Was the Patriots’ loss to the Bills good for them in the long run?

Yahoo Sports host Andrew Siciliano, senior NFL writer Frank Schwab and senior NFL reporter Jori Epstein discuss if the New England Patriots loss to the Buffalo Bills is what they needed to be truly ready for the playoffs. Check out the full conversation on “Inside Coverage” – and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

Video Transcript

Is there a world after the game?

Rather, is there a world in which that result Sunday?

Blowing a 21-point lead at home with the possibility of ending the Bills’ five-year Reign atop the division was a good thing.

Yeah, I think it was, and I think if your goal was just to try at all costs to get number one Seed in the bye; then, yeah, clearly this is a step back.

They could have had hats and shirts.

They did not get their hats and shirts.

Only losing to the Bills, but like you said, blowing that 21-point lead, And the way they lost was not ideal, but the idea of having a loss generally and what it Exposes a team after 10 straight wins, I do think will help them become more of a Playoff-ready team.

And it wasn’t just me who thought that.

As in the locker room, postgame.

I mean, It’s Stefon Diggs who’s saying, “Look, this is good for us.”

We needed this.

We need to learn what we can from it.

And he was the one using those words of humble pie.

And I thought that was really interesting, coming from a player and Stefan.

Who has played in the NFC Championship with the Vikings, the AFC Championship with the Bills, But not gone to the Super Bowl.

So he knows what it takes to get over That hump, or more so, he’s seen you cannot get over the hump in the playoffs when you feel Like you’re riding high.

And then another player I spoke with is cornerback Carlton Davis.

Who was on the Buccaneers Super Bowl team the year Tom Brady won it with them?

And he’s similar.

It’s like, this is a playoff game.

The Patriots haven’t had much of this kind of caliber game experience in recent years.

So, as an organization, you need this.

And I think these messages were really coming from Mike Vrabel, top down.

Who we’ve seen in videos throughout this year after the wins.

Mike Vrabel hugging his players, congratulating them while standing in the tunnel.

Outside the entrance to the locker room after the game.

But you give coaches even more credit when it’s he’s not just doing this after a win, After this loss, after they’d blown what they felt like was a game they seemed not only To be headed toward winning, but also to be helping Drake May’s MVP campaign.

And then they blew it by four points.

And you have Mike Rabel standing there; he’s still giving guys knuckles.

He’s still dapping them up.

And when he has one player walk by, Head’s hanging; he’s like, “Hey, this is the National Football League.”

Which is to say, this happens.

So, all of this means maybe, in short, You don’t want to be unable to finish a game like this.

And you dont want to have some of the issues they had.

Particularly in the 3rd quarter, going into the 4th, when it’s an interception.

Then they let them drive 91 yards to go, they let them convert on 4th down.

But you do need some of these things exposed if you want to be ready to respond when needed.

Others expose them in the playoffs.

Was the Patriots’ loss to the Bills good for them in the long run?

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