The New England Patriots came up short against the Buffalo Bills in Sunday's Week 16 matchup, but there were positives to take away from the 24-21 defeat. The Drake Maye-led offense looked sharp as it jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first half.

But it was just delaying the inevitable — a decided loss to the Bills, dropping the Patriots to 3-12 with their fifth straight loss. As well as the Patriots played in the first half, all of their warts were exposed over the final 35 or so minutes: Turnovers, bad penalties, poor execution, crucial breakdowns, weak coaching, and some plain, bad luck.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Patriots came out far more competitive than anyone expected but still wound up disappointing in a 24-21 loss to the Bills. The Patriots squandered a 14-point lead in the Week 16 loss to the Bills at Highmark Stadium. Jerod Mayo is now 3-12 to begin his first season as Patriots head coach.