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As you'll see from some of the snap counts, the Bills were in nickel a large majority of the time. With a smaller personnel, Buffalo struggled to plug the gaps and to stop the run as well as they had through the first three weeks.
In this edition of the 'Upon Further Review' series, we take a look at the linebackers, running backs and tight ends of the Bills against New England.
Linebackers
Nick Barnett
Time on Field: 100% snaps played; 77 total
Stats: 15 tackles (10 solo)
Plus/Minus: -7
Observations: Following a string of three games where Nick Barnett was perhaps the best defender on the field on a three-game average, the linebacker had a game to forget against the Patriots. Whether it was due to the defensive line not being as influential on the game as the Bills would have hoped or something else, Barnett struggled mightily throughout the game. He got caught on a play-action pass where he lost his assignment by biting on the run on three different occasions. Normally a solid tackler, Barnett missed a few that would have limited some runs. Overpursuit was also a problem a pair of times in the game. He had a few nice plays in the game, but two of which came near the end when the contest was already a foregone conclusion.
Grade: D+
Season GPA: 2.85
Bryan Scott
Time on Field: 87.0% snaps played; 67 total
Stats: 14 tackles (8 solo)
Plus/Minus: -1
Observations: Pushed in to the game for a large majority of the snaps, Bryan Scott played on a pretty even level throughout in his nickel linebacker role. He lost his leverage a couple of times in run support, but offset those with crashing the correct gap and tripping up the runner at the line of scrimmage. Scott had the fumble recovery, showing his penchant for always being around the loose football (at least in 2012). Perhaps more of a schematic lapse than one where Scott should take the full blame, he found himself covering Wes Welker a few separate times. That's a tough enough responsibility for a quick and speedy cornerback, let alone a nickel linebacker. He gets a C+ because the Bills allowed two 100-yard rushers and he was a large part of the game plan.
Grade: C+
Season GPA: 2.79
Kelvin Sheppard
Time on Field: 13.0% snaps played; 10 total
Stats: 1 tackle
Plus/Minus: +1
Observations: With the Bills in nickel almost the entire game, Kelvin Sheppard had only two defensive snaps heading in to the fourth quarter. It wasn't until the tail end of the game with the Bills already down 14 points and their backs against the goal line following a turnover that Sheppard found his way on the field. He had a solid tackle for loss, although he wasn't credited for the stop.
Grade: B-
Season GPA: 2.88
Arthur Moats
Time on Field: 11.7% snaps played; 9 total
Stats: 1 tackle (solo)
Plus/Minus: Even
Observations: In his few plays, Arthur Moats did not fare well on Brandon Bolden's touchdown in the fourth quarter. He did however play well in coverage on Daniel Fells who was the intended target on a fourth quarter throw. Like Sheppard, he had only two defensive snaps heading in to the fourth quarter.
Grade: B-
Season GPA: 2.96
Running Backs
Fred Jackson
Time on Field: 47.8% snaps played; 33 total
Stats: 13 carries, 29 yards, fumble lost; 3 receptions, 50 yards
Plus/Minus: +2
Observations: Fred Jackson's return was met by both some big plays and some negative plays for the Bills. His best play of the day was not on a run, but yet it was a pass play down the left sideline for a big gain. Jackson waited until the last possible second to put up his hands and brought in the reception. On the negative side of things, Jackson uncharacteristically got the ball popped loose on a terrific play by New England's Brandon Spikes. Jackson once again showed how polished he is on blitz pickup to give Fitzpatrick some more time. They'll continue to bring him along slowly.
Grade: B-
Season GPA: 2.77
C.J. Spiller
Time on Field: 44.9% snaps played; 31 total
Stats: 8 carries, 33 yards, fumble lost; 2 receptions, 5 yards
Plus/Minus: +1
Observations: Perhaps it was a bit unexpected, but C.J. Spiller was able to suit up against New England and got a legitimate amount of snaps against the Patriots. Spiller didn't bust it loose too many times, only on a couple of plays where he gained around 15 yards. His fumble on the goal line was certainly a big play at the moment and prevented the Bills from going up by two touchdowns.
Grade: B-
Season GPA: 3.62
Tashard Choice
Time on Field: 4.4% snaps played; 3 total
Stats: 2 carries, 14 yards
Plus/Minus: +1
Observations: Tashard Choice was thought to be a bigger part of the game plan if Jackson and Spiller couldn't play, but with both suiting up, the third-string runner was relegated to just three plays at the end of the game. He had a nice 12-yard gain on a cutback in garbage time.
Grade: B
Season GPA: 2.82
Corey McIntyre
Time on Field: 4.4% snaps played; 3 total
Stats: None
Plus/Minus: Even
Observations: Corey McIntyre wasn't as involved this week in the pass game as he was against Cleveland. He was brought in as a blocker on all three plays.
Grade: B-
Season GPA: 2.75
Johnny White
Time on Field: 1.5% snaps played; 1 total
Stats: 1 carry, 8 yards
Plus/Minus: Even
Observations: The Bills likely dressed Johnny White as a precautionary measure if Jackson or Spiller had a setback. They didn't, so White only got one carry at the end of the game.
Grade: B-
Season GPA: 2.67
Tight Ends
Scott Chandler
Time on Field: 63.8% snaps played; 44 total
Stats: 4 receptions, 62 yards, 2 touchdowns
Plus/Minus: +4
Observations: Before his injury, Scott Chandler was a dynamite player for the Bills against the Patriots. When you evaluate his game, you look at his receptions first. He had three tough catches with defenders all around him and he showed his strong hands to secure the catch even when he absorbed contact from either a defender or the ground. His two touchdowns were a thing of beauty. He had a pair of gaffes in the blocking game, but for the most part he was solid in that area as well. He excels in blocking for T.J. Graham on the wide receiver screen that the Bills like to run. They've done that at least a handful of times over the past two weeks.
Grade: A-
Season GPA: 3.15
Dorin Dickerson
Time on Field: 26.1% snaps played; 18 total
Stats: 2 receptions, 36 yards
Plus/Minus: +2
Observations: Dorin Dickerson saw his most extensive time on the playing field due to the Scott Chandler injury, answering the question as to why he is active each and every week. The Bills view Lee Smith as a blocking tight end (for good reason), and keep Dickerson active because Chandler is such a vital part of their offense in terms of snap counts and overall involvement. Dickerson got on the field and had a nice screen play where he followed his blockers correctly, as well as a tough catch that was low to the ground. It was definitely his best game as a Bill.
Grade: B
Season GPA: 2.77
Lee Smith
Time on Field: 7.3% snaps played; 5 total
Stats: None
Plus/Minus: -1
Observations: The Buffalo Bills elected not to go with the power run game all that often against the Patriots, only using Lee Smith five times throughout the contest. His only discernible play came when he whiffed badly on an attempt to block Rob Ninkovich.
Grade: C+
Season GPA: 2.66
Nick Barnett
Time on Field: 100% snaps played; 77 total
Stats: 15 tackles (10 solo)
Plus/Minus: -7
Observations: Following a string of three games where Nick Barnett was perhaps the best defender on the field on a three-game average, the linebacker had a game to forget against the Patriots. Whether it was due to the defensive line not being as influential on the game as the Bills would have hoped or something else, Barnett struggled mightily throughout the game. He got caught on a play-action pass where he lost his assignment by biting on the run on three different occasions. Normally a solid tackler, Barnett missed a few that would have limited some runs. Overpursuit was also a problem a pair of times in the game. He had a few nice plays in the game, but two of which came near the end when the contest was already a foregone conclusion.
Grade: D+
Season GPA: 2.85
Bryan Scott
Time on Field: 87.0% snaps played; 67 total
Stats: 14 tackles (8 solo)
Plus/Minus: -1
Observations: Pushed in to the game for a large majority of the snaps, Bryan Scott played on a pretty even level throughout in his nickel linebacker role. He lost his leverage a couple of times in run support, but offset those with crashing the correct gap and tripping up the runner at the line of scrimmage. Scott had the fumble recovery, showing his penchant for always being around the loose football (at least in 2012). Perhaps more of a schematic lapse than one where Scott should take the full blame, he found himself covering Wes Welker a few separate times. That's a tough enough responsibility for a quick and speedy cornerback, let alone a nickel linebacker. He gets a C+ because the Bills allowed two 100-yard rushers and he was a large part of the game plan.
Grade: C+
Season GPA: 2.79
Kelvin Sheppard
Time on Field: 13.0% snaps played; 10 total
Stats: 1 tackle
Plus/Minus: +1
Observations: With the Bills in nickel almost the entire game, Kelvin Sheppard had only two defensive snaps heading in to the fourth quarter. It wasn't until the tail end of the game with the Bills already down 14 points and their backs against the goal line following a turnover that Sheppard found his way on the field. He had a solid tackle for loss, although he wasn't credited for the stop.
Grade: B-
Season GPA: 2.88
Arthur Moats
Time on Field: 11.7% snaps played; 9 total
Stats: 1 tackle (solo)
Plus/Minus: Even
Observations: In his few plays, Arthur Moats did not fare well on Brandon Bolden's touchdown in the fourth quarter. He did however play well in coverage on Daniel Fells who was the intended target on a fourth quarter throw. Like Sheppard, he had only two defensive snaps heading in to the fourth quarter.
Grade: B-
Season GPA: 2.96
Running Backs
Fred Jackson
Time on Field: 47.8% snaps played; 33 total
Stats: 13 carries, 29 yards, fumble lost; 3 receptions, 50 yards
Plus/Minus: +2
Observations: Fred Jackson's return was met by both some big plays and some negative plays for the Bills. His best play of the day was not on a run, but yet it was a pass play down the left sideline for a big gain. Jackson waited until the last possible second to put up his hands and brought in the reception. On the negative side of things, Jackson uncharacteristically got the ball popped loose on a terrific play by New England's Brandon Spikes. Jackson once again showed how polished he is on blitz pickup to give Fitzpatrick some more time. They'll continue to bring him along slowly.
Grade: B-
Season GPA: 2.77
C.J. Spiller
Time on Field: 44.9% snaps played; 31 total
Stats: 8 carries, 33 yards, fumble lost; 2 receptions, 5 yards
Plus/Minus: +1
Observations: Perhaps it was a bit unexpected, but C.J. Spiller was able to suit up against New England and got a legitimate amount of snaps against the Patriots. Spiller didn't bust it loose too many times, only on a couple of plays where he gained around 15 yards. His fumble on the goal line was certainly a big play at the moment and prevented the Bills from going up by two touchdowns.
Grade: B-
Season GPA: 3.62
Tashard Choice
Time on Field: 4.4% snaps played; 3 total
Stats: 2 carries, 14 yards
Plus/Minus: +1
Observations: Tashard Choice was thought to be a bigger part of the game plan if Jackson and Spiller couldn't play, but with both suiting up, the third-string runner was relegated to just three plays at the end of the game. He had a nice 12-yard gain on a cutback in garbage time.
Grade: B
Season GPA: 2.82
Corey McIntyre
Time on Field: 4.4% snaps played; 3 total
Stats: None
Plus/Minus: Even
Observations: Corey McIntyre wasn't as involved this week in the pass game as he was against Cleveland. He was brought in as a blocker on all three plays.
Grade: B-
Season GPA: 2.75
Johnny White
Time on Field: 1.5% snaps played; 1 total
Stats: 1 carry, 8 yards
Plus/Minus: Even
Observations: The Bills likely dressed Johnny White as a precautionary measure if Jackson or Spiller had a setback. They didn't, so White only got one carry at the end of the game.
Grade: B-
Season GPA: 2.67
Tight Ends
Scott Chandler
Time on Field: 63.8% snaps played; 44 total
Stats: 4 receptions, 62 yards, 2 touchdowns
Plus/Minus: +4
Observations: Before his injury, Scott Chandler was a dynamite player for the Bills against the Patriots. When you evaluate his game, you look at his receptions first. He had three tough catches with defenders all around him and he showed his strong hands to secure the catch even when he absorbed contact from either a defender or the ground. His two touchdowns were a thing of beauty. He had a pair of gaffes in the blocking game, but for the most part he was solid in that area as well. He excels in blocking for T.J. Graham on the wide receiver screen that the Bills like to run. They've done that at least a handful of times over the past two weeks.
Grade: A-
Season GPA: 3.15
Dorin Dickerson
Time on Field: 26.1% snaps played; 18 total
Stats: 2 receptions, 36 yards
Plus/Minus: +2
Observations: Dorin Dickerson saw his most extensive time on the playing field due to the Scott Chandler injury, answering the question as to why he is active each and every week. The Bills view Lee Smith as a blocking tight end (for good reason), and keep Dickerson active because Chandler is such a vital part of their offense in terms of snap counts and overall involvement. Dickerson got on the field and had a nice screen play where he followed his blockers correctly, as well as a tough catch that was low to the ground. It was definitely his best game as a Bill.
Grade: B
Season GPA: 2.77
Lee Smith
Time on Field: 7.3% snaps played; 5 total
Stats: None
Plus/Minus: -1
Observations: The Buffalo Bills elected not to go with the power run game all that often against the Patriots, only using Lee Smith five times throughout the contest. His only discernible play came when he whiffed badly on an attempt to block Rob Ninkovich.
Grade: C+
Season GPA: 2.66
If you missed the OL & DL breakdowns vs. the Patriots, click here.