By Tiffany Williams –
In Week 17 of the NFL regular season the New England Patriots hosted the visiting Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday at Gillette Stadium. On Sunday the Jets traveled to Highmark Stadium for a meeting with the Buffalo Bills, and the Giants hosted the visiting Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
This week’s Studs are the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants, while this week’s Duds are the New England Patriots and the New York Jets.
New England Patriots & Los Angeles Chargers
In Foxborough, Massachusetts on Saturday the New England Patriots recorded their sixth straight loss after losing 40-7 to the visiting Los Angeles Chargers. The Patriots 3-13 overall this season. The last time they won a game at Gillette Stadium was on October 27th. The Patriots are the biggest dud of the league this season.
DeMario Douglas after the game said, “I feel like this game right here, just alone, should have a bad taste in everybody’s mouth, just because we lost at home. I feel like us being a young team, we should go into next year like, ‘Man, we dislike losing.’ I dislike losing, and I feel like my two years I’ve been losing, and I feel like it’s time to make a change. We’ve got some pieces, we’ll add more pieces next year, and I feel like we could come out and do something. I’m trying to be in the playoffs, I’m trying to go for a run and have a winning season. I’m just tired of losing for real.”
Buffalo Bills & NY Jets
At Highmark Stadium in Buffalo the Bills showed up, and showed who runs things in New York. The Bills were like a runaway freight train. After beating the Jets 40-14, how can you not call the Bills this weeks studs?
First quarter of this game Josh Allen got Buffalo into the game with a rushing touchdown, and the point after attempt was good to put the Bills on top 0-7.
Second quarter, Aaron Rodgers was sacked by AJ Epenesa in the end zone for 2 yards, safety extending the Bills lead to 0-9. Before the quarter ended Tyler Bass made a 39 yard field goal extending Buffalo’s lead to 0-12.
Third quarter Josh Allen connected with Amari Cooper claiming his first passing touchdown of the game. James Cook and Keon Coleman both registered a rushing touchdown. End of the quarter it was a 0-33 Bills game.
Buffalo extended their lead to 0-40 in the fourth quarter with Mitchell Trubisky connecting with Tyrell Shavers, and the point after attempt was good.
The Jets finally woke up in the fourth quarter and got a little burst of energy. Aaron Rodgers was taken out and Tyrod Taylor stepped up for the Jets with two passing touchdowns to make it a 14-40 game.
New York Giants & Indianapolis Colts
In an electrifying matchup at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the New York Giants secured a thrilling 45-33 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. This win marked a significant milestone for the Giants, as it was their first triumph at home this season and their first overall victory since October 6th. Prior to this game, the team had endured a challenging stretch, suffering through ten consecutive losses. With this victory, the Giants improved their record to 3-13 as they prepare to conclude their season in an upcoming away game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Making his fourth start as the Giants’ quarterback, Drew Lock delivered an impressive performance. He completed 17 of 23 pass attempts, amassing 309 yards in the air. Lock showcased his skills by throwing four touchdown passes without any interceptions, achieving a career-high passer rating of 155.3 in the process.
Wide receiver Malik Nabers had a standout performance, leading the Giants with seven receptions for an impressive career-high total of 171 yards. His performance included two spectacular touchdown catches, one covering 31 yards and the other an impressive 59 yards.
The Giants’ special teams also made their mark during the game, with Ihmir Smith-Marsette electrifying the crowd by returning the second-half kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, contributing to the Giants’ offensive surge.