Best and Worst Patriots PFF Grades for Week 16 at Buffalo

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry called their Week 16 game against the Buffalo Bills “a tale of two halves.” The Patriots led 14-7 at halftime, courtesy of two touchdown drives and a 1-0 turnover advantage. The Bills won the second half 17-7, thanks largely to three Patriots turnovers. New England left Buffalo with their fifth consecutive loss and a 3-12 record.

Despite the defeat, the Patriots received some solid individual performances. Unfortunately for New England, those were surpassed by the number of players who struggled. In addition to the second half turnover, the Patriots allowed 172 rushing yards in the game.

Overcoming turnovers is tough for any NFL team. That is especially true for a heavy underdog playing on the road like New England was on Sunday. That obstacle becomes significantly larger when the turnover turns into a defensive score for the opposition, as it did on the Bills’ final touchdown of the day. Add a quick-strike touchdown run from James Cook in the first half and it added up to another loss for New England.

Also Read – Ten Takeaways From the Patriots 24-21 Loss to the Bills

Pro Football Focus Grading System

Following each game, Patriots Football Now posts which New England players received the best and worst grades from Pro Football Focus for that week’s game.

The PFF scale goes from 0-to-100. A grade below 60.0 is indicative of being replaceable by a non-roster player. Pro Bowl grades are 85.0 and higher.

Here is a look at the New England Patriots who stood out, for better or worse, in Week 16 (note: players must play a minimum of 20 snaps to qualify, aside from special teams).

HONOR ROLL

Nine qualifying New England Patriots received grades of 70.0 or better against Buffalo. This group consists of four offensive players, two defensive players, and three from special teams. New England cornerback Isaiah Bolden (76.0) would have been featured here as well but he only played 16 defensive snaps.

S Marte Mapu (83.3)

A player rarely received such a poor tackling grade (29.6) and still finishes with the highest grade for the week. Mapu did receive “credit” for two missed tackles, though otherwise played an excellent game. He was responsible for Buffalo’s lone turnover, intercepting a Josh Allen pass in New England’s end zone. Mapu registered three tackles, a pass breakup, and forced a fumble. It was a nice return to action for a player who was a healthy scratch three of the past four games.

C Ben Brown (79.8)

Brown received his highest grade in his ten starts for the New England Patriots. Brown’s previous high was 63.6. The center allowed only one quarterback pressure in the game. He received the highest pass-blocking grade (81.1) and run-blocking grade (78.2) on New England. Ben Brown was the lone Patriots offensive lineman to make the honor roll in Week 16.

TE Austin Hooper (79.3)

Hooper contributed to New England’s ground game, receiving the second-highest run-blocking grade on the team (72.5). Drake Maye targeted the tight end five times. It resulted in four completions for 55 yards and four first downs. The lone incompletion was Maye’s lone interception, which looked like the combination of a poor pass, miscommunication, and Hooper getting his feet tangled with the Buffalo defensive back.

CB Jonathan Jones (76.1)

Jonathan Jones has been playing a bit more safety lately, but with Marcus Jones out, he stayed at cornerback against the Bills. He made four solo tackles and one stop. Buffalo targeted Jones five times. They completed only two of those passes for 22 yards. He added a pass breakup. Jones’ 76.5 coverage grade was the highest on the Patriots among qualified players.

TE Hunter Henry (75.1)

Another honor roll tight end for New England. Henry caught four passes for 39 yards and a touchdown. He dropped no passes. All of his receptions either scored or picked up a first down. Henry only had five pass-blocking opportunities, but scored 80.2 in that area. His 63.8 run-blocking grade was not spectacular but good enough for third-highest on the Patriots behind only Brown and Hooper.

Others Who Stood Out in Week 16: ST Monty Rice (76.1), ST Alex Austin (75.7), ST Marte Mapu (72.8), WR Kayshon Boutte (70.8).

DISHONORABLE ROLL

The number of New England Patriots on this list continues to be too high. There are 16 this week, nearly double that of the honor roll. That number does not include DT Eric Johnson II, who received a 43.3 grade but only played 18 defensive snaps.

RT Demontrey Jacobs (28.0)

Jacobs was the weak link of a Patriots offensive line that played fairly well against the Bills. He was unable to get a body on Greg Rousseau, which led to Buffalo’s defensive score. Jacobs allowed five quarterback pressures and two quarterback hits. He was flagged for two penalties. No other lineman allowed more than one pressure, and the rest of the line received no penalties.

LB Anfernee Jennings (28.6)

An uncharacteristically poor grade for Anfernee Jennings. It marked the lowest PFF grade of his NFL career and the worst of 2024 by far. His previous poor grade had been 51.0 in Week 3. He made two tackles but also had two missed tackles. It was Jennings’ first game of the year with multiple missed tackles. He received a poor grade in coverage (32.4), though he wasn’t targeted in coverage.

DT Daniel Ekuale (36.9)

Ekuale had more tackles than any NFL defensive lineman this season without being blamed for a missed tackle. That streak ended in Buffalo. He made two tackles but also received his first missed tackle of the season. Ekuale played 50% of his 36 snaps on passing downs, making his grade deceptive as a run-stuffing specialist. He recovered no quarterback pressures in those 18 opportunities.

CB Alex Austin (38.7)

Austin’s grade feels lower than his performance. He played 43 defensive snaps and was targeted three times. It resulted in two Bills completions for 25 yards. He finished with two tackles, one missed tackle, and one pass breakup.

DE Yannick Ngakoue (49.6)

Unlike Daniel Ekuale, Ngakoue’s primary job is to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. He contributed only one hurry on 22 pass-rush situations. Ngakoue recorded one tackle in the game. He now has fives tackles, three pressures, and no sacks during his five games since joining the New England Patriots.

Others Who Struggled in Week 16: ST Marcellas Dial Jr. (50.1), DT Davon Godchaux (50.2), RB Antonio Gibson (51.5), LG Layden Robinson (53.2), QB Drake Maye (54.0), DE Keion White (54.1), WR DeMario Douglas (54.1), WR Kendrick Bourne (56.1), LB Christian Elliss (57.4), RB Rhamondre Stevenson (58.2), S Kyle Dugger (59.1).

Weekly Disclaimer

Grades issued by Pro Football Focus are their independent scoring of players’ performances. They do not represent the assessment of Patriots Football Now, as noted with some examples above. The reports are used to offer a different perspective on the performances of players in a given game.

The New England Patriots (3-12) host the Los Angeles Chargers (9-6) in Week 17.