lining was that the team finally drafted their quarterback of the future in Drake Maye, but even he has a long way to go with his development.
The last game of the season, Bills vs Patriots, will take place in the comforts of their own home in Gillette Stadium, but they only won twice in that stadium in the last two seasons. They will welcome the Buffalo Bills, a team with nothing to play for because they clinched the AFC East and the number two seed in the playoffs. Several changes with the roster and the coaching staff are expected to take place in 1 Patriot Place, so this performance alone might force owner Robert Kraft to dictate the team’s vision moving forward. Let’s take a look at the five biggest things to expect on Sunday afternoon.
#1: Drake Maye Good to Go
When the Patriots got crushed 40-7 against the Los Angeles Chargers last Saturday afternoon, Drake Maye not only suffered a head injury that forced him to miss the second possession of the contest, but he apparently hurt his throwing hand as well. The good news was that he cleared concussion protocol and got to return, but in preparation for the Bills vs Patriots matchup, head coach Jerod Mayo announced that Maye was limited in practice.
Fortunately, the rookie quarterback will start on Sunday, yet there is still a growing room for concern. Not only has he taken a beating, but his lack of a supporting cast week after week continues to stunt the rookie’s development.
#2: This is Not a Good Week for Christian Gonzalez
Unfortunately, elite cornerback Christian Gonzalez will not be playing in the Bills vs Patriots finale at Gillette Stadium due to a concussion. What makes this week even worse for him is that he did not get selected to the Pro Bowl, even though the numbers state that he deserves a nod.
When Gonzalez is the primary defender against some of the best receivers in football, he has allowed just thirty-one catches on seventy targets with only two touchdowns given up. He also tallied two interceptions, seven passes defended, and a touchdown! The fact that he was not even the fourth cornerback the Pro Bowl selected is just absurd, but the silver lining is that there is still a chance that Gonzalez will get selected to an All-Pro team.
#3: Brenden Schooler Earns His First Pro Bowl Nod
Although this season has been a disaster for the New England Patriots, they can at least say that one of their players got selected to the Pro Bowl—an amazing individual accomplishment. The deserving recipient was special teamer Brenden Schooler. When future Hall of Famer Matthew Slater retired last season, it was a guarantee that Schooler was going to be the successor, and he has completely lived up to the mantle.
There are not many stats that highlight playing on special teams, but his impact was easily felt every single week. He led the team in snaps on that front, was responsible for a blocked punt, and has the eleventh most solo takedown tackles in the league. His coaches and teammates have revered Schooler for his tireless dedication and commitment, so it is only right that he is getting the recognition and respect he deserves. Pats fans are hoping he can be a difference-maker in the Bills vs Patriots tilt.
#4: Joe Milton III Might Get Some Snaps?
On Wednesday afternoon, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt revealed that third-string quarterback Joe Milton III got starter snaps at quarterback ahead of the Bills vs Patriots. That does not mean that Milton is guaranteed to play on Sunday, but the rookie out of Tennessee stated to the media that he is ready for the challenge if his name does indeed get called.
With little to nothing to play for on Sunday, there should be no reason why Milton should not get at least a couple of snaps against the Bills. He was extremely promising to watch in the preseason, and there were some that felt that when Drake Maye got the starting job, Jacoby Brissett should be demoted to the third spot on the depth chart! Time will tell to see if Milton will get to play in the final game of the year, but one thing that is guaranteed that there is a slight chance that his wish will come true.
#5: The Ja’Lynn Polk Experiment Has Officially Failed
Because of a shoulder injury, rookie wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk will also be ruled out for Sunday’s Bills vs Patiots. Unfortunately, his season has been a complete wash. Polk has only caught twelve passes for eighty-three yards in fifteen games played. This turned out to be a disastrous pick for multiple reasons.
The first was that New England got the chance to take Ladd McConkey with the second selection in the second round of the NFL draft, but traded down with the Chargers so they could pick him! The second is that Polk’s success in college was clearly elevated because he was the second option behind first round pick Rome Odunze and mainly due to the fact that Michael Penix Jr. was his quarterback. For Polk’s potential to be unlocked, the Patriots are going to need to sign a couple of game-breaking wide receivers, but who knows if he will even crack the rotation next season?
If the Bills vs Patriots game doesn’t go New England’s way, they fall to 3-14. They would officially be on the clock with the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. They are in a very intriguing position with this spot. New England can either stay pat and select Travis Hunter, the dynamic Heisman Trophy winner out of Colorado, or trade down with another team for a huge haul. For the time being, Jerod Mayo and Patriots executive Eliot Wolf will still be employed by the spring, so they need to be extremely aggressive this offseason for this team to be respectable once again. Otherwise, they can kiss their jobs goodbye.
