The NFL season is long. There are bound to be lackluster performances, especially against inferior opponents. The Buffalo Bills played down to the competition, at least for a half. And it didn't cost them.

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.

On the Patriots’ end, rookie quarterback Drake Maye went 22-of-36 passing for 261 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. His favorite receiving target on the day was wideout Kayshon Boutte, who hauled in five receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown.